Pogacar proposes a radical change to the calendar due to the heat: "I wouldn't compete in July and August"

The extreme temperatures that the peloton is enduring in the Tour de France have led Tadej Pogačar to propose a much deeper solution than simply moving the start times of the stages forward. The race leader believes that cycling should consider a reorganization of the calendar to avoid competing during the hottest months in regions particularly exposed to high temperatures.

Pogacar proposes a cycling calendar without races in hot places

The debate has gained even more momentum after what happened in stage 9. The red heat alert declared in the department of Corrèze forced the organization of the Tour de France to shorten the route by 30 kilometers, reducing the day from 185.5 to 155.5 kilometers.

"It's something we need to talk about. If I could change things, I would change the calendar and not schedule races in July and August in hot places. But it needs to be studied; I can't do much," Pogačar explained after finishing the stage.

Moving the start times of the stages does not convince Pogačar

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One of the proposals that has been raised in the peloton is to move the stage times forward to avoid the hottest hours. However, Pogačar believes that starting at 10 in the morning would not solve the problem either.

"It doesn't change anything because we would be at the finish line at the hottest moment of the day. Today it was hotter at the start than at the finish," he assured.

For a schedule change to have a real effect, the Slovenian believes that the stages should start much earlier.

"The stage should start at eight, nine, or even earlier. That's not ideal either, but I think the body could also adapt to getting up at five in the morning and racing at eight."

Despite the extreme conditions of the last few days, Pogačar stated that the UAE Team Emirates-XRG has managed the high temperatures well thanks to their cooling strategies.

"In our team, we have managed this heat quite well. We have done an excellent job of cooling our systems, and I am quite satisfied with how it has gone," he concluded on this topic.