Tour de France faces wildfire threat as extreme heat hits opening week

The 2026 Tour begins in Barcelona on Saturday with a 19.6km team time trial, but attention is already turning to Stage 3 from Granollers to Les Angles and Stage 4 from Carcassonne to Foix, which pass through regions experiencing prolonged drought and high temperatures, alongside elevated wildfire risk.

According to Reuters, more than 2,000 firefighters have been deployed to tackle multiple wildfires along France’s Mediterranean coast, with blazes fuelled by strong winds and dry conditions. 

Campsites have been evacuated near Canet-en-Roussillon, Perpignan Airport has been closed, and authorities have warned of further extreme heat in the coming days.

In Catalonia, emergency services are also battling a wildfire in the Empordà region near Girona, where regional authorities have called in Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit to assist firefighting efforts, reports have confirmed, including Euronews.

Tour organisers have not announced any changes to the route but say the situation is being assessed on a day-to-day basis as the race moves north into France.

“It is a major concern for us,” Tour Route Director Thierry Gouvenou told L’Équipe earlier this week.

Tour General Director Christian Prudhomme also told L’Équipe that organisers are in “constant contact” with the UCI and local authorities, with any decisions dependent on conditions closer to each stage.

The wildfire risk comes alongside high temperatures expected during the opening week of the race, with organisers already preparing additional cooling and hydration measures under the UCI’s High Temperature Protocol.

Speaking before the Grand Départ, Prudhomme said rising summer temperatures are increasingly influencing route design, with ASO exploring more shaded terrain while maintaining traditional mountain stages.

The UCI’s High Temperature Protocol provides a framework for organisers to consider measures in extreme conditions, including increased feeding opportunities, additional cooling provisions, and potential adjustments to stage distances or timing depending on safety assessments.

The Tour route has previously been adapted due to snow and landslides, such as in 2019 when Egan Bernal claimed yellow, though the heat also remains a threat with organisers continuing to monitor conditions closely as the peloton approaches southern France.