The elite men's road race at the French national championships has been shortened by one lap as a result of high temperatures.
A distance of 16.3 km - the equivalent of one full lap of the course at La Tour-du-Pin in the Isère region of France has been cut from the circuit this Sunday "after discussion and consultation with all stakeholders" as a result of "weather conditions".
The announcement was made by the French Cycling Federation (FFC) and reported in L'Equipe.
Riders will still have to cover 225.5 kilometers with 3,206 meters of altitude gain, including 13 laps of the circuit. Temperatures in the area today are predicted to reach around 37 degrees Celsius.
This is the latest in a series of alterations to National Championship races as a result of the heatwave currently baking Europe in temperatures in excess of 30 degrees Celsius and over 40 in places.
Individual time trials were delayed in both the Netherlands and Italy; in an interview with bici.pro, XDS Astana's team doctor Emilio Magni issued a stark warning about the severe issues that could be caused by the heat following Elisa Longo Borghini's withdrawal from the Tour de Suisse with heat-related health issues.
With the Tour de France beginning in Barcelona next week, the impact of high temperatures will continue to raise concerns for as long as the heatwave persists.
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