Organisers of the Tour de France have shortened the planned route for stage nine by 30km due to an “exceptionally intense heatwave” in central France.Temperatures in the Corrèze department, part of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, are expected to peak at up to 38°C (100°F), prompting the French government to put the area on “red alert”.Though Sunday’s stage will still begin in the planned start town of Malemort, riders will then divert directly south-east to the town of Lanteuil, reducing the day’s length from 185km to 155km.The UCI’s, cycling’s world governing body, Extreme Weather Protocol governs potential changes to the route, with measures such as the modification of start-finish times, neutralisation of sections of the stage, or even a complete cancellation, all options which were available to race organisers.Stage nine had been highlighted as an opportunity for breakaway riders, featuring 3,300m of climbing over a lumpy parcours — with all the classified climbs preserved in the final 100km of the route.“It’s not a bad idea for me, maybe others will disagree because they see an opportunity for tomorrow, but we’ve now done one week of racing where it’s always above 35 degrees,” said stage eight winner Tim Merlier.“It’s a fight to have water, ice, and drinks between the cars. It’s hard to have enough drinks and ice to cool down, so it’s a good idea to shorten the stage. There’s not a lot of other things they can do, so thanks to the organisation for trying something.”This is the second stage of the Tour to have been affected by weather conditions. Fans were told not to attend the final 40km of stage three, on the Spanish-French border, due to wildfires in the area.Riders have been vocal about the difficulties they have faced with the heat over the past week, with this Tour expected to be the hottest edition in history — already featuring the warmest day of racing since temperature records began in 2007.“It’s a logistical nightmare when it’s hot,” reigning champion Tadej Pogačar said on stage three, later revealing he had a “full headache” due to the conditions. Teams have rapidly invested in heat adaptation strategies, which The Athletic explored in detail on Thursday.Jul 11, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms