Tour de France Stage 3 will continue as planned on Monday, but without spectators, at least in France. Nearby wildfire put the stage at risk of cancellation, but has been confirmed to take place. The 195.9 km stage from Granollers to Les Angles, with four climbs, crosses three provinces: Barcelona and Girona in Spain, before the last 40 km of the race take place in France, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department.
Despite rumours that it may be cancelled, the prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales department, Pierre Regnault de la Mothe, has just confirmed that the stage will take place, but adapted: without spectators.
"On French territory, the publicity caravan will not travel. The operation will be limited to the passage of only the riders and vehicles essential to the organization of the race" (via RMC Sport).
The fire, located 70 km near Les Angles, has already burned 1,500 hectares, with a front line stretching 18 kilometres, and with 750 firefighters and 200 vehicles, including nine aircrafts, being deployed, and leaving two people critically injured, a resident and a firefighter. In Girona, the Spanish region where the stage will also cross, a fire has already burnt 2,300 hectares in Les Gavarres.