The China Mail - Tour de France stage to be shortened amid heatwave as sprinter Merlier doubles up

Just minutes after the 33-year-old Belgian had surged to victory in the 180km run from Perigueux to Bergerac with a stunning dash for the line, ASO announced that Sunday's ninth stage would be changed because of a red alert in the central Correze region.

Meteo France, the country's weather authority, had declared a red alert "due to an exceptionally intense heatwave" in Correze, ASO said in a statement.

ASO have shaved 30km off the 185.5km stage from Malemort to Ussel, cutting out a hilly loop at the beginning of the stage.

"This decision has been made necessary by the exceptional weather conditions," said ASO.

"It aims to ensure that the race can take place under conditions compatible with the red heatwave alert."

It is not the first time that organisers have made changes to a stage, even at this year's race.

But this is the first time that it has been done because of the heat.

Back in May, ASO had decided to shorten the Tour's second stage in Spain by 13.5km due to an outbreak of swine flu detected on a hill included in the original route.

Then last weekend, fans were told to keep away from the finish area of Monday's third stage ending in the Pyrenees due to a raging wild fire 70km away in southwest France.

Last year's 19th stage was also shortened due to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in a herd of cattle on the Col des Saisies, which was duly cut from that stage.

- 'We have to be ready' -

Merlier was quick to praise ASO for adapting to the challenging heat.

"We are now one week of racing, it was always above 35C degrees," he said.

"It's definitely a fight to have water, ice and drinks between the (support) cars."

He added: "So for me, it's a good idea to shorten the stage."

Reigning champion and current race leader Tadej Pogacar had resigned himself to just battling on regardless of the weather conditions.

"We cannot expect anything less than around 35C to 40C degrees again," the UAE Emirates-XRG team leader said of Sunday's stage.

"We have to be ready as a team, and I think we are.

"We keep the same motto, go day by day, keep cooling the body and trying to survive each stage."

The news overshadowed another dominant sprint demonstration by Merlier.

He had seemed out of contention when he was caught out of position in the last few hundred metres but launched a long range charge to reel in all of his rivals and beat Ethiopian Biniam Girmay into second with Dutchman Olav Kooij third.

It was Merlier's fifth stage victory in his third Tour appearance and also brought him to within 15 points of Dane Mads Pedersen in the sprinters' green jersey competition.

"If you win one, you can win a second, and I'm happy," said Merlier.

"Three (sprint) stages, I won two.

"(It's) definitely my Tour de France."

The eighth stage in the Dordogne region, known for its 1,000 castles and ancient cave drawings, had always looked destined to finish with a bunch sprint.

Belgian Liam Slock tried to upset the formbook, though, setting off alone with 40km left.

He had spent most of the day in a three-man breakaway alongside Czech Jakub Otruba, who had been in the breakaway on Friday with Baptiste Veistroffer, and Frenchman Thibault Guernalec.

But Slock was caught 1.3km from the line.

It meant that he would not be able to make new headlines after his first victory in the professional ranks last month went viral on social media.

Slock had crashed metres from the line as he lost control of his bicycle while celebrating early during the Gippingen Grand Prix in Switzerland.

However, he had enough momentum to slide over the line on his side and claim that precious victory, with his own Lotto-Intermarche team joking about it when posting a video of his unconventional finish on social media.

F.Brown--ThChM