Forest fire in southern France threatens Tour de France Stage 3, prefect to decide by end of Sunday
A large forest fire in the Pyrénées-Orientales has put Monday's third stage of the Tour de France in doubt, with the local prefect saying a decision on whether to proceed will be taken by the end of Sunday.
Fire and road closure
A forest fire in the Pyrénées-Orientales department of southern France has already burned approximately 1,500 hectares and is located about 70 kilometres from Les Angles, the planned finish of Monday's third stage. The prefect, Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, ordered the closure of the main access road from the coast to the stage route on Sunday morning, citing the need to facilitate emergency services and protect road users.
The fire has flared up again — all resources are being mobilised to contain it.
Some 700 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the blaze. The prefect noted that Monday is expected to bring less wind, which could lead to a lull in fire activity.
Stage 3 details
The third stage of the 2026 Tour de France is scheduled for Monday, 6 July. It covers 195.9 kilometres, starting in Granollers, Spain, at midday and finishing in Les Angles around 17:00. The peloton is currently in Catalonia, where the second stage between Tarragona and Barcelona is being held on Sunday.
Decision pending
A decision on whether the stage will go ahead is to be made by the end of Sunday. The prefect said discussions were taking place during the afternoon.
It's a subject we're working on this afternoon. We'll be able to make a decision by the end of the day.
The road closure remains in place, and it is unclear whether it will be lifted in time for the stage. The prefect declined to say if the road would stay closed on Monday, but sought to reassure by pointing to the expected improvement in weather conditions.
- Forest fire ignites in Pyrénées-Orientales, eventually burning 1,500 hectares.
- Prefect closes main access road to stage route for safety and emergency access.
- Prefect holds press conference, says decision on stage will come by end of day.
- Decision expected on whether Stage 3 will proceed as planned.
- Stage 3 scheduled to start in Granollers, Spain.
- Stage 3 scheduled to finish in Les Angles, France.
