The heated debate over the future of the Tour de France: changing dates or schedules to avoid risks
The rising temperatures and the increasing heat wave have led to doubts about the holding of major sporting events during the summer, including the Tour de France. They discuss changing schedules or dates.
The impact of extreme heat on sport has revived the debate on the future of the Tour de France . A study over the past five decades has concluded that the Tour de France has "narrowly" escaped the strongest heat waves, but has warned that action must be taken.
Experts place at 28 degrees the threshold that increases the risk to the health of cyclists. In this context, heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense, increasing thermal stress in the stages played in July.
One example was in 2024, when the first stage reached temperatures of about 36 degreesCelsius.
Vizcaíno cyclist Jon Barrenetxea has acknowledged that competing in these conditions can be "very hard," and sports director Gorka Gerrikagoitia believes that "it's a debate to put on the table. "
In view of this situation, it is recommended to bring the stages forward to the morning, avoiding the warmest hours, or even to rethink the dates of the race. The aim is clear: to ensure the safety of cyclists, without refusing to continue the Tour in summer.
Thus, climate change has compromised one of the major dates in the sports calendar, while organizers and teams are considering possible adjustments to ensure its viability in the future.
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