Tour de France stage 3 to go ahead but spectators asked not to attend finish due to forest fires in ‘exceptional decision’

Stage 3 of the Tour de France will go ahead but has been adapted due to fires, and will take place on Monday without spectators in the French part of the finale, the department’s prefecture announced on Sunday.

After revealing that cancellation was a possibility for the stage from Granollers to the 2026 edition’s first trip to France in Les Angles due to ongoing fires in the Pyrénées-Orientales area, it was later confirmed that the stage would instead be adapted.

“One stage maintained, but without public or advertising caravan,” read the lengthy update posted at 7:03 pm on Sunday evening.

“Due to the fire currently affecting the Pyrénées-Orientales and in order to allow for the maximum mobilization of emergency resources, the 3rd stage of the Tour de France will take place without public and without advertising caravan on French territory (Ur – Les Angles portion).

“This exceptional decision has been taken to limit the impact on the department, ensure everyone’s safety, and allow firefighters, law enforcement, and all mobilized services to remain fully focused on fighting the fires.”

A series of bullet points in the same post listed the instructions from the department:

We call on everyone to exercise responsibilityDo not attempt to go to the Tour de France routeAvoid any non-essential travel in the areas affected by the firesFollow the instructions of the firefighters and law enforcementDo not overload emergency lines: in case of emergency, dial 112Get informed only through official channels and do not relay any unverified informationToday, the best way to support the Tour de France is to show solidarity and civic-mindedness, so that those protecting our territory can carry out their mission under the best possible conditions.

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