As the temperatures rose into the mid-30s in Barcelona for the stage one team time trial of the 2026 Tour de France, it was imperative for riders to keep their body temperatures down in order the put in the optimum performance.
Body heat management looks set to be a running theme during this edition of the Tour de France, with temperatures set to rise above 40 degrees in the coming days.
Teams utilised a multitude of methods as Jonas Vingegaard led Visma-Lease Bike to victory, but one of the more common has been targeted by the UCI in a clamp-down on teams seeking to gain an extra aerodynamic advantage.
It has become customary to see riders stuff ice socks down the back of their necks during time trials and road stages. A pair of tights is filled with ice cubes and tied together, providing a long period of protection against the heat as the ice melts and soaks into the riders’ clothing.
Several teams were asked to remove their ice socks ahead of rolling down the start ramp in Barcelona on the opening day of the race.
“It changes the morphology of the riders’ shape,” a UCI commissaire told Cyclingnews, moments after Visma-Lease a Bike were instructed to remove their ice socks.
Article 1.3.032 of the UCI’s technical regulations says that ‘clothing and other items or accessories worn by a rider (including but not limited to helmets, glasses, shoes or in-race communication devices) may not modify the morphology of the rider’.
The enforcement of this rule was explained during team equipment meetings ahead of the Tour.
While riders were unable to wear ice socks during the TTT on stage one, the rule does not appear to be in place for the Tour’s road stages, with riders spotted using the cooling device during the second stage between Tarragona and Barcelona.
Pinarello-Q36.5’s Chris Harper squeezes a bidon over his head on stage 2
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Keeping the body cool has become a new frontier of innovation over the last few seasons, with more research being put forward supporting its importance for elite performance.
Ice vests are now used by almost every team before racing and riders are regularly seen pouring a full bottle of water over their heads on multiple occasions throughout a warm stage. The Alpecin-Premier Tech riders were given homemade ice pops as they sat in the waiting area before making their opening team time trial.
Before stage one, Netcompany-Ineos riders were spotted with both forearms in a plastic box of cool water as they prepared to begin their team time trial; on their way to finishing narrowly in second place behind Visma-Lease a Bike.
Speaking to gathered media after the stage, Director of Racing Geraint Thomas confirmed that it was the first time the team had used this method during competition.
“Just a bit of a pre-cooling strategy really to keep the core temperature down,” Thomas explained. “It’s obviously hot with the warm-up and everything, it was just to try to keep cool, before starting.”
“[It was the] first time in a race here, but we did it on the track previously and also they did it at the circuit on Wednesday when they had a training session there,” Thomas added.
Temperatures are expected to soar during this year’s Tour de France, and race organisers are bracing for possible disruptions in keeping with the UCI’s extreme weather protocols, which could see stages modified or cancelled altogether.
There are fears in parts of the south of France that wildfires could break out due to the searing conditions not only expected for the rest of July, but also experienced in the weeks prior to the race.
“It is a major concern for us,” A.S.O route designer Thierry Gouvenou told HLN before the start of the race. “We have had heatwaves before in the past, but the situation is much worse now because the soil is already bone-dry due to the extreme temperatures in May and June.”
The organisers are said to be on standby to adjust the route day-by-day depending on how things unfold.
According to a French Interior Ministry document viewed by Reuters, regional officials will also hold sway over the cancellation of stages in the coming weeks, with temperatures estimated to hit as high as 44 degrees celsius.
The document stated: “In exceptional circumstances, and in consultation with the organiser and all relevant parties, you may decide to cancel a stage if health or operational conditions no longer allow for the simultaneous safeguarding of spectators and staff, and the continued provision of emergency services to the public.”
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