LES ANGLES, France — An out-of-control large-scale wildfire burning across southern France has forced Tour de France organizers to implement unprecedented restrictions for the third stage of the world’s most prestigious cycling race, barring all spectators from the final segment of Monday’s route. After opening the 2024 edition with two stages in Spain, the Tour crossed into France for Stage 3, which concludes in the Pyrenees mountain town of Les Angles. The blaze is located roughly 60 kilometers from the finish line, after charring thousands of hectares of forest and brushland over the past two days.
In an official statement, Tour organizers outlined that the extraordinary size of the wildfire, burning across the Pyrénées-Orientales region, has demanded a full-scale emergency mobilization of firefighting teams, law enforcement units, and national government agencies. “The top priority remains the protection of people, property, and natural areas, as well as bringing the fire under control,” the statement read. That overriding safety commitment led to the sweeping restrictions for the stage’s final 40 kilometers, once the peloton enters French territory.
Under the new rules, the iconic 10-kilometer publicity caravan — the fan-favorite procession of branded sponsor vehicles that precedes the peloton, distributing merchandise and promotional items to crowds — will be canceled for the finale. Only competing riders and race-essential official vehicles will be permitted on the route, and spectators have been formally instructed not to gather along the roadside or at the Les Angles finish area.
Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, the local prefect overseeing the emergency response, clarified that the ban on roadside gatherings is a legally enforced order, not a request, and anyone who violates the restriction could face official penalties. The fire ignited Saturday evening near the small town of Trévillach, and by Sunday night, it had spread to scorch 4,500 hectares of land. So far, five people have sustained minor injuries linked to the blaze, and more than 20 local villages have been evacuated as a precautionary measure. Roughly 700 firefighters are currently deployed to contain the inferno.
The third stage itself kicked off from the Spanish town of Granollers, where local meteorological data recorded temperatures climbing to around 35 degrees Celsius, adding another layer of physical challenge for competing riders. The route’s standout climb is a 9.3-kilometer ascent up Col de Toses, with an average gradient of 6.5% — ranked a Category 1 climb, the second-most difficult classification just below the legendary “beyond category” Hors Categorie climbs that define the Tour’s most grueling mountain stages.
Heading into Monday’s stage, Jonas Vingegaard of the Visma-Lease a Bike team retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey after Sunday’s second stage, holding a narrow six-second lead over four-time Tour champion Tadej Pogačar of UAE Emirates-XRG, the pre-race favorite chasing a record-tying fifth Tour de France title.