'A lot of water and cooling' - Pogacar details Tour heat battle as stage 9 shortened due to heatwave alert
Tadej Pogacar has emphasised the importance of prioritising hydration and optimising cooling strategies as the Tour de France heads into a shortened stage 9 after organisers cut Sunday’s route by 30km due to a heatwave red alert.
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The Tour de France organisers announced on Saturday evening that stage 9 would be reduced from 185.5km to 155.5km after the Corrèze department was placed on red heatwave alert by Météo-France. The change comes after an opening week in which temperatures have regularly exceeded 35°C.
The yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) admitted that the hot conditions have become a daily battle for those in the peloton, with managing the heat just as important as managing the race itself.
"It's just like every day," Pogačar said after stage 8. "A lot of water and keep cooling the body down, and just passing the time on the bike in this heat."
Asked whether the hot temperatures were taking a physical toll, Pogačar said there was no hiding from the matter.
"I think the heat, yes," he said. "I think anybody who is just outside can tell that the body gets tired in the heat."
Pogačar also highlighted the importance of not falling into the trap of neglecting recovery, nutrition and hydration during Friday and Saturday’s sprint stages, two days on paper which were not set to directly impact the GC battle.
"Even if it's an easier day, we still need to be careful and keep cooling down and take care of nutrition, hydration and everything."
With one stage remaining until the rest day, Pogačar leads the Tour by 2:42 over Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), while his teammate Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) sits third overall at 3:27.
Del Toro shared a similar sentiment to his team leader regarding the current heat.
"I would say like everyone else, struggling a little bit and then just surviving," the Mexican champion said.
Despite the route for stage 9 being shortened and favoured towards a breakaway, it’s still expected to be an attritional stage for all involved, with four classified climbs before the finish, though Del Toro still has some homework to do ahead of the start, stating, “I haven't seen the profile yet.”
"We will see what happens tomorrow for sure," Pogačar said. "It will be a tough day for us and we are ready."
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