The tenth stage of the 2026 Tour de France The stage to Le Lioran had everything that defines modern professional cycling: steep climbs, spectacular attacks, sweltering heat and, in the end, a dominant Tadej Pogačar. But away from the general classification, another topic was the talk of the town. Several riders crashed on the same descent, including Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson. And many spectators wondered: what exactly was that white substance on the road?
White roads at the Tour de France
Anyone who followed the footage of the descent from Puy Mary closely could see that numerous bends were covered with a conspicuous white layer. This was apparently lime or a special light-coloured coating applied by the organisers to protect the tarmac from the extreme temperatures. Over the past few days, the riders had repeatedly had to contend with intense heat. At times, the road surface became so hot that there were fears the tarmac might soften or even start to become slippery. The measure was therefore actually intended to improve safety. However, it was not universally well received by the riders.
Of all people, Pidcock loses control
Tom Pidcock was particularly outspoken after the stage. The Briton is regarded as one of the best descenders in the entire peloton. An Olympic mountain bike champion, an outstanding technical rider and renowned for his downhill skills. This made his crash on a bend during the descent from Puy Mary all the more surprising.
After the race, Pidcock vented his frustration. Speaking to the media, he explained that he hadn’t expected the road surface to be so slippery. The organisers had coated the roads with a white substance which, in his view, had been particularly slippery on the descents. He had skidded in the middle of a bend and was unable to prevent the crash.
The fact that this criticism comes from a rider like Pidcock lends further weight to the debate. When even one of the world’s best downhill riders loses his grip, it inevitably raises questions.
Several riders crashed on the same descent
Pidcock was by no means the only rider to run into trouble at this point. His team-mate Chris Harper also crashed on the same stretch. Shortly afterwards, Matteo Jorgenson of Team Visma | Lease a Bike also went down.
Television footage later showed Jorgenson with a grazed elbow during the chase. The fact that several riders fell on the same descent, independently of one another, further fuelled the debate about the road conditions.
A security issue with good reason?
The organisers, however, found themselves in a difficult situation. The heatwave during this Tour de France is not only putting a strain on the riders, but also causing problems for the infrastructure. According to various media reports, the light-coloured layer of lime was specifically applied to reduce the surface temperature of the tarmac and prevent the road surface from softening.
From the organisers’ point of view, this is therefore a safety measure. Extreme temperatures can damage the tarmac and also make it a hazard for riders. The white coating is intended to reflect the sun’s rays and keep the road cooler. This is precisely where the dilemma lies: a measure designed to improve safety could, at the same time, create new hazards. It hasn’t been thought through very well, especially as the riders seemed to have received no information whatsoever about the measure.
The Tour de France is increasingly battling the heat
In the end, the incident turned out well for those involved. Pidcock fought his way back into the race and even finished in the top ten for the stage. Jorgenson was also able to complete the stage and avoid any serious injuries. Nevertheless, the descent from Puy Mary could still have consequences. After all, these events show that the challenges of the Tour de France are no longer limited to mountains, wind and race strategy.
Riders are also increasingly having to contend with the effects of extreme temperatures. And the organisers must find solutions that cool the tarmac without compromising grip on fast descents. The images from the Massif Central thus raise what is perhaps one of the most intriguing questions of this Tour: what happens when the measures taken to combat the heat become a risk in themselves?
What do you think? Did the organisers act negligently here, or did they have no other choice? Let us know in the comments!
Leon Weidner
Editor