Severe weather threw a wrench into the 2019 Tour de France and led officials to stop stage 19 on Friday, after the course route became impassable due to a mudslide and hail storm.
With around 30 kilometers left in the stage for the leaders, the decision was made to call off the rest of the stage and take the split times from the Col d’Iseran. As a result, France’s Julian Alaphilippe lost his yellow jersey to Egan Bernal, who had mounted a charge on the climb and reached the peak two minutes before Alaphilippe.
Alaphilippe had closed the gap after passing the peak where the times were taken, but his hard work was erased due to the weather conditions.
The unbelievable footage shows officials had little choice but to stop the race to keep riders safe. According to reports, precipitation triggered a landslide that covered the road, and while bulldozers were used to try and clear the path, there was no chance to safely finish the stage.
Only two stages remain in the 2019 Tour de France. Alaphilippe began stage 19 with a 90-second advantage over Bernal in the general classification, but the weather could have massive implications on the overall outcome.
