Tadej Pogacar urges cycling calendar overhaul amid Tour de France heatwave
Current yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogacar has called for a complete overhaul of the cycling calendar to protect riders from the extreme summer heat currently affecting the Tour de France.
Stage nine of this year’s race, running from Malemort to Ussel, was shortened by 30km on Sunday due to a red heatwave alert in the Correze department.
Temperatures have consistently exceeded 30C and reached blistering highs of 40C since the Grand Depart in Barcelona.
Slovenian star suggests radical scheduling shift
The two-time defending champion believes the sport must adapt to increasingly severe weather conditions to prioritise athlete welfare.
“If I had the power I would change all the calendar and not race in July and August in hot places,” the Slovenian said.
“Maybe the next step is to start the stages earlier. You need to start at eight or nine, or even before.”
The general classification leader acknowledged the difficulty of such early starts but insisted the human body can adapt to waking up before dawn.
Wildfires and relentless intensity
Extreme weather has already severely disrupted the current edition of the race.
Stage three in the Pyrenees took place without spectators or the traditional publicity caravan due to massive wildfires in the surrounding areas.
The Professional Cyclists Association (CPA) has publicly backed the race leader’s stance regarding rider safety.
The riders’ union stressed that summer race start times must evolve to safeguard competitor health during grueling Grand Tours.
Peloton echoes safety concerns
Fellow competitors have voiced similar frustrations regarding the relentless heat and the dangerous logistical challenges it creates.
“It’s a fight to have water, ice and drinks between the cars, so for me it’s a good idea to shorten the stage,” said stage eight winner Tim Merlier.
Australian veteran Luke Durbridge noted that while the race is historically hot, the suffocating consistency of this current heatwave is highly exceptional.
“We’ve always had hot Tours de France, but this has been quite exceptional purely because it’s just been so consistent,” Durbridge explained.
He added that the relentless speed and intensity of modern racing leaves competitors with no easy days to recover from the sweltering conditions.