Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar has urged cycling’s governing bodies to consider a major overhaul of the sport’s calendar, arguing that elite races should no longer be staged in the hottest months of the year.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider made the comments after Stage 9 of this year’s Tour, which has been heavily affected by extreme temperatures. French authorities issued a red heatwave alert ahead of the stage, prompting organisers to shorten the route by 30 kilometres and delay the start in an effort to reduce the impact of the conditions on riders.
Several additional measures have also been introduced during this year’s race to help competitors cope with the heat, including allowing riders to collect bidons from team cars at any point during a stage except for the opening 10 kilometres and the final six kilometres.
Pogačar believes the issue requires a much broader solution than simply altering race-day logistics.
He said that, if he had the authority, he would completely rethink the cycling calendar by avoiding major events in particularly hot regions during July and August. While acknowledging that the decision is beyond his control, the four-time Tour champion insisted it is a discussion the sport needs to have.
Suggestions have been made to begin stages earlier in the morning to avoid the highest temperatures, but the Slovenian dismissed the idea as an ineffective solution. He argued that an earlier start would simply result in riders finishing during the hottest part of the day, offering little real benefit.
Pogačar has already established himself as the dominant rider in this year’s Tour de France. His commanding victory on Stage 6 allowed him to open a lead of two minutes and 42 seconds over his closest challenger, Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike, and he carried the yellow jersey into the race’s first rest day.
Away from the heat, UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s tactics also became a major talking point during Stage 9. Although Mathieu van der Poel claimed victory from the breakaway, attention turned to UAE’s decision to control the pace of the peloton for much of the stage, ensuring the escape group remained within reach before eventually finishing less than 20 seconds behind the winner.
The team’s approach prompted debate among analysts, with some suggesting the objective extended beyond chasing a stage victory.
EF Education-EasyPost chief Jonathan Vaughters argued that UAE’s strategy was designed to wear down their rivals physically and mentally. He suggested that setting a relentless pace at the front of the peloton allowed the team to dictate the race while forcing their competitors to expend valuable energy throughout the day.
Vaughters also pointed to the limited support available to rival teams, noting that Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe had only their two team leaders left in the main group. He described UAE’s performance as a demonstration of strength, saying they appeared content to maintain a demanding tempo before easing off once the damage had been done, ensuring the race remained intense from start to finish.
