A strange day at the Tour de France on Friday ended with bad news for the French.
A storm caused organizers to shorten the 19th stage. They decided that riders could not safely race over Alpine roads after a hailstorm. There was also a stretch of road that was blocked by a landslide.
Riders had passed the top of the Col d’Iseran, the highest point in this year’s Tour, when they learned the rest of the stage would be canceled. Organizers said the riders’ positions at the top of the Iseran would determine their stage finish. The final 23 miles, which included one more challenging climb, were omitted.