Tour de France heat measures - UCI and organisors continue and extend high temperatures protocol as sweltering peloton battle intense weather
Cycling
The Tour de France and UCI are doing their best to beat the heat as La Grand Boucle continues through exceptionally high temperatures. With heat consistently reaching over 35 degrees celsius, riders and teams are battling to stay cool.
With a brutal Grand Depart raced aggressively under temperatures as high as 40 degrees at some points, organisers introduced measures to ensure riders can remain hydrated as the Tour comes to the boil.
With stages beginning in the early afternoon, temperatures across France are already soaring by the time the flag is waived to begin stages, leading to organisers ASO introducing measures in stage 4.
Organisers changed the feeding rules for stage 4 by allowing teams to hand out musettes in areas that were originally reserved for bottles only. The use of musettes then allows riders to take multiple bottles in one swoop, thus giving them a better chance of staying hydrated, and receiving ice and food to continue riding.\
Additional heat measures on stage 5
For stage 5, those measures will remain in place. Additionally, the UCI and ASO have made the decision to give teams wider access to supply riders with bottles along the route.
Staff members will be permitted to feed their riders from ten kilometers into the race until ten kilometers to go, meaning riders can retrieve sustenance for the majority of racing on Wednesday.
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For example, feeding is often reserved for specific sections of racing in normal circumstances. With high temperatures expected to stay until at least Sunday, it seems that these rules are likely to remain over the coming stages.
Wednesday's stage 5 is unlikely to be an attacking feast for the breakaway, however. Instead, sprint teams are likely to control in hopes of it coming to a bunch sprint. Five days into the Tour, favourites such as Tim Merlier, Jasper Merlier and Olav Kooij have had to bide their time before opening the taps on a bunch sprint.
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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