‘It definitely has an impact’: Tadej Pogačar explains how Tour de France heat is taking its toll

Another day at the office for yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de France—or so you might think. However, the UAE Emirates-XRG Slovenian acknowledged that even the flatter stages of this year’s race are placing considerable strain on the body because of the extreme temperatures. Pogačar discussed the conditions after Stage 8, which was won by Tim Merlier.

Temperatures between Périgueux and Bergerac once again climbed towards 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. After more than a week of racing at the Tour de France in persistently hot conditions, the riders—including Pogačar—have understandably grown tired of competing during the hottest hours of the day. The organisers have responded to some extent, shortening Stage 9 by 30 kilometres.

What are those conditions like for the riders? “I simply try to drink plenty of water every day and keep cooling my body down. When you are on the bike in this heat, it is mainly a matter of getting through the hours,” the Tour de France leader explained in his flash interview.

“It definitely has an impact. Anyone standing outside right now can feel that the heat makes your body get tired more quickly,” Pogačar continued. “Even during a flatter stage, you have to be careful. You need to keep cooling yourself and pay extremely close attention to your nutrition and hydration.”

“If it were 20 degrees and we were producing the same power, it would be much easier than it is now. But we cannot complain,” he added. “We receive a lot of support from the team car, and there are feed zones along the road where we are given water. So yes, it is manageable.”

Even so, days such as Stages 7 and 8 are mainly about safely making it to the finish for Pogačar and the other general-classification riders. “Sometimes I just wish those sprint stages were a little shorter, but that is only my personal preference,” he said with a laugh.

Sunday brings another stage featuring considerably more climbing, although it initially appears more likely to favour the breakaway specialists. “Are we going to control the race? We will see. It will definitely be a demanding day for us, but we are ready,” the UAE Emirates-XRG leader concluded.