Fans banned from Tour de France stage due to wildfires

The third stage of the Tour de France to Les Angles will go ahead, despite the threat posed by wildfires raging in the eastern Pyrenees, but without spectators.

- Jeremy Whittle Barcelona

“The setup will be limited to the passage of the riders only and the vehicles essential to organising the event,” Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, the prefect of the Eastern Pyrenees, said.

The Tour’s popular publicity caravan will not be on the road and one of the key access routes for the convoy to the stage finish in Les Angles has also been closed.

“The public is asked not to go near the route or to the finish area. I regret saying this but in France at least, it will be a stage of the Tour without spectators,” the prefect said.

Christian Prudhomme, the Tour director, said that the decision was taken yesterday afternoon. “We agreed, given the exceptional and frightening conditions of the fire, to limit the road to only the riders and essential organisation vehicles. We ask the public not to come to roadside or to the finish. All of this was done in agreement with the state authorities.”

In the race itself, Tadej Pogacar exacted a quick revenge for defeat on Saturday, setting up his Mexican teammate Isaac del Toro for a jubilant debut stage win in Montjuic, while also taking back time on his rival and the overall race leader, Jonas Vingegaard.