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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jeremy Whittle in Barcelona

Tour de France braced for historic stage cancellations amid 44C European heatwave

Uno-X Mobility riders take part in the Tour de France presentation.
Uno-X Mobility riders take part in the Tour de France presentation in hot conditions. Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/Reuters

The 2026 Tour de France, which starts in Barcelona on Saturday, is steeling itself for climate change disruption with another extreme heatwave predicted to return to Europe in the coming days which could lead to stages being cancelled.

“It’s something that’s very much on our mind,” said Thierry Gouvenou, the Tour’s technical director. “It’s not the first time we have faced this, but this time it’s worse because of what we have already experienced in May and June.”

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