Tour de France riders battle heat as Pogacar warns of cooling 'logistical nightmare'

PARIS: Tour de France riders are facing mounting difficulties in coping with high temperatures, with reigning champion Tadej Pogacar saying efforts to keep body temperatures at safe levels have turned into a major operational challenge for teams.

The race began in Barcelona with temperatures above 30C, while the start of the fourth stage in Carcassonne was expected to approach 40C. Riders have adopted a range of cooling methods, including frozen vests, ice lollies and immersing their arms in iced water, as teams try to limit the effects of the heat.

Speaking after winning Monday’s third stage and taking the yellow jersey in 36C conditions, Pogacar said the process of staying cool now demands extensive support during the race.

""It's really a logistic nightmare when it's hot like today,""

Pogacar said teams have to bring large amounts of water and ice to riders, especially on long valley sections where several teammates may need to return to the team car for bottles and ice. He said those efforts make a significant difference.

The 27-year-old Slovenian said hydration is central to keeping the body cool and added that racing in such conditions is very different from five years ago. He warned that the race becomes dangerous if riders are unable to keep their body temperature down. Pogacar as a four-time Tour champion.

Cooling measures on display

Different teams have been seen using a variety of methods since the opening team time-trial in Barcelona on Saturday. Netcompany Ineos riders dipped their forearms into iced water while waiting for their start. French rider Paul Seixas was among several cyclists seen wearing ice vests after racing, while ice socks placed down the back of jerseys have also been widely used.

Tour organisers have banned the use of ice socks during racing, although several riders were seen ignoring that restriction. The items remain commonly used before and after stages. Teams have also used fans to spray water on riders, while Alpecin Premier Tech cyclists were seen consuming what appeared to be ice lollies before the time-trial; those were in fact frozen carbohydrate gels intended to cool and fuel riders at the same time.

Heat and wider disruption

Heat is becoming an increasingly important issue for the Tour, partly because of climate change. On the eve of the 113th edition of the race, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that extreme temperatures could force a stage to be altered or, in exceptional circumstances, cancelled.

Tour director Christian Prudhomme told AFP last week that organisers were prepared to adapt constantly. Referring to last year’s race, he said a stage had to be diverted because of an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in cattle, something he said he had not heard of until two days earlier.

Monday’s third stage from Granollers in Spain to Les Angles in France also came under threat from wildfires burning about 70km from the finish. Firefighters from across France were called in to tackle the blaze, which had burned more than 4,600 hectares by Monday. Authorities ordered 10,500 residents near Perpignan in southeastern France to leave their homes, and Tour organisers urged spectators to stay away from Monday’s route.

Before the race started, Benjamin Sultan, a researcher at France’s Institute of Research and Development and co-author of a 50-year study of the Tour, warned that the event would eventually have to adapt to more frequent and more intense heatwaves in France and across Europe. He said it was only a matter of time before the race reached a critical point affecting planning, and suggested the Tour might ultimately have to move from its traditional July slot.