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Tour de France fans could be faced with extreme heat, road closures, and cancellations. Credit: Radu Razvan / Shutterstock
Cycling fans lining Cataluña’s roads this weekend may face more than traffic closures and crowds. Tour de France officials, as Spain and France prepare for yet another wave of extreme heat in the coming days, have discussed the possibility of a route change, an earlier start or even the first heat-related cancellation of a stage.
Roadside fans in Cataluña face heat as well as road closures and disruptions
The Tour de France begins In Barcelona on Saturday, 4 July, the first drama may not come from race itself.
The extreme heat in Spain and France is forcing race officials to put rider and spectators’ safety at the forefront of their planning. They are openly discussing the possible impact on the world’s most prestigious cycling event if temperatures rise dangerously.
The opening three stages run through Cataluña. Stage one is a 19.6km team time trial in Barcelona, finishing at Montjuïc. Stage two will run from Tarragona, Spain to Barcelona Sunday, July 5. While stage three departs Granollers Monday, July 6 and travels into the Pyrenees toward Les Angles.
The concern of cycling fans on the roadside is not whether or not the peloton continues. The concern for cycling fans on the roadside is not only whether or not the peloton can continue.
The extreme heat may change the Tour de France route
War, strikes, civil unrest and bad weather have all disrupted the Tour in the past. According to Guardian’s reporting from Barcelona a stage of the Tour has been cancelled. never previously been cancelled Extreme heat is a major cause of this.
Thierry GOUVENOU, the Tour’s technical director, said to the newspaper that the risk is “very much” in the minds of organisers. Temperatures as high as 44C are forecast in some parts of Spain, France, in the coming weeks.
The Union Cycliste Internationale, the world’s governing body of cycling, has now created a High Temperature Protocol. The protocol enables emergency discussions to be held when high temperatures are a threat. This can lead, for example, to shaded areas at the start of races, cold drinks, ice, additional motorbikes refuelling, altered start times, neutralised portions or route changes.
UCI states that final decisions are based on the local conditions as well as the participants in the emergency meeting. There is therefore no automatic point for cancellation based solely on a temperature reading.
The Sunday Tarragona-Barcelona stage falls within the heatwave period
Sunday’s stage 2 is the one that has the most interest. It is 168.5km long, from Tarragona in Spain to Barcelona. The official Tour schedule lists a neutralised starting time at 1.45pm.
The heat is the most difficult to handle during these hours, especially in urban areas, where the tarmac and the buildings reflect and hold the heat.
Heat stress can have a negative impact on the performance of riders. It can affect everything from their concentration to their ability to cool themselves. The risk is greatest for spectators who are older, children, those with respiratory or heart conditions, and those waiting in the sun.
Barcelona’s official Grand Départ mobility advice The organisers have already asked spectators to use public transport, check traffic updates prior to travelling, stay in designated zones, bring water, dress light, protect themselves from sun and wear light clothing. Spain’s emergency phone number is 112.
Spain’s heat map can change by street
Weather warnings in Spain are different from health warnings. The Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET), Spain’s state weather agency, issues meteorological alerts for adverse weather. Meteosalud is a system of heat-health run by the Ministry of Health. It divides Spain up into 182 zones of health risk.
Meteosalud does not only look at the temperature, but also how it affects health. The ministry’s map It is useful for both residents and tourists to check a particular town before traveling.
On Friday, July 3, El País, using Ministry of Health and AEMET data, reported hundreds of Spanish municipalities under heat-related health risk alerts, with the highest concern concentrated in parts of inland and southern Spain. AEMET also warned of a possible rise in temperatures across the country starting at the weekend. Parts of the south-east could reach 42C to 45C early next year.
That does not mean every Tour viewing point in Cataluña will face the same level of danger. There are many different types of terrain, including coastal areas, valleys inland, city streets, and mountainous sections. It is important for spectators to be aware of local forecasts and warnings, rather than relying solely on national forecasts.
Heat, roads and emergency services now affect race plans
No Tour de France stage is currently cancelled due to the heat. Race officials, UCI, local authorities and emergency services as well as medical teams, along with the latest conditions of the route, will determine any changes.
It is more likely that small adjustments will be made than a complete cancellation. For example, extra cooling measures, alterations to the rules for food breaks, altered start arrangements, or shorter sections. The mere fact that the topic of cancellation has been raised shows just how rapidly the extreme heat in Europe is impacting European sporting events.
The event is a must-see for anyone planning to watch the Tour de France in Spain should be treated like a heat-risk day As well as any sporting event: Check the route, check for municipal heat alerts. Avoid long waits under full sun. Carry water. Choose shady or accessible viewing areas when possible. Follow instructions from Civil Protection, police and volunteers.
