Wildfire threat prompts alternative route plan for Tour de France Femmes queen stage

Stage seven is scheduled to take the peloton from La Voulte sur Rhône to Mont Ventoux on Friday, 7 August. The 146.8 kilometre route is set to pass through areas where forests are currently considered particularly vulnerable to fire.

The Vaucluse prefecture has therefore asked race organiser ASO to prepare a contingency plan. An alternative course would be introduced if conditions remain too dangerous for the race to follow its original route.

The main concern is the section through the Dentelles de Montmirail and the Col de la Madeleine. Both areas are being closely monitored because of the combination of dry vegetation, high temperatures and the wider pressure on local emergency services.

A formal assessment will be carried out on Tuesday, 4 August. Should the wildfire risk be classified as extreme, the race will be redirected after Beaumes de Venise, bypassing the Dentelles de Montmirail and the Col de la Madeleine. 

The alternative would pass through several communities to the east before reconnecting with the approach to Mont Ventoux.

The contingency plan is not currently expected to affect the summit finish itself. The race is still due to tackle the mountain from its southern side, with the decisive ascent measuring 15.7 kilometres at an average gradient of 8.8 per cent.

Large parts of France have been dealing with serious wildfires in recent weeks. Tens of thousands of hectares have burned, while residents in several regions have been evacuated. The scale of the emergency has forced authorities to consider not only public safety, but also the availability of police, firefighters and medical personnel around major events.

The Tour de France Femmes starts in Lausanne on Saturday, with defending champion Pauline Ferrand Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) among the leading contenders. The stage to Mont Ventoux is expected to be a key moment in the fight for the yellow jersey.

Wildfires also affected the men’s Tour de France earlier this month. Stage 3 in the Pyrénées Orientales finished without roadside spectators, while the final stage was shortened and restricted to Paris to reduce the demand on security and emergency services.