Tour de France: 'No races in July in very hot places,' warns Pogacar amid heatwave

The Tour de France peloton is battling sweltering conditions, with yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogacar calling for a calendar shift to avoid July races in intensely hot regions. He highlighted that even early starts do not fully mitigate the issue, as races can still conclude during the hottest part of the day.

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From my point of view, the heat is a big topic of discussion. If personally, I had the power to change things, I would change the calendar and not put races in July in very hot places.

"If personally, I had the power to change things, I would change the calendar and not put races in July in very hot places," Pogacar stated at a press conference. He explained that starting at 10 a.m. doesn't help much because it means finishing during the day's peak heat.

Pogacar also noted the early wake-up calls required for stages, stating, "We also have to wake up at 5 in the morning to do the stages," which he found less than ideal. Despite the challenges, his team, UAE Team Emirates XRG, has adapted well to the heat, with effective body cooling measures in place. The team is satisfied with their performance under the difficult conditions.

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Starting at 10 a.m. doesn't change anything because starting at 10 a.m. means we arrive at the hottest time of the day.

The cyclists will have a rest day in Aurillac on Monday. The heat has also affected spectators, with some expressing a desire for a winter Tour or noting the difficulties of attending with children.

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We also have to wake up at 5 in the morning to do the stages, which is also not ideal.