By: Bryan Zou
A huge heatwave has hit Europe affecting many activities. Tour de France has had many issues with the heat which forced the organizers to change the course of the race as well as requiring thousands of gallons of water to cool down melting roads.
Tour de France is an annual bicycle race that occasionally passes through nearby countries. The race has multiple stages, each in a different section of the country. It was first organized in 1903, made to increase sales for the newspaper L’Auto. From there, it spread globally, and gradually gained more foreign riders over time. Currently, it’s run by the Amaury Sport Organization. In 1903, there were only 5 stages, but stages were gradually added over time. The Tour wasn’t held during the World Wars, but it hasn’t missed a single year otherwise.
The race is split into 20 to 22 teams of riders, with 8 riders assigned to each team. Each team rides together, with riders being able to compete for classifications. Classifications are essentially awards, with different categories, such as mountain classification, point classification, young rider classification, and the most prestigious general classification. It’s awarded to the rider with the fastest completion across all stages.
Unfortunately, 2022 has been plagued by many heat waves across the globe, and the one in Europe has had an impact on the race. Many roads throughout the race have reached temperatures of 60-degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit degrees), and one entire section was moved. These roads had to have about 20,000 gallons of water poured on each to cool them down. About 40 riders have dropped out due to the heat. Riders have still had to adapt though. Superstar Tom Pidcock cooled down by jumping into a fountain, and Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard and his Jumbo Visma team wore cooling vests. The Deputy Director of the Tour, Pierre-Yves Thouault says, “with a patrol truck that passes right in front of the caravan, we have identified zones that, end to end, would be between 150 and 200 meters of what we call bleeding zones. That is where, because of the heat, the tar melts and makes slippery runs on the road. (translated)”
Cars and other vehicles have also been affected by the heat. Cars have caught on fire and broken down. Wildfires have occurred throughout Europe, totaling about 42,000 acres. Temperatures have reached degrees of 31-38 degrees Celsius (87.8 – 104 degrees Fahrenheit) in France. The Met Office (UK’s national weather service) issued its first red heat warning, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France#Classifications
https://jalopnik.com/tour-de-france-pours-water-on-roads-to-keep-pavement-fr-1849190317