Vuelta stage 15 cut by 79km due to 'extreme temperatures' in Córdoba

Stage 15 of the Vuelta a España has been cut by 79km due to the soaring temperatures forecast for the province of Córdoba on Sunday.

In a statement early on Saturday evening, the Vuelta organisation confirmed that the extreme weather protocol had been activated following discussions with riders and teams. The decision means that stage from Palma del Río to Córdoba has been shortened from 189.7km to 110.2km.

“The organisers of La Vuelta 26 have decided to alter the route of stage 15, scheduled for tomorrow, September 6, between Palma del Río and Córdoba, in view of the high temperatures forecast for the day,” read the Vuelta statement.

“The decision was taken following the activation of the protocol for extreme temperatures and after a meeting between representatives of the commission of race officials, the teams, the riders and the management of La Vuelta, once all the considerations raised by the parties and the weather conditions forecast for tomorrow’s stage had been taken into account.”

The Vuelta peloton has been hit by searing heat on this year’s race, particularly since it entered Andalusia in week two. The temperature hit 38°C on stage 12 to Calar Alto and reached 41°C during Friday’s stage to Loja.

On Thursday, Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET had briefly applied a red heat alert to parts of Andalusia, marking the first time the agency enacted its highest level of alert in September since its current system was enacted almost two decades ago.

Hugo Houle (Alpecin Premier Tech) confirmed on Saturday that he had spoken to the Vuelta organisation regarding the conditions in his role as rider representative. While no alterations were made to the route of stage 14 to La Pandera, rules on feeding were relaxed in order to allow riders to hydrate.

On Saturday evening, however, the Vuelta organisation confirmed that stage 15 would be altered due to the conditions. It’s the second time the climate crisis has forced changes to a Grand Tour this season after stage 9 of the Tour de France to Ussel was cut by 30km due to a red heatwave alert in the Corrèze department. 

The route of the final stage of the Tour was also altered as emergency services in Paris were deployed to fight wildfires in the southwest of France.

The neutralised start of stage 15 of the Vuelta has been delayed until 2.50pm local time, with the official start due ten minutes later.

The race will follow its initial route for the opening 52km before deviating from the course and removing a total of 79.5km from the overall distance. The stage will thus climb the Puerto de la Foresta but skip the Alto de Villaviciosa before tackling the category 3 Puetro Atafi on the run-in to the finish in Córdoba.