Hazard’s health scare at the Vuelta raises questions for cycling. Could heat camps help?

Cycling’s established altitude camps may soon have a hotter counterpart. Riders could spend up to 10 days training in extreme temperatures before a three-week Grand Tour, preparing their bodies for conditions that are becoming an increasingly important part of racing.

The proposal follows a health scare involving Mikel Landa at the Vuelta, raising questions about how far the sport should go in adapting to heat. High-altitude camps have long been accepted as part of preparation for the Grand Tours. Heat-focused training could now become another tool for helping riders cope with demanding race conditions.

The idea remains framed as a possible development rather than an established part of professional cycling. But the discussion points to a wider question for the sport: how should riders prepare when extreme temperatures can become as decisive as climbs, distance and tactics?