2026 Tour de France

Tour de France 2026 Stage 9 Shortened Because Of 'Intense Heatwave'

Tour de France 2026 Stage 9 Shortened Because Of 'Intense Heatwave'

Race organizers made the call after France weather forecast predicts extreme heat during Stage 9 of the Tour de France.

Jul 11, 2026 by AFP Report
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Bergerac, France, July 11, 2026 (AFP) - Tour de France organizers announced on Saturday that the next day's ninth stage would be shortened by 30km due to the extreme weather conditions in the central Correze region.

The decision was made after French weather authorities declared a "red alert due to an exceptionally intense heatwave" in Correze.

"In light of this, it has been decided to adjust the route of Stage nine of the Tour de France, from Malemort to Ussel, on Sunday 12 July 2026," race organisers ASO said in a statement.

"This decision has been made necessary by the exceptional weather conditions.

"It aims to ensure that the race can take place under conditions compatible with the red heatwave alert."

Most of the Tour so far has been raced in temperatures of over 35C with some stages even seeing temperatures of over 40C.

It has led to teams facing a constant challenge to keep their riders cool and hydrated.

Some have used ice vests before and during stages and ice socks stuffed down riders' jerseys during the race to try to cool their body temperature.

The ninth stage was originally due to take in four categorised climbs in a rolling 185.5km route.

It has been shortened to 155.5km by cutting out a hilly loop at the beginning of the stage.

However, the four categorised climbs, one which is 4.8km-long and another which has an average gradient of a punishing 7.7 percent, remain on the shortened route.

How To Watch The Tour de France 2026 Stage 9

For Canadian viewers, the Tour de France 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app.

Stage highlights, replays and more breaking news, including recaps and rider interviews, will be on both platforms. 

In the United States, the Tour de France will be on the NBC family of networks and will stream daily on Peacock. Select stages will air on local NBC affiliates, while others, plus stage reruns, will be shown on the USA Network. 

In February 2023, NBC Sports, Peacock and ASO announced a six-year deal that will keep NBC Sports as the home of the Tour de France in the United States through 2029.

Who Won Stage 7 Of The Tour de France In 2025?

Stage 7 of the Tour de France 2025 was another double-triumph for superstar Tadej Pogačar, who won the stage with a burst up the final slope of the day and reclaimed the yellow leader's jersey at the same time.

It was described as classic Pogačar, and all Jonas Vingegaard could do was try to keep up and minimize the damage. He finished second on the day and closed the stage fourth in the GC standings, while Remco Evenepoel was sixth and remained second overall, though nearly a minute off the lead. 

Behind the push for the podium was a nine-rider pileup that saw a bit of a dark cloud loom over an otherwise exciting finale.

Tour de France 2026 Results: Here’s Who Has Won Each Stage So Far

When Does The Tour de France 2026 Start?

The Tour de France 2026 starts July 4 and will conclude July 26. 

The schedule includes 21 stages and two rest days (July 13 and July 20).

Every day, the cyclists start together. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand, and the characteristics of each stage determine what type of rider should excel or how the race should finish. 

For example, some stages feature flat finishes, and that means the sprinters likely will be battling for those stage wins.

The three weeks of racing across Barcelona and France will feature eight mountain stages, including five summit finishes, seven flat stages, four hilly days, an individual time trial and a team time trial to kick things off on July 4. 

How Long Is The Tour de France 2026?

The course for the Tour de France 2026 is 3,333 kilometers or just over 2,071 miles.

The race is 21 stages.

A map of the entire route can be found here.

What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2026?

  • Stage 1 (TTT) - July 4: Barcelone - Barcelone (19.6km)
  • Stage 2 - July 5: Tarragone - Barcelone (168.5km)
  • Stage 3 - July 6: Granollers - Les Angles (195.9km)
  • Stage 4 - July 7: Carcassonne - Foix (181.9km)
  • Stage 5 - July 8: Lannemezan - Pau (158.3km)
  • Stage 6 - July 9: Pau - Gavarnie-Gèdre (186.2km)
  • Stage 7 - July 10: Hagetmau - Bordeaux (175.1km)
  • Stage 8 - July 11: Périgueux - Bergerac (180.4km)
  • Stage 9 - July 12: Malemort - Ussel (185.5km)
  • Rest Day - July 13: Cantal
  • Stage 10 - July 14: Aurillac - Le Lioran (166.6km)
  • Stage 11 - July 15: Vichy - Nevers (161.3km)
  • Stage 12 - July 16: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours - Chalon-sur-Saône (179.1km)
  • Stage 13 - July 17: Dole - Belfort (205.8km)
  • Stage 14 - July 18: Mulhouse - Le Markstein Fellering (155.3km)
  • Stage 15 - July 19: Champagnole - Plateau de Solaison (183.9km)
  • Rest Day - July 20: Haute-Savoie
  • Stage 16 (ITT) - July 21: Évian-les-Bains - Thonon-les-Bains (26.1km)
  • Stage 17 - July 22: Chambery - Voiron (174.7km)
  • Stage 18 - July 23: Voiron - Orcières-Merlette (185.2km)
  • Stage 19 - July 24: Gap - Alpe d'Huez (127.9km)
  • Stage 20 - July 25: Le Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez (170.9km)
  • Stage 21 - July 26: Thoiry - Paris Champs-Élysées (133km)

How Many Teams/Riders Compete In The Tour de France?

Traditionally, there are 22 or 23 teams and up to 184 competitors in the Tour de France. This year, there will be 23 teams.

Here’s the list for 2026:

  • Alpecin - Premier Tech
  • Bahrain - Victorious
  • Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
  • Cofidis
  • Decathlon CMA CGM Team
  • EF Education - EasyPost
  • Groupama - FDJ United
  • Netcompany INEOS
  • Lidl - Trek
  • Lotto Intermarché
  • Movistar Team
  • NSN Cycling Team
  • Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
  • Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
  • Soudal Quick-Step
  • Team Jayco AlUla
  • Team Picnic PostNL
  • Team Visma | Lease a Bike
  • TotalEnergies
  • Tudor Pro Cycling Team
  • UAE Team Emirates - XRG
  • Uno-X Mobility
  • XDS Astana Team

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