"We have police officers at every corner" – Tour de France fans told not to attend stage 3, so why are there spectators by the road?

Wildfires are ravaging southwestern France, with Tour de France organisers announcing changes to today’s stage 3 so public resources could be focused on rescue and firefighting operations. 

The changes to stage 3, from Granoller, Spain, to Les Angles, France, were announced on Sunday evening. They limit the race to the bare minimum people in the last 40km for its completion, as it heads through the Pyrenees-Orientales region and finishes in Les Angles.

Race organisers ASO announced that the last section of the stage will be limited only to the riders and essential vehicles. They said the caravan would not travel along the last 40km of the route, and fans were told not to gather along the route or near the finish. 

But if you are watching today’s stage 3, you may have spotted the odd spectator on the roads within the restricted section of the route. 

Local police officers told sports journalist Anders Mielke on TNT Sports that this is because they cannot stop locals from attending the race. 

“We have police officers at every corner. We just saw some fans being told off and that they were not allowed [to be on the roadside],” Mielke said while reporting from within the last 40km.

“If you see fans in the last 40km, it will be local people living on the course,” Mielke said. 

Yet Mielke reported later in the day from Col du Calvaire, the second last climb of the day within the last 40km. He reported seeing fans from Norway and Germany. 

The restrictions to stage 3 come as extreme heat has spread across Europe with wildfires breaking out across the continent. 

Ahead of the Tour de France, race director Christian Prudhomme said the Tour de France organisers were taking extra steps to ensure the safety of the riders and the public. 

“We will obviously experience high temperatures during the Tour de France. Protecting the riders and the public is paramount for us. The watchword is adaptation,” Prudhomme said.

French officials were also told they could cancel Tour de France stages if a red heatwave alert is issued, according to a French Interior Ministry ‌document seen by Reuters. 

"In exceptional circumstances, and in consultation with ​the organiser and all relevant parties, you may ​decide to cancel a stage if health or ⁠operational conditions no longer allow for the simultaneous safeguarding ​of spectators and staff, and the continued provision of emergency ​services to the public," the document said. 

Tomorrow’s stage four heads from Carcassonne to Foix, where temperatures could hit 39°C.