Tour de France Stage 19 Shortened Over Cattle Disease

Stage 19 of the 2025 Tour de France was shortened from 129.9 km to 95 km due to an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis among cattle in the Col des Saisies region, prompting authorities to cull the affected herd and impose access restrictions. Organizers, working with authorities, rerouted the stage to avoid the area, eliminating the Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine and Col des Saisies climbs. The ceremonial start remains in Albertville, followed by a 7 km parade, with the official race starting an hour later and rejoining the original route shortly before Beaufort. The revised stage still finishes in La Plagne and features major climbs such as the Col du Pré and Cormet de Roselend. The changes were made to support local farmers and maintain race safety. As of Stage 18, Tadej Pogacar holds a commanding lead in the yellow jersey, four minutes and 26 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, with the Tour set to conclude Sunday in Paris.