Pogačar demands radical calendar reform and earlier stage starts to combat heat stress at the Tour de France

According to reports, it had been very hot since the start of the Tour de France. These weather conditions led, according to the reports, to discussions about possible countermeasures, such as earlier starts in the morning.

Pogačar's demand: starts at 8:00 or 9:00 a.m.

After the race in Ussel, Pogačar made his voice heard with unusually clear words. Pogačar proposed stage starts at 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. – or even earlier. Man muss um 8.00 oder 9.00 Uhr starten, oder sogar noch früher.

At the same time, the Slovenian showed understanding for the organizational resistance. He referred to a proposal from the previous day to start the stages only at 10:00 a.m. and rejected this as insufficient. Gestern gab es einen Vorschlag, um 10.00 Uhr zu starten, aber das ändert nichts, denn dann kommt man immer noch in der Hitze ins Ziel.

His reasoning for radical changes is clear. If he had the power, he would reorganize the entire cycling calendar and not race in hot places in July and August. Wenn ich die Macht hätte, würde ich den gesamten Kalender umstellen und im Juli und August nicht an heißen Orten fahren.

Calendar reform instead of piecemeal adjustments

Pogačar openly acknowledged that, as an active rider, he has no decision-making power over scheduling. Er würde einen völlig anderen Kalender aufstellen, aber das liege nicht in seiner Macht.

Pogačar also spoke out in favor of a fundamental shift to the early morning hours. He described getting up early as unpleasant, but pointed to the human body's ability to adapt. Das ist zwar ein bisschen beschissen, aber ich glaube, der Körper kann sich daran gewöhnen, um 5.00 Uhr morgens aufzustehen und um 8.00 Uhr eine Etappe zu fahren.

According to his words, an earlier start could only be the beginning of more far-reaching adjustments. Vielleicht besteht der nächste Schritt darin, die Etappen früher zu starten.

Teams adjust to the temperatures

Overall, according to Pogačar's assessment, the teams and riders have coped well with the extreme temperatures. Insgesamt hätten sich die Teams aber gut auf die Temperaturen eingestellt.

The ninth stage took place in the Massif Central region, during which the organizers had shortened the route for safety reasons. In view of the prevailing weather conditions, the organizing body had made organizational adjustments to protect the riders from the worst effects of the heat wave.

Broader debate about climate change in cycling

Pogačar's statements come amid a broader debate about how professional cycling should deal with the consequences of climate change. Extreme temperatures at one-day races and major stage races have repeatedly become an issue in recent years and have already led to route changes, shortened stages, or additional protective measures for the athletes.

The Slovenian exceptional athlete has been a defining figure in international cycling for years and is increasingly using his media reach to voice structural criticism. With his demands, he spoke out in favor of adapting the entire cycling calendar, which in his assessment has so far ignored the climatic realities of summer.

Pogačar did not comment in detail on how such a reform could be implemented in concrete terms. It remains to be seen whether the organizers and the world governing body UCI will take up his suggestions – but the tone of his statements makes clear that he considers change urgently necessary.

Outlook: Will the racing calendar be reformed?

What is clear is that the discussion about heat protection and calendar reform has received new impetus from the Slovenian's words. For the upcoming stages of the current Tour de France as well as for future race organizers, the issue of start times is likely to remain on the agenda.

The Tour organizers are increasingly being forced to rethink traditional procedures in the face of rising summer temperatures. Which measures will ultimately take hold depends not least on whether sports officials take up the proposals of prominent riders such as Pogačar.