Story perspectives

Pogacar poised for fifth title as Tour finale cut.

7/25/2026

Summary

France Cuts

France cut the Tour’s final stage to 89 km, starting on the Champs-Élysées, after security forces were redeployed to fight wildfires near Bordeaux.
Wildfires in Gironde and Landes have burned over 36,000 ha, forced nearly 200,000 evacuations and sit 20-30 km west of Bordeaux, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.
Tadej Pogacar needs only to finish the shortened stage to secure a record-equaling fifth Tour title, leading by six minutes 26 seconds over Remco Evenepoel after stage 20.

Summary

Tour Begins

The stage starts at 5:50 pm CEST on July 26, 2026, ends around 7:45 pm, and adds two Champs-Élysées laps for five circuits before three Montmartre loops.
Riders give a 3:40 pm team presentation in Thoiry and then bus to Paris for the start.
The publicity caravan leaves Thoiry at 1:20 pm, letting spectators see it before heading to Paris, while rain could trigger safety measures such as neutralised GC timings used last year.

History

Historical Context

The 2003 European heat wave pushed Bordeaux to 44 °C and caused nearly 15,000 deaths, igniting forest fires and mass evacuations. In 2026 another heat dome raised Bordeaux to 44 °C, prompting Interior Minister Laurent Núñez to send firefighters and forcing the Tour de France, run by Amaury Sport Organisation, to cut a stage to 89 km.

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France Cuts

France cut the Tour’s final stage to 89 km, starting on the Champs-Élysées, after security forces were redeployed to fight wildfires near Bordeaux.
Wildfires in Gironde and Landes have burned over 36,000 ha, forced nearly 200,000 evacuations and sit 20-30 km west of Bordeaux, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.
Tadej Pogacar needs only to finish the shortened stage to secure a record-equaling fifth Tour title, leading by six minutes 26 seconds over Remco Evenepoel after stage 20.

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