Tadej Pogacar urges radical overhaul of Tour de France amid stifling heatwave
Tour de France cyclist Tadej Pogacar has called for a restructuring of the professional racing calendar to avoid extreme heatwaves. His comments follow a shortened ninth stage of the 2026 race due to dangerously high temperatures.
Why it matters
Rising global temperatures are increasingly impacting professional sports, forcing organizers to reconsider traditional scheduling to protect athlete health.
Tadej Pogacar believes the calendar needs a revamp to avoid the hottest time of the year./Getty Images Tadej Pogacar believes the calendar needs a revamp to avoid the hottest time of the year./Getty Images Tour de France 2026 Tadej Pogacar urges radical overhaul of Tour de France amid stifling heatwave Pogacar wants calendar changed to avoid worst of heat
Van der Poel wins ninth stage shortened amid high temperatures
Prefer the Guardian on Google Tadej Pogacar called for radical change to the professional racing calendar after another day of stifling temperatures, as Mathieu van der Poel won the shortened ninth stage of the Tour de France from Malemort to Ussel, with Tom Pidcock finishing third.
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