COVID-19 isn't the only thing that's derailing the race this week. The heat wave that hit Europe limited the second stage of La Route d'Occitanie to just 36 kilometers.

Riders suffered from the heat (open in new tab) during the week's races, including the Tour de Suisse (open in new tab) and the Tour of Slovenia (open in new tab), with some unable to perform at their best or continue the race due to heat stroke or dehydration. La Route d'Occitanie (open in new tab), held in a hot region of southwestern France, was deemed too great a risk to the athletes on Friday.

"The start of the second stage, originally set for Graule, is cancelled due to the intervention of local authorities in response to the Tarn region being placed on red alert due to a heatwave," a statement from race organizers said. [The new start will take place in Belmont-sur-Rance in the Aveyron region and will be a short stage of 36 km. The finish will be at Roquefort at around 15:30. Media and television coverage will be provided by France Télévisions and Eurosport.

The finale of the stage will be as planned, but without the second class 2 mountain in the early stages and the long climb up the Col de Sie. The route will start from Belmont-sur-Rance. [The route is flat for about 30km before entering the Côte de Thièges, a 4.3km second-class mountain with an average gradient of 4.5%. The climb continues for 4.3km with an average gradient of 4.5%.

At only 36km, it is sure to be an explosive hour.

Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) leads the race