Wednesday 13 July 2016 20:54, UK
Thursday’s 12th stage of the Tour de France will finish 6km short of the summit of Mont Ventoux due to high winds, race organisers have confirmed.
Gusts in excess of 100kmh have been forecast and the stage will now end at Chalet Reynard, 10km up the climb.
The top 6km of Mont Ventoux are above the treeline and strong winds are common, but Thursday's forecast has been deemed too dangerous.
Race director Christian Prudhomme added: "The riders' safety is paramount. We're not going to play poker and say, 'If we wait until tomorrow, we see if we go to the top or the bottom'. This is the right decision to make."
The news is a blow to both riders and spectators. Climbers such as Chris Froome had been targeting it, while spectators will now miss out on seeing the peloton tackle an iconic Tour ascent.
Froome said: "Of course, I was looking forward to doing Ventoux. It's the most iconic climb, the most legendary climb in this year's race.
"Apparently there are gale-force winds and it just wouldn't be safe for the riders, so thank you to the organisers for making the decision. It's the right thing to do."
Follow stage 12 with our live blog from 11am BST on Thursday.
