Britain's Adam Yates, Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, Britain's Oscar Onley, and Slovenia's Primoz Roglic, climb during the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with start in Vif and finish in Courchevel Col de la Loze, France, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (Bernard Papon/Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's Adam Yates, Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, Britain's Oscar Onley, and Slovenia's Primoz Roglic, climb during the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with start in Vif and finish in Courchevel Col de la Loze, France, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (Bernard Papon/Pool Photo via AP)
PDJLA PLAGNE, France (AP) — The 19th stage of the Tour de France was shortened on Friday after cows infected by a contagious disease were culled in an area along the mountainous route.
The stage from Albertville to La Plagne was meant to be 129.9 kilometers (80.5 miles) long but trimmed to 93.1 kilometers (57.7 miles), according to the official Tour website's on Friday.
Two of the five climbs were removed, including the 13.7 kilometer Col des Saisies — where an outbreak of nodular dermatitis affected a herd of cows, race organizer ASO said.
“The discovery of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis (lumpy skin) affecting cattle in a herd located specifically in the Col des Saisies necessitated the culling of the animals,†ASO said in a statement. “Given the consternation of the breeders concerned, and in order to maintain the calm of the race, it was decided, in agreement with the authorities, to modify the route of the 19th stage and not to cross the Col des Saisies.â€
The start time of the stage was pushed back by one hour to 2:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT), with an expected finishing time of around 5:30 p.m.
Three-time Tour de France champion Tadej PogaÄar of Slovenia led overall heading into the stage, with two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark 4 minutes, 26 seconds behind him in second place.
Stage 19 represented Vingegaard's last realistic chance of overtaking PogaÄar and taking the yellow jersey, with the race finishing on Sunday.
Vingegaard and his Visma–Lease a Bike team had not been able to take time off PogaÄar in this year's mountain stages.
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