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[SPORTS] · Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Norway, United Kingdom · 100 sources

Mathieu van der Poel wins shortened heat‑wave stage of Tour de France

Extreme heat forced organisers of the 2026 Tour de France to cut the ninth stage (Malemort – Ussel) by about 30 km after temperatures approached 40 °C and a red‑alert was issued for the Corrèze department. Riders raced the shortened 154.6‑km route under scorching conditions, with teams employing cooling vests, ice trucks and other measures.

Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands, Alpecin‑Premier Tech) won the sprint, beating Tobias Halland Johannessen (Norway, Uno‑X) and Tom Pidcock (Great Britain, Pinarello‑Q36.5). "I felt better than the early days of the race," van der Poel said after the finish. Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates) retained the yellow jersey, finishing a few seconds behind the lead group.

The heat also sparked discussion about the race calendar. Pogačar added, "If I could, I would reorganise the calendar so that July and August races are not held in hot regions." The stage’s shortening marked the first time in Tour history that extreme temperatures prompted such a change, highlighting growing concerns over climate‑related impacts on professional cycling.

Sources

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Ussel'da Van der Poel Zaferi [www.eurosport.com.tr]
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