Tour de France to go ahead as planned following suspected terror attack

Regional government officials have confirmed that Friday's stage of the Tour de France is to go ahead as planned with the help of additional security forces.

At least 84 people died in Nice on Thursday evening when a lorry struck a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in the French city.

France has been on high alert since last November following a separate attack in which 130 people died, and it has been announced that a state of emergency in the country will now be extended by a further three months.

Stage 13 of the Tour de France takes the riders from Bourg-Saint-Andeol to La Caverne du Pont-d'Arc - a 37.5km individual time trial.

"We want this day to be a day of dignity as a tribute to the victims," race director Christian Prudhomme said in a statement. "We had a crisis meeting with the prefect of the Ardeche department and the gendarmerie. The stage is on.

"We asked ourselves [whether is should be cancelled] but we think, after agreeing with authorities, that the race must continue."

Britain's Chris Froome currently leads the race, while countryman Adam Yates is 47 seconds behind in second place.