The heat is taking its toll on Tadej Pogacar. © APA/afp / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT

At the hotel: Pogacar struggles with a curious problem

Cycling star Tadej Pogacar recently spent a night in a hotel that is not made for stars.

July 13, 2026

From: dpa

The world champion and four-time Tour de France winner and his team had to make do with accommodation without air conditioning the night before their rest day in the French Massif Central. It's an old hotel without air conditioning, a team spokesperson confirmed when asked. dpa.

However, the problem was solved by bringing their own portable air conditioners and using special mattress toppers for the professional cyclists. Pogacar's team uses mats that, according to the manufacturer's website, can cool or heat the sleeping surface via a water circulation system. The hotels for the teams are selected by the Tour organizer, ASO.

Heat wave in France

A heat wave is sweeping through central France. Temperatures in the Massif Central are reaching nearly 40 degrees Celsius. On Sunday, the ninth stage of the 113th Tour de France, before the first rest day, was shortened for the first time in the tour's history due to the heat.

Tadej Pogacar expressed criticism of the race calendar. © APA/afp / LOIC VENANCE

Pogacar, the current Tour de France leader, has recently spoken frequently about the heat. In the debate surrounding the Tour organizers' handling of the intense conditions, the Slovenian offered an idea. "If I had the power, I would completely revamp the calendar and avoid racing in hot locations in July and August," he said after the ninth stage, as reported by several media outlets. "I would create a completely different calendar, but that's not within my power."