Lance Armstrong criticizes Tour de France being raced in brutal heat: "I don't care what the UCI says, it's inhumane"
Cycling
Temperatures on the road this Saturday reached as high as 40 degrees in the blazing Italian sun, and many riders felt the difficulties on stage 1. Lance Armstrong is against the race being ran without change in such conditions and have criticized Tour de France organizers for not having implemented changes.
"That's not healthy, it's inhumane. May I remind everyone that the Tour de France is the toughest sporting event in the world? In Saturday's stage, it was almost forty degrees for the first time this season," Armstrong said in The Move podcast. "The riders simply can't drink enough to maintain their fluid balance. You expect two hundred riders to participate in the next three weeks with almost chronic dehydration in - I'll say it again - the toughest sporting event in the world. That's not healthy. I don't care what the UCI says, it's inhumane. There has to be another way.”
Michele Gazzoli, the first rider to abandon the race, suffered from gastrointestinal problems because of a heatstroke. Mark Cavendish looked to be suffering from the same early in the day, and a few riders fell out of contention for the stage or GC in unexpected ways likely due to this situation unfolding. The weather is expected to be just as hot this Sunday, but the stage will not include such long climbs where riders will spend a long time at slow speed in the sun.
Armstrong also believes the dehydration from riders may see the do intravenous therapy, which involves needles, and he shares his opinion on the matter: “I understand that I am now on thin ice when it comes to this subject, but I don’t care. The ‘no needle policy’ means that you are not allowed to use cortisone if you suffer from tendonitis in your knee. Just like you are not allowed to combat dehydration with intravenous therapy, after a scorching hot stage like Saturday’s.”
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OMG - not these comments again. Yes - he was the doper. Yes - countless riders in his times also. And he knows about cycling more than most of you ever know. His opinions are still valuable. Don't like him? Do not click on news with "Lance Armstrong" in title. Easy?
We're allowed to criticize the guy. If you think otherwise, take it up with cyclingupdate and ask them to close the comments section
He criticises, we criticise, Ever noticed how amongst all the experts thered is never consensus, they may be more experienced and have more details but they don’t always have the brains or ideas. Much progresx comes from the outside, fresh ideas. Besides, how come it took him so long to open his mouth on a recurrent subject that has been discussed umpteen times? Maybe because most people aren’t that interested in listening? Also, there are badly paid hard workers who suffer just as badly for no fame or glory unless chosen as a symbolic death to highlight their exploitation and are left with little choice in such matters, it may be worth remembering for the riders that on the whole they still have dream jobs which nobody forced them to do.
Why are we still letting this guy live rent free in our sport... now he's a humanitarian, now he wants to protect the peloton...
The Doper all of a sudden cares about heat? Whoa ! Stop the presses ! The Great Doper of all time should be given the soap box ...NOT !
Wholly correct - the fact is some have never got over him and what he did yet the REST OF THE PRO PELETON where in organised doping SO - GET REAL
No defending him in any larger sense, but his point in this case was correct. He was arguing against the ban on saline IVs, noting that they are legal in most other sports and that TDF riders face even greater demands than the others. He is correct.
I can't believe I agree with Lance Armstrong on this. But what is the solution when you're riding in a hot weather? Perhaps, the organizer can change the dates of TdF to other season. Other GTs may be impacted. Perhaps, we'll see some heat intolerant riders opting to skip TdF and concentrate on Giro and Vuelta in the future. Sort of like specialization that we see today. Some riders can't climb, but does good TT or classics. Some suffer in cold, while others suffer in heat.
And what about simply having them start at 9/10am when it is still fresh? They would still have time to breakfast and digest. Just cut all the pre-stage media theatrics
Absolutely. Starting mid day in a heatwave is madness. Should be starting at 930. Even earlier would be better, but might be hard with all the logistics.
Ah, those TV viewers, if only riders would remember them sitting in their comfortable air-condition auditoriums moaning about the lack of action :-) Do the riders have free choice or are they just slaves for the (money) gods? People always seem to have to blame someone other than the one responsible for their misery.
This is also one of the principle reasons why the TdF became a far bigger event than the other two GCs. Many don’t realise it and it’s hardly discussed but the Giro and Vuelta (that take place at similar hours) cannot get the same viewer figures, the vast majority of the fanbase being at work during those times. The TdF falls during the best part of the holiday season when a great number are free to laze around all day at home before embarking on the traditional vacation trip in August. Radio used to provide a solution to some but except for in Spain or Italy, that has more or less died off as phone technology killed the economics of it even though a lot of jobs aren’t compatible with (probably stealthily) following the race on a screen
Exceptionally starting at 9 or around in the morning in the event of very hot days (we are not speaking about 21 stages here, perhaps 5 at most) would mean arrival between 13:00 and 14:00, quite a perfect time for TV viewers. In France, most people work in July, as in Italy. In any case, I am pretty sure it is what will happen in the near future. You guys all made very good points, but don't disregard the increasing trend towards riders' safety, so we're heading there ineluctably
There’s always something going to be bad, heatwaves are striking anywhere from May to October these days so it can happen at the Giro and Vuelta, I guess you could take the whole show to Scandinavia or Scotland but then they’d get bitten to death by gnats Early morning start seem not bad, with a lunch break if possible haha. That said, it’s not the first time, last year reached 40, so did 2020 and 2010 amongst probably others
No reason not to consider that as well, with big climb stages or parts planned early morning in case of extreme heat or later in case of extreme cold, logistically the mountain stages are probably easiest to reschedule, no big city (people) problems. The flatter stages are really not that problematic even at 40 degrees, cycling at speed still has a ventilator effect at that point, 42-44 it disappears and above the wind is even heating you. I tried riding in the desert at 47, used 2 full days to recover but continuing at 40 wasn’t problematic.
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