Stage 19 of the Tour de France has been called because of adverse weather conditions, it was announced Friday.
The race was stopped near the end of the stage with less than 18 miles to go. Rider times have been taken at the summit of the Col de l’Iseran.
Julian Alaphilippe, trying to become the first Frenchman to win this storied race since 1985, began the day wearing the yellow jersey as the leader, but he fell behind during the stage.
His plan was to win it back on the descent, but he never got the chance.
Horrendous weather rendered parts of the course impassable as hail covered the road in ice. Not only that, but there also appeared to be a landslide, as mud and rocks covered part of road. Aerials from the television broadcast showed a snow plow churning through snow and water on the road.
A convoy was organized for the riders to reach Tignes by car, according to the Tour de France website.
Because of the interruption on the route, there is no stage winner or “most aggressive rider” for the 19th stage, according to the Tour de France’s Twitter account. Egan Bernal of Colombia now has the yellow jersey.
