Weather has become a factor at the 2019 Tour de France, where Stage 19 was forced to be halted on the final climb to Tignes due to extreme outdoor conditions.
Drama ensued during the hail and snow, as it all caused the action to stop with the cyclists having about 30 kilometers to go in the stage.
🏁 The day's course has been called due to adverse weather conditions, rider times have been taken at Col de l'Iseran.
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 26, 2019
🏁 La course est arrêtée à cause des conditions climatiques. Les temps sont pris en haut du Col de l'Iseran.#TDF2019
Impossible conditions in the final part of the stage. The riders have stopped at Val d'Isère and will now head to the finish by car #TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/eynnwZIDzG
— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) July 26, 2019
Hail can clearly be heard in videos posted on social media by Tour de France accounts and the slush on the road apparently made the race far too dangerous to continue.
⛈ Stage unridable, more details to follow...#TDF2019 🎥 @Arkea_Samsic pic.twitter.com/cxUC3hEZDO
— Le Tour de France UK (@letour_uk) July 26, 2019
Even the bulldozer can't clean the road in time. The stage is official over. #TDF #TDF2019 (📺@NBCSNCycling) pic.twitter.com/wE67FeaZp2
— World Cycling Stats (@wcsbike) July 26, 2019
A landslide also occurred on the route, adding more obstacles to the track.
Not only hail in the downhill, but a landslide caused the road to stop.. (📷@joscelinryan) pic.twitter.com/Cbi4XU1Ui4
— World Cycling Stats (@wcsbike) July 26, 2019
Some are arguing that the race could have continued, or at least resumed at a later time. Bradley Wiggins said on Eurosport that the descent and speed during the descent was cause for concern, but the decision to stop it all together could have long-term effects.
The final standings were determined from the top of the Col de l'Iseran, which granted Egan Bernal the stage victory as well as the yellow jersey.
French cyclist Julian Alaphilippe was closing the gap at the time when the race was called. He was furious after finding out that he would lose his yellow jersey and not have the chance to gain back some time while finishing the race.
Alaphilippe came into Stage 19 with a 90-second advantage over Bernal in the general classification but the frenchman now sits at a very different position.
Due to extreme weather conditions, Stage 19 of #TDF2019 is cancelled and time gaps will be taken at the summit of L'Iseran. pic.twitter.com/JXQKo8l9YY
— #TDF2019 on NBCSN (@NBCSNCycling) July 26, 2019
With only two stages to go, every second of each race is crucial, and not completing this one could seriously alter the final outcome of the Tour de France.
The stoppage opens up the race completely with Bernal, Alaphilippe, Geraint Thomas, Steven Kruijswijk and Emanuel Buchmann all legitimate contenders to win.