- Tadej Pogacar, the reigning champion and current yellow jersey holder at the Tour de France, has urged a complete redrafting of the cycling calendar to avoid racing in the hottest summer months due to extreme temperatures.
- His call comes as stage nine of this year's Tour was shortened by 30km due to a red heatwave alert in France, with temperatures consistently exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and reaching highs of 40 degrees.
- Pogacar suggested that if racing must occur in summer, stages should start much earlier, potentially at 8 or 9 am, to mitigate the impact of the heat on riders.
- The Professional Cyclists Association (CPA) echoed Pogacar's concerns, stating that “summer race start times must evolve” to safeguard athlete health amid the challenging conditions.
- Other cyclists, including Tim Merlier and Luke Durbridge, corroborated the severity of the heat, describing it as “exceptional” and highlighting the struggle for hydration and the increased intensity of modern racing.
IN FULL
