The final stage of the Tour de France is being shortened by a third on Sunday to keep officers busy battling bushfires in the south-west.
The Paris police department and the Tour de France said in a joint statement on Saturday that riders would race inside Paris rather than starting from Thoiry, west of the capital, on a 55-mile course, shorter than the planned 82.5-mile route.
The statement said the security force portion scheduled for the 21st and final stage of the three-week race would instead “strengthen response efforts in areas affected by bushfires.”
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Paris police and the Tour de France said they “appreciate the dedication of everyone involved in the fight against the bushfires and express full solidarity with the affected communities. They thank the riders, teams, local authorities, partners and the public for their understanding of these exceptional measures, which have become necessary in the current situation.”
Including about 70,000 people evacuated in central Spain, wildfires in southern Europe have displaced more than 250,000 people this week.
Tadej Pogačar moved closer to a record fifth Tour de France title after a strong finish on the penultimate stage on Saturday.
As winds were expected to shift from west to east on Saturday afternoon, potentially pushing the fire closer to the wine region city of Bordeaux, fire crews and authorities were digging trenches, using retardants and taking other steps to block it, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. He said the fire occurred about 20 miles west of the city and lost intensity overnight.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.