Cow contagion forces Tour de France organisers to re-route stage 19, shortening to 95km

Stage 19 of the 2025 Tour de France has been shortened from 129.9 kilometres to just 95km and two classified climbs eliminated from the route, race organisers announced late on Thursday.

Friday's stage was due to include five categorised climbs, beginning with the Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine (11.3km at 5.1%) and Col des Saisies (13.7km at 6.4%.

Those two climbs have been eliminated because of "the discovery of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis affecting cattle in a herd located specifically in the Col des Saisies has necessitated the culling of the animals," the ASO stated in an announcement.

"In light of the distress experienced by the affected farmers and in order to preserve the smooth running of the race, it has been decided, in agreement with the relevant authorities, to modify the route of Stage 19 (Albertville–La Plagne) and to avoid the ascent to the col des Saisies."

The race will still depart from Albertville with a seven-kilometre neutral section before the official start on the D925, which bypasses the first two climbs and rejoins the route at kilometre 52.4 in the original plan.

It's not the first time that a Tour de France stage so key to the race has been shortened. In 2019, another stage beginning in Albertville was cut even shorter. After an avalanche forced organisers to stop stage 19 early atop the Col de l'Iseran, Egan Bernal's race lead went unchallenged when ice and mudslides forced them to slash more than half of stage 20, leaving a short run-in to the Val Thorens climb at the end of a 59 kilometre stage.

This year's stage 19 will still include the hors categorie Col du Pré (HC), Cormet de Roselend and the final ascent to La Plagne.

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