Prudhomme rules out moving Tour from July - for now
While the oppressive heat that hit the first 11 days of the Tour de France is now abating, the conversation around it is not. In the first week of the race, riders were vocal about the conditions, and after the heat-shortened ninth stage, race leader Tadej Pogačar went so far as to say perhaps the WorldTour calendar should be revamped. “If I had the power I would change all the calendar and not race in July and August in hot places,” Pogačar said.
Joe Lindsey
Director Christian Prudhomme responded on France 2's Velo Club program after stage 12 and, surprisingly, did not entirely rule out the idea. Prudhomme initially said he was "categorical" about not changing the Tour's place in the calendar, but added that climate change might eventually force Tour organizer ASO's hand. "Perhaps one day [the Tour will move], but it is not on the agenda," he said.
Prudhomme also addressed calls for earlier starts, saying the logistics were complicated. Morning starts would mean teams need to stay overnight close to the race start, which isn't always possible in less-populated areas like the recent trip across the Massif Central. That would push the Tour to rely more on large cities, and as Prudhomme said, "The Tour is made up of large cities, medium-sized towns and smaller villages. That is the very essence of the Tour." Television is also a factor, with early-evening finishes important to ratings.
