Cycling: Extreme weather continues and threatens Tour de France stage 20

[July 27, 2019]    VAL THORENS, France (Reuters) - Heavy rain and thunderstorms threatened to force organizers to cancel the 20th stage of the Tour de France in Val Thorens on Saturday.

Trek-Segafredo rider Giulio Ciccone of Italy leads the breakaway group. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

Hailstorms and a landslide meant the race jury cut Friday's stage short due to safety concerns and they had already decided to reduce the 20th stage from 130km to 59km.

However, the extreme weather continued overnight and part of the publicity caravan did not drive up to the finish because of the conditions and will only drive a loop around Albertville, where the shortened stage is scheduled to start at 1230GMT.

Colombian Egan Bernal is the overall leader ahead of France's Julian Alaphilippe and defending champion Geraint Thomas, who are second and third, respectively.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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