Tadej Pogačar, the reigning Tour de France champion and current yellow jersey, urges an overhaul of the professional cycling calendar after riders race through extreme heat during the Tour de France. All reports describe his call to redesign the schedule to prevent racing in the hottest periods and conditions, with emphasis on avoiding July and August races in hot locations. The comments come as the Tour continues under high temperatures that affect multiple stages and riders.
One outlet reports that Mathieu van der Poel wins the Tour’s ninth stage, which is shortened due to the heat, taking the race from Malemort to Ussel ahead of Tom Pidcock. The Guardian also quotes Pogačar saying that if he had the power he would change the calendar to avoid racing in hot places during peak summer months, while noting he cannot directly make such changes. Overall coverage links the heatwave conditions to both stage disruptions and renewed pressure on cycling authorities to adjust the race calendar for safety and rider welfare.
