Landslides Disrupt Tour de France Mountain Course

Heavy rain and flash floods triggered a landslide in the western Pyrénées, France, resulting in serious damage to a road down the Col d’Aubisque. The damaged mountain pass was scheduled to be part of the final stage of the Tour de France, with riders expected to cycle through the area July 27 during stage 19. 

Regional newspaper La République des Pyrénées, reported images of the entire roadway being sloughed off of the mountain side in some locations. Now, in the wake of the landslide, race organizers are scrambling to assess whether a course diversion is necessary or if the road can be recovered in time, as reported by Cycling Weekly. Organizers hope to avoid diverting the already 200 km section of the course, but are searching for alternate routes if repairs are unable to be completed in the 39 days until the race hits the area.

Elsewhere in France, record rainfalls led to weather related injuries. On June 12, some locations in France received the equivalent of more than one month of rain in 24 hours. The Weather Channel reported a Paris-bound train overturned due to a landslide, resulting in the injury of seven people.