Tour de France champ Tadej Pogacar says riders face a logistical nightmare in keeping their body temperature down from dangerous levels amid scorching conditions.
Temperatures over 30C at the start in Barcelona and potentially up to 40C in Carcassonne have forced riders to take innovative measures to stay cool, including wearing frozen vests and eating ice lollies.
Pogacar claimed the yellow jersey by winning Monday’s third stage when temperatures reached 36C, saying “it’s really a logistic nightmare when it’s hot like today”.
As a team, Pogacar’s squad puts a lot of effort into keeping cool, bringing water and ice to the riders, with Pogacar saying “sometimes the valley is long, I don’t know, 15 kilometres, and three guys go back to the car to take bottles and ice and keep cooling yourself”.
For Pogacar, staying hydrated is key, saying “the water is so important to keep your body cool”, and noting that the race is dangerous if riders don’t keep their body temperature down.
Teams have used various techniques to keep riders cool, including fans to spray water and frozen carbohydrate gels, while Tour organisers have banned the use of ice socks during the race.
The heat is increasingly becoming a major issue at the Tour, with France’s interior minister Laurent Nuñez warning that extreme heat could result in a stage being modified or cancelled, and Tour director Christian Prudhomme saying “we are ready to adapt everywhere, always, the whole time”.
With the Tour facing threats from wildfires and heatwaves, researcher Benjamin Sultan has warned that it’s only a matter of time before the Grand Boucle has to adjust to the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, suggesting the Tour may have to move from its traditional July date.
The Tour will continue to face these challenges, with the next stage taking place on Wednesday, and riders will have to adapt to the extreme conditions to stay in the competition.
