Extreme Heat Makes Tour de France Even Harder on Riders' Bodies

Riders in the Tour de France are battling more than just steep hills and long roads this year. Doctors who travel with the race say scorching temperatures — often above 40 degrees Celsius — are making the cyclists far more tired than usual. The heat is draining their bodies of energy and raising the risk of serious health problems. And the hardest part of the race, the mountain stages, hasn't even begun yet.

The Tour de France started in Barcelona about ten days ago. Since then, temperatures have never dropped below 30 degrees Celsius during a stage. Dr. Florence Pommerie, the Tour's chief doctor, said she has seen the toll it is taking on the riders. 'There really is greater tiredness than in the other Tours,' she told reporters.

When the human body gets too hot, it works very hard to cool itself down. Dr. Pommerie explained that the body can use up to 70 percent of its energy just to stay cool. During hard exercise, a rider's body temperature can climb to 39 degrees Celsius — which would normally be called a fever. That leaves very little energy left for actually racing.

Teams have come up with many ways to help their riders stay cool. Cyclists use ice socks, cold water bottles, and special cooling vests before, during, and after each stage. Some teams even give their riders cooling mattresses to sleep on at night. Race crews also spray riders with water so it can evaporate in the wind and help cool their skin.

Riders did practice in hot weather before the race to get their bodies ready. But Mattia Michelusi, the head of performance at the Cofidis cycling team, said that training can only help so much. 'You can do all the heat training that you want, but then when you are in the race and you have to face one week with really warm conditions... it's a really difficult condition for the rider,' he said. A 45-minute training session simply cannot prepare a body for riding five hours a day in extreme heat.

One of the biggest dangers of the heat is heat stroke, which can happen when the body cannot release heat fast enough. Signs of heat stroke include feeling faint, going pale, or actually fainting. Dr. Pommerie noted that heat stroke can happen even when the weather is not extremely hot, especially during intense effort. Teams are watching their riders closely to catch any warning signs early.

Losing too much water is another serious problem for the cyclists. Michelusi said riders lose huge amounts of water each day, and it is 'almost impossible' to replace it all when the heat continues day after day. When the body is busy trying to stay cool, it also has trouble digesting food properly. This means riders cannot get as much energy from what they eat, making recovery after each stage even harder.

The heat also affects how well riders sleep. Dr. Samuel Maraffi, a doctor for the TotalEnergies team, said poor sleep has 'a huge impact on their recovery.' A tired, overheated body is also more likely to get sick, since the immune system — the body's defense against germs — does not fully recover between stages. With several tough weeks still ahead, the riders will need every bit of strength they have left.