"We're more at the mercy of it than we can control it" - Soudal Quick-Step and Tim Merlier hope heat won't affect sprint chances at Tour de France
Cycling
Uusually before the first bunch sprint of the Tour de France, Soudal Quick-Step would be looking to turn up the heat for their sprinter, this time around however, Tim Merlier is hoping to cool down talk of stage wins after a brutal start.
After an uncharacteristically long wait for a mass sprint at the Tour, featuring a team time trial and punchy stages fought out by general classification contenders, extreme heat has taken the sting out of the peloton's tail ahead of the fifth stage.
Merlier is the favourite for stage 5, with Jasper Philipsen, Olav Kooij, Biniam Girmay and others queueing up for their first chance at La Grand Boucle glory. The Belgian took two stage wins last summer, but team sports director Tom Steels was reluctant to talk in detail about his chances due to the heat.
"Yes, that's the first mass sprint, I think. We'll see how much strength the last few days have taken from the riders. But I hope Tim is still okay," Steels told CyclismActu after stage 4.
With temperatures reaching as high as 40 degrees celsius at points in the opening few days, Steels described the how he has never witnessed such a sustained period of heat in the peloton.
Extreme heat hits peloton
He said: "Maybe one or two days out of the three weeks. But the heat like we're having now is really tough. Everyone's suffering. It's a real battle in the team cars to get water bottles and ice, and it's not easy."
When it comes to hydration, riders are going through as many as 30 bottles of water during stages, as well as ice and cooling techniques to survive the stages.
He added: "I don't know how many water bottles the riders took, but 30 bottles per rider isn't excessive. We're more at the mercy of it than we can control it."
Merlier says he got through opening stages in good shape
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"They're exceptional athletes, but it's not easy for them either. If you miss a water bottle and go 30-40 kilometers without one, that's already dangerous. That's really pushing the limits."
For Merlier, he admits he feels good after a tough opening stages. It's not the first time he has had to wait a number of stages before a sprint opportunity, and notes his biggest worry has been staying cool ahead of stage 5.
“Actually, I got through it pretty well," Merlier said. "It was always a choice: either go get drinks on time, or survive the stage. In the Giro three years ago, I also had to wait a long time for a sprint, so it’s nothing new. My biggest concern here is ice, water, and cooling packs.”
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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