"Sometimes there aren’t five star hotels everywhere" - Tour de France director defends hotels as teams and riders criticise quality of accommodations
CyclingWednesday, 15 July 2026 at 10:51
The director of the Tour de France has hit back at criticism of the accommodation provided by organisers to teams during La Grand Boucle after some teams raised issues with hotels during Monday's rest day.
Uno-X Mobility's hotel featured cobwebs and bugs as Anders and Tobias Johannessen while UAE Team Emirates - XRG's air conditioning was knocked out during sweltering heat. Alpecin - Premier Tech confirmed they carry spare mattresses and air conditioning units as they also suffered similar conditions.
However, teams cannot book or arrange their own private accommodation. All teams are required to stay at what is provided by ASO, with the quality of the accommodation rotated throughout the three weeks to ensure all teams gain a fair share of access.
ASO reportedly book 40,000 rooms every year for La Grand Boucle and rotate the quality of the accommodation provided throughout the race to ensure each team gets a fair share.
However, Christian Prudhomme hit back at criticism as he claimed that organisers can't guarantee that stages finishing in rural parts of the country can't always come with high quality hotels close by.
Prudhomme hits back at criticism
“If we want the race to visit beautiful parts of France and have beautiful stages, it means that sometimes there aren’t five star hotels everywhere,” he told French radio station ICI.
Noting that the rule ensuring teams must stay with organiser provided accommodations helps provide a degree of equality - given the differing budgets of teams.
“We’re the only ones who can guarantee equality amongst the teams at the Tour,” Prudhomme said. He said: “At the end of the Tour, all the teams will have the same number of hotel stars."
Alpecin's Adrie van der Poel noted unfavourable conditions in their accommodation, but they came prepared.
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“We bring our own mattresses and portable air conditioning units, but there were plenty of other things wrong,” said Van der Poel. "Mould, cockroaches, the food for the staff... The team arranges meals for the riders, but not for the support staff.”
Uno-X Mobility brothers Anders and Tobias Halland Johannessen's rest day hotel relaxation turned into horror as they took to social media to show their fellow 'guests'.
The pair found their room crawling with bugs and spider webs as they made a key decision to get a good night's sleep in peace. Despite soaring temperatures and the luxury of air conditioning, the pair opted to sleep outside and moved their beds outside onto their terrace.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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