The year climate change came for the Tour de France

Tadej Pogačar is on track to win the Tour de France when it concludes this Sunday, but the race has been defined by extreme weather rather than his dominance. Per Grist, the first two weeks brought record heat, averaging ninety degrees Fahrenheit compared to seventy-nine degrees in twenty twenty-two. Riders wore ice vests and socks between stages; one team reported their cyclists drinking twenty-eight bottles of water daily, several times the norm. For the first time in Tour history, organizers shortened one stage due to the heat. Wildfires threatened another stage, prompting officials to ask spectators to stay clear of the last twenty-seven miles. Even Pogačar has suggested the race should move out of July and August to escape the worst conditions. The Tour is sponsored in part by TotalEnergies, a major oil company — underscoring the tension between climate change and the sport it's reshaping.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton