In the debate over how the Tour de France is handling the extreme heat, cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar has suggested major changes. “If I had the power, I would reorganise the entire calendar and avoid racing in hot locations in July and August,” the Slovenian said after the ninth stage in Ussel, as reported by several media outlets. “I would draw up a completely different calendar, but that is beyond my control.”
The stage in the Massif Central had been shortened by 30 kilometres by the organisers due to the ongoing heatwave in France, with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees. It has been very hot since the start of the Tour. This had sparked discussions about ways to tackle the problem – such as starting the stages early in the morning.
“Perhaps the next step is to start the stages earlier. Yesterday there was a suggestion to start at 10.00 am, but that doesn’t change anything, because you’d still be finishing in the heat,” said Pogacar. “You have to start at 8.00 or 9.00 am, or even earlier. It’s a bit of a pain, mind you, but I reckon the body can get used to getting up at 5.00 am and riding a stage at 8.00 am.” Overall, though, the teams had adapted well to the temperatures.
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