As the Tour de France enters its second week, reigning champion Tadej Pogacar has warned that the scorching conditions are creating a 'logistical nightmare' for riders and teams. With temperatures exceeding 30°C in Barcelona and forecast to approach 40°C in Carcassonne, the Slovenian four-time winner says keeping cool has become a central challenge of the race.
'It's really a logistic nightmare when it's hot like today,' Pogacar said after claiming the yellow jersey on Monday's third stage, which saw temperatures hit 36°C. 'As a team, we really start to put a lot of effort into this, to bring so much water and ice to the riders.'
The heat is not just uncomfortable—it is dangerous. Pogacar stressed that hydration is critical: 'The water is so important to keep your body cool. Five years ago, it was definitely totally different than what we have to do now. I'm happy that is the way it is because the race is dangerous if you don't keep your body temperature down.'
Innovative Cooling Tactics
Teams have deployed a range of creative methods to combat the heat. Netcompany Ineos riders submerged their forearms in iced water before the opening team time-trial in Barcelona. French prodigy Paul Seixas and others have been seen wearing frozen vests during warm-downs, while ice socks—often stuffed down the back of jerseys—are a common sight, despite a ban by race organisers during stages.
The Alpecin Premier Tech team appeared to be eating ice lollies before their time-trial, but those were actually frozen carbohydrate gels, designed to cool and fuel simultaneously. Teams also use fans to spray water on riders before and after stages.
The heat is increasingly a major issue for the Tour, partly due to climate change. A 50-year study co-authored by Benjamin Sultan, a researcher at France's Institute of Research and Development (IRD), warned that the Grand Boucle may need to adjust its traditional July date as heatwaves become more frequent and intense. 'Given that we're going to have more than double the number of heatwaves at the end of this century, it's just a matter of time before the Tour arrives at a critical moment that can affect its planning,' Sultan said.
France's interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, warned before the race that extreme heat could lead to stage modifications or even, 'exceptionally', cancellation. Tour director Christian Prudhomme told AFP: 'We are ready to adapt everywhere, always, the whole time.'
Wildfires Add to the Challenge
Beyond the heat, Monday's third stage from Granollers in Spain to Les Angles in France was threatened by wildfires that broke out about 70 kilometres from the finish. Firefighters from across France battled the blaze, which had scorched more than 46 square kilometres by Monday. Authorities ordered 10,500 people to evacuate their homes near Perpignan, and Tour organisers urged fans to stay away from the route.
The wildfires are part of a broader pattern of extreme weather affecting southern Europe. A recent heatwave in France was linked to a nearly 30% rise in deaths, with the Paris region hit hardest. The EU has been pushing a holistic cooling strategy as heatwaves test the continent's resilience.
For now, Pogacar and his rivals are focused on survival. 'Sometimes the valley is long, I don't know, 15 kilometres, and three guys go back to the car to take bottles and ice and keep cooling yourself. This makes a big, big difference,' he said.
