Major sporting event moved as wildfires cause chaos with emergency services diverted

SportCycling THE route of the Tour de France has been changed after wildfires impacted the event. With more police needed in the disaster-stricken Gironde region, there is no safe passage for cyclists through the Hauts-de-Seine area. The Tour de France route has been changed Credit: Getty Wild fires have become emergency services’ priority, therefore making some areas unsafe for cyclists to enter during the race Credit: EPA The emergency services have understandably made the wildfires in the Gironde region their priority. This has led to a lack of police patrolling the race in certain other regions. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Competitors will not race through Issy-les-Moulineaux, with arrangements initially planned for Sunday, July 26, cancelled. The wildfire broke out on Thursday, with 270,000 people having to be evacuated from the region. Local officials say some 3,400 acres of land have been destroyed around the Bay of Arcachon. British tourists had to flee their hotels in the middle of the night as French president Emmanuel Macron deployed 1,000 French soldiers to aid emergency crews. But they weren’t the only ones who found themselves in harm’s way, as Colombian cyclist Einer Rubio was left bloodied and needing 20 stitches after his horror crash during the race. The cyclist slammed face-first into the back of the car and was quickly checked on by the people on the side. Most read in Sport The impact was so hard that it appeared to break the rear window of the car. The Colombian cyclist was taken to a medical centre nearby for treatment. Rubio has now understandably withdrawn from the Tour de France due to the horror crash. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia is on the verge of winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France. Comment now