If organizers do not have the flexibility to move start times or cancel stages in extreme heat, Cvijanovic says every potentially risky stage should be scheduled early in the morning, adding there are vast, publicly-available climatological datasets that could be used for this purpose.
But beyond stage start times, a warming world is making the Tour’s traditional July calendar slot increasingly untenable. “If I had the power I would change all the calendar and not race in July and August in hot places,” said Pogačar, “but it’s not something I can do.” Prudhomme dismissed the Slovenian’s suggestion because “the Tour de France is July,” but acknowledged that climate change “is drawing nearer. At some point, it will be inescapable. But is that in two years? 10 years? We don’t know.”
Scientists, though, note that Europe is warming at more than double the global average rate, making extreme events like heat waves and wildfires more likely. People around the world, including those at the Tour de France, are experiencing the impacts of climate change now. “We need to think as humans,” said Team Cofidis sport director Bingen Fernández. “We are creating this. We’re burning petrol. Climate change is here.”
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