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Tadej Pogačar called for a radical restructuring of professional cycling’s calendar Sunday as extreme heat continued to disrupt the Tour de France.
The four-time Tour winner said the sport should reconsider holding races in hot locations during July and August, arguing that shifting individual stage times would not be enough to address increasingly hot conditions.
The disruption came amid record-breaking heatwaves across Europe that have shattered temperature records and contributed to more than 10,000 excess deaths in June.
“If I had the power, I would change all the calendar and not race in July and August in hot places,” Pogačar said. “I’d do a completely different calendar, but it’s not something I can do.”
His comments came after organizers shortened the ninth stage of the Tour from Malemort to Ussel because of a red heat alert. Mathieu van der Poel won the stage, while Pogačar maintained his overall lead heading into the first rest day.
The route was reduced from its planned 115.3 miles (185.5 km) to 96.2 miles (155.5 km) as French weather forecasts called for temperatures of 100.4 degrees at the start in Malemort and 96.8 degrees at the finish in Ussel, with an afternoon peak of 105.8 degrees.
While extreme heat has prompted additional safety measures in past Tours, Stage 9 marked the first time in the race’s history that high temperatures forced race organizers to change the route.
Pogačar said organizers could consider beginning stages significantly earlier, but dismissed a proposal to start at 10 a.m. because riders would still finish during the hottest part of the day.
“You need to start at eight or nine, or even before,” he said. “I think the body can adapt to waking up at five o’clock in the morning and doing a stage at eight. But I think I’ve said enough.”
Pogačar had already raised concerns about the physical toll of the conditions after Stage 8.
“I think anybody that is just outside can tell that the body gets tired in the heat,” he said in a post-race press conference. “Definitely, even if it’s an easier day, we still need to be careful and keep cooling down.”
Tour officials have taken several measures to lessen the effects of the heat. Riders are now allowed to collect water bottles from team cars during the race and organizers have added food stations throughout the course.
While Pogačar doesn’t have the authority to redesign the calendar himself, as the current Tour leader and one of cycling’s most prominent athletes, his comments may shift the conversation beyond temporary measures.
Neither the Tour de France nor Pogačar’s agent responded to requests for comment.
Stage 10 of the Tour from Aurillac to Le Lioran will begin Tuesday, where Pogačar will defend a 2:42 advantage over Jonas Vingegaard.
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