Europe, it would seem, is rather hot right now.
Out on the roads of Barcelona on Stage 2, the sun-drenched streets saw temperatures hit close to 40º C (104º F) and the heat dome looks set to stay for the next few days, with tomorrow's Stage 4 from Carcassonne set to experience temperatures of up to 42º C.
At these temperatures, cooling – as we saw in the team time trial – becomes a crucial component of performance. While the UCI has decided that during the hottest Grand Départ in recent memory is the perfect time to clamp down on the use of ice socks by riders, how athletes keep their core body temperature from spiralling is even more of a challenge.
For a team as data-driven as Visma-Lease a Bike, when it comes to thermal performance, the team's thousands of fans may have scored an own goal before the race had begun.
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