Tadej Pogacar and UAE left sweating through Tour de France rest day as hotel air conditioning reportedly knocks out power
CyclingMonday, 13 July 2026 at 16:00
The heatwave sweeping across France has already taken a visible toll on the riders during the 2026 Tour de France. Now, Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates – XRG are reportedly dealing with the effects away from the road as well.
According to Spanish journalist Sergi Lopez-Egea, UAE are staying in a hotel where the air-conditioning system has struggled to cope with the extreme temperatures.
When several rooms attempt to use the system at the same time, the electrical installation reportedly trips and causes power cuts.
It is an awkward problem for the dominant team of the opening week, particularly with the Tour moving into its second block of racing and temperatures having climbed well beyond 35 degrees on several stages.
UAE recovery disrupted during Tour de France heatwave
Recovery is tightly controlled during any Grand Tour, with sleep, hydration and body temperature all closely monitored after each stage. Excessively warm rooms are hardly ideal for riders attempting to recover from hours of racing in severe heat.
Pogacar and his teammates were pictured heading out for a training ride on Monday’s first rest day, while the hotel situation added an unexpected complication to an otherwise commanding start to the race.
The Slovenian enters the second week in the yellow jersey after putting significant time into Jonas Vingegaard on the Tourmalet. UAE have also dictated much of the racing through the opening nine stages, with Isaac del Toro sitting third overall and playing a central role in Pogacar’s strongest performances.
Their control on the road has not prevented conditions from creating problems elsewhere. Stage 9 was shortened by around 30 kilometres after a red heat alert was issued in the Correze region, while a number of riders have spoken about the physical strain of competing in the temperatures affecting the race.
Pogacar has been constantly wrapped in an ice-vest pre and post-stage to try and keep cool
Unexpected setback for Pogacar’s meticulous Tour operation
Even should UAE only remain at the hotel for one or two nights, the issue comes at an inconvenient moment. Pogacar’s team is known for paying close attention to the smallest details surrounding preparation and recovery, particularly during the decisive stages of a Grand Tour.
The reported power cuts do not mean Pogacar or his teammates will necessarily suffer on the road, but they represent a complication the team would rather avoid as the race moves towards another demanding mountain stage.
Pogacar has so far handled the heat and the racing better than anyone, building a 2:42 advantage over Vingegaard before the first rest day. His next challenge may be rather less familiar: trying to stay cool before the race has even restarted.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Thanks, so basically he’d be battling with others for 4thJumpyjohn13-07-2026
- Assuming they’re staying around Ussel, that’s hardly a problem now. Today’s max was 32, it’s cooling very fast now going down to 20 by midnight and lower until dawn. In conditions like that I’d prefer being in natural than airconned air. There’s always the team bus bunk beds.Jumpyjohn13-07-2026
- Pretty mean-spirited comments about a true sportsman. Your comments reflect more about your character than his. Unlike you, he never has a mean word to say... He works hard and tries his best. Yes, Pogacar is better but that is no reason to mock Vingegaard.Al13-07-2026
- I'm a Pogi fan too. But you always beat everyone to the line by adding a bit of "intoxicants" to every comment. Not all bad, but......?Ride197413-07-2026
- Vingegaard was dropped on 2nd and 3rd stage. He was humiliated on 6.stage. He will be dropped tomorrow and then brutally destroyed on stage 14, 15 and 16... and then comes Alpe d'Huez where Jonas will make a statement: "I believe in myself and the Tour win. I only have 38 minutes to make up." ... LOL !!!mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales13-07-2026
- Jonas Vingegaard: 0:00. Tadej Pogačar: +0:12. Juan Ayuso: +0:16. Remco Evenepoel: +0:19. Florian Lipowitz: +0:35. Paul Seixas: +0:39.Ketterechts13-07-2026
- why not men's hockey?Ketterechts13-07-2026
- You are like Paul Kimmage who thinks all riders must be doping. He looked at team Sky found no evidence re Froome doping. Pretty sad that the riders win and get accused of doping for no reason ther than winning a stage or race overall. Was Vin questioned in the Giro after winning 5 stages??? If you do not like the sport switch to Girls hockey.paultryan200213-07-2026
- You know nothing about what I know. And I do know about Slovenia’s living standard but that is NOT the same as being happy. Luxembourg (and Switzerland) also have very high living standards and quite low happiness, you’re just helping to argue against your claims. As for Croatia, firstly is having a beautiful coastline (certainly not everywhere) an accomplishment for a population, I guess it is for someone who feels proud because his fellow countryman worked hard and achieved something but you know what, there isn’t a person in this world who can’t pretend to be proud by your standards.Mistermaumau13-07-2026
- Sorry, that kind of argument isn’t valid. Firstly, a few minutes over 80-85 hours is peanuts, secondly the gaps are staying more or less constant meaning others are improving by similar amounts just not catching up, thirdly, not uncommon (though more in the past I feel) to have similar gaps in one day races so it’s no big deal over 3 weeks really. What troubles me more is there’s almost never a bad day anymore, max one per year, that’s the fishy part.Mistermaumau13-07-2026
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