The opening week of the Tour de France has been dominated by Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG team, but it’s also been marked and affected by Europe’s record-breaking and prolonged heatwave.

After winning a moderate uphill finish in Les Angles on stage three, further east along the Pyrenees chain on Thursday, Pogačar attacked 5.5km from the summit of the iconic Col du Tourmalet, descended down the other side, and then time trialled to an epic 43km solo victory in Gavarnie-Gèdre. His winning margin to his rival Jonas Vingegaard was 2:38.

Though more than half of the race is still to run, Pogačar’s advantage already looks close to insurmountable, as the defending champion seeks to win a record-equalling fifth yellow jersey.

One of the few factors that could prevent his coronation is the weather, with Pogačar admitting that “it’s a logistical nightmare when it’s hot.”

Temperatures across France have approached and in some cases exceeded 40°C in four of the stages so far, causing a notable reduction in the number of roadside fans in some host towns. On stage three, the public were even told to stay away (not everyone adhered to the plea) as a wildfire raged nearby.

Race officials haven’t ruled out the possibility of stage cancellations or alterations. “We are ready to adapt anywhere, anytime,” race director Christian Prudhomme said.

This article was published in The Observer in July 2026. To read the full article click here.