Tour de France's queen stage put at risk after its key climb is hit by two mudslides in a span of one week
Cycling
The 2026 Tour de France's grand finale is centered around its iconic ascent Alpe d'Huez, but less than four weeks before this year's edition reaches its decisive penultimate stage, the Col de Sarenne has been hit by a second mudslide in a span of one week, raising fresh concerns about the route's safety.
Footage shared by Météo Oisans on Monday showed mud and debris covering the mountain road, just days after a previous landslide on June 25-26 temporarily closed the route before crews cleared and reopened it.
Stage 20, starting in Le Bourg d’Oisans, covers 170.9km and includes around 5,450 metres of climbing. Riders will tackle the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier before the decisive ascent of the Col de Sarenne. The 12.8km climb averages 7.3%, with gradients nearing 10% in places, and its 1,999-metre summit comes just 14.4km from the finish.
Así fue la gran granizada que cayó ayer en el Col de Sarenne
— Avituallamiento Ciclista (@EVTMO_) June 30, 2026
📹 Météo Oisans#TDF26 pic.twitter.com/3csNFMhkzn
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As if the nature itself was against the race...
The blows keep coming at race organizers from all directions. Almost as if some higher force was against the climb's inclusion. Col de Sarenne has already been at the centre of controversy ahead of this year’s race.
A petition opposing its inclusion attracted more than 10,000 signatures, with campaigners arguing that the influx of spectators, vehicles and television helicopters could threaten the protected Ferrand Valley’s wildlife and fragile vegetation. Similar environmental concerns were raised before the Tour’s only previous visit to the pass in 2013.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
- You are wrong, they are already working on his new tt position. And yes, Trump does love you 😂👍🏼awp01-11-2026
- The Erola Jons incident was not isolated. She felt she could do that because that's how everyone treats Tadej. Remember when he said "If I say wait 2 mins do you show the middle finger and walk off angry?" about the supposed fan who did exactly that? There's nothing wrong with the nurses and doctors asking him to give autographs... but do the surgery first
Rafionain-Glas01-11-2026 - Perhaps he has what Mark Cavendish had, the Epstein-Barr Virus. It caused him severe and unexplained chronic fatigue. I hope he gets better.
parisbound0001-11-2026
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