Animal cull on Col des Saisies reduces Tour de France stage 19 to 95km
ASO announced late on Thursday evening that the Col des Saisies has been removed from the route of the final mountain stage of the Tour de France to La Plagne.
The final mountain stage of the 2025 Tour de France will be reduced to just 95km due following the removal of the Col des Saisies from the route. Stage 19 will still finish atop La Plagne, but it has been cut by 35km.
The decision was taking due the culling of a cattle herd on the Col des Saisies in the wake of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis. Tour organiser ASO announced the news late on Thursday evening.
“The discovery of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis affecting cattle in a herd located specifically in the Col des Saisies has necessitated the culling of the animals. In light of the distress experienced by the affected farmers and in order to preserve the smooth running of the race, it has been decided, in agreement with the relevant authorities, to modify the route of Stage 19 (Albertville–La Plagne) and to avoid the ascent to the Col des Saisies,” read the statement.
The stage will start in Albertville as before, albeit an hour later than originally planned, at 2.30pm. The race will now follow a new course that bypasses the Col des Saisies before rejoining the original route shortly before Beaufort, at the 52.4km mark on the original parcours.
“Due to this change, which notably bypasses the Col des Saisies, the stage will now cover a total distance of 95 km instead of the originally planned 129.9 km,” continued the ASO statement.
Stage 19 of the Tour will still feature the hors categorie Col du Pre and the category 2 Cormet de Roselend ahead of the hors categorie finish at La Plagne, which last featured in 1995.
Tadej Pogacar carries a lead of 4:26 over Jonas Vingegaard into the final mountain stage of the Tour.
Read our preview for stage 19 here.
