SerpApi.Org
The Tour de France is known for pushing the limits of human endurance, but record-shattering heat is testing this year's race even more.
Time reported that the opening two weeks of the 2026 Tour averaged 87.4 degrees Fahrenheit, almost 9 degrees hotter than the previous record from 2022. That heat has forced teams to overhaul basic routines, including how riders hydrate and recover.
What's happening?
According to Time, stage nine of the race was cut by 18 miles, and wildfire threats and red heat alerts threatened several parts of France.
XDS-Astana Team sport director Yvon Ledanois said the conditions have been abnormal.
"I've done more than 30 Tours, and I've never seen weather conditions this hot every single day," he said to BFMTV. "It isn't a case of having one extremely hot day and then returning to normal conditions the next."
Even the sport's top riders have struggled.
Tadej Pogačar, the 27-year-old Slovenian star chasing a fifth Tour title, said to TNT Sports after racing in 104 F heat on July 7 that he "had a full headache." He warned that it becomes "dangerous if you don't keep your body temperature down."
Scientists say the conditions are not simply random. Time reported that Climate Central found climate change made the July 7 heat five times more likely.
As relayed by Time, climate scientist Ivana Cvijanovic said, "My co-authors and I have been following the heat during this Tour with horror."
Why does it matter?
Extreme heat and wildfires are becoming more common across Europe. Elite athletes are facing the same public health threats of dehydration and heat stroke and exhaustion that millions of people confront every summer.
XDS-Astana Team medical director Emilio Magni described to The Guardian that heat stroke is "like a short circuit" on the body.
Extreme weather events can harm people in many ways, including by straining hospitals, endangering outdoor workers, and damaging homes and businesses.
The Tour is also a high-profile example of how climate change is colliding with long-standing traditions. Time reported that research published this year found heat stress events have become both more common and more severe over the past five decades.
The outlet also noted that Europe is heating up at more than twice the global average, increasing the likelihood of heat waves and wildfires.
Similar warning signs are emerging elsewhere, including in how dangerous heat is reshaping daily life in cities and how worsening wildfire seasons are putting communities at risk.
What's being done?
Teams have already begun adapting in real time. Some have set up ice baths and paddling pools at stage finishes. Netcompany-INEOS riders used cold water on their forearms before a team time trial to lower core body temperature without affecting their warmed-up leg muscles.
Cycling's governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, also relaxed hydration rules so riders could take extra bottles. Time reported that Team Picnic-PostNL coach Matt Winston said each rider was going through 28 bottles per stage — more than triple the usual amount.
The UCI's High Temperature Protocol allows organizers to change start times, alter routes, or cancel racing if heat stress becomes too severe. So far, no stage has been canceled, but riders such as Pogačar have argued for much earlier starts.
"You need to start at eight or nine, or even before," he said to The Guardian.
"We need to think as humans," Team Cofidis sport director Bingen Fernández said to BikeRadar. "We are creating this. We're burning petrol. Climate change is here."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
