{"id":2040625,"date":"2026-07-12T08:46:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T05:46:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2040625"},"modified":"2026-07-12T08:46:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T05:46:41","slug":"heat-training-is-a-non-negotiable-for-the-tour-de-france-and-its-about-a-lot-more-than-climate-acclimation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2040625","title":{"rendered":"Heat Training Is a Non Negotiable for the Tour de France\u2014And It\u2019s About a Lot More Than Climate Acclimation"},"content":{"rendered":"
Heat training has become the latest non-negotiable of the Tour de France training plan.<\/p>\n
Whether training in the basement wearing a hazmat suit or steaming out in a sauna, the importance of tuning the body for extreme heat can no longer be ignored.<\/p>\n
As this Tour de France is proving, pro cycling is cooking \u2013 and it\u2019s not going to cool down.<\/p>\n
But climate acclimation is only the tip of heat training\u2019s physiological powers.<\/p>\n
This so-called \u201cpoor man\u2019s altitude\u201d packs a blood-boosting punch similar to the benefits of living like a monk on top of a volcano.<\/p>\n
\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The world is cooking, and pro cycling has to keep up<\/h2>\nTim Merlier collapsed into a sweaty pile after he won the 8th stage of the Tour, which averaged 37 \u00b0C.<\/span> (Photo: TOMAS SISK via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Eagle-eyed doomscrollers will have noticed a growing deluge of content showing athletes suffering in saunas or training indoors wearing painter\u2019s overalls.<\/p>\n
Heat training is one of the hottest, most powerful trends of the post-pandemic peloton.<\/p>\n
In fact, it\u2019s widely considered\u00a0one of the driving forces behind the high-speed evolution of the sport \u2013 alongside high-carb fueling, torque workouts, and the brutal modern take on zone 2 training.<\/p>\n
And this year\u2019s Tour de France is showing just how important it is to brave these awful overheated workouts.<\/p>\n
The mercury barely moved from the mid-30s in the first week of the race. Temperatures averaged 37\u00b0C on stage 4 into Foix and stage 8 into Bergerac, making them the two hottest days of the Tour de France in 20 years.<\/p>\n
Temperatures have gotten so extreme that officials even pressed the emergency red button to cut 30km from stage 9 due to exceptional heat.<\/p>\n
Maintaining performance in a Tour de France heatwave<\/h2>\nThe blood-boosting power of heat training has moved it from being a niche protocol to a necessity.<\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Topical cooling with \u201cice socks\u201d or freezing the guts with slushies is no longer enough in this rapidly warming world.<\/p>\n
\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The world\u2019s biggest teams now proactively prepare for extreme heat rather than react to it when it comes.<\/p>\n
Specific heat training preserves performance at extreme temperatures by increasing sweat rate and blood plasma volume and lowering heart rate.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeat training is definitely a much bigger part of our preparation now,\u201d Decathlon CMA-CGM head of performance Stephen Barrett told Velo<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing it has a positive impact on riders\u2019 abilities in the heat,\u201d he said. \u201cIn terms of tolerating the temperatures at this Tour, we\u2019ve definitely had fewer issues than in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Barrett suggests, this freak European heatwave isn\u2019t slowing the peloton down.<\/p>\n
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe head of performance John Wakefield likewise told Velo<\/em> he sees a correlation between heat training and sustained performance in what\u2019s been the hottest Tour in recent memory.<\/p>\n
The numbers reinforce their suspicions.<\/p>\n
\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Mads Pedersen and Tim Merlier rattled to victories in the 37\u00b0C cookers of Foix and Bergerac at an average of 44kph and 46kph, respectively. Tadej Poga\u010dar blasted up the sun-baked Col du Tourmalet on stage 6 in a new record time.<\/p>\n
Taking heat training beyond temperature acclimation<\/h2>\nEF Education-EasyPost toil through a heat training session at their winter camp.<\/span> (Photo: Courtesy Keir Plaice \/ EF Pro Cycling)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Heat training is a hot topic in modern endurance. But it\u2019s certainly not \u201cnew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Athletes have been steaming up in their winter jackets to prepare for mid-summer racing for decades.<\/p>\n
What has changed is that recent research demonstrating heat training\u2019s impact on blood markers has pushed this \u201caccessory\u201d workout further forward in the training mix.<\/p>\n
Studies through the turn of this decade showed heat training triggers a powerful physiological cascade that improves performance at all temperatures.<\/p>\n
Blood plasma volume increases when the body is put under repeated heat stress. This dilutes red blood cell concentration and triggers a release of natural EPO (yes, that<\/em> EPO). This stimulates the production of performance-boosting red blood cells. Et voila<\/em>, hemoglobin mass increases, VO2 Max improves, and exercise efficiency increases.<\/p>\n
In a sport where athletes do almost anything for the most marginal gains, those are things worth sweating for.<\/p>\n
\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Boiler suits and sweat-rotten winter outfits are now stored alongside nose strips and blood flow restriction cuffs in \u201cthe weird drawer\u201d of a Tour de France rider\u2019s training wardrobe.<\/p>\n
Active vs. passive heat training<\/h2>\nHazmat-style heat suits are becoming a popular way to get maximum heat stimulus while saving the winter wardrobe.<\/span>\u00a0(Photo: Courtesy Core)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Heat training has moved from being a niche component to a crucial non-negotiable in the WorldTour training program.<\/p>\n
But all teams approach it differently.<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar recently spoke of his team\u2019s increased focus on actively training in the warmest sun of his recent altitude camps.<\/p>\n
Others use gruesome indoor sessions that have riders wearing hazmat suits or a full winter wardrobe in low-intensity boil-on-a-bike workouts.<\/p>\n
Many use a hybrid of the two.<\/p>\n
All of these strategies are typically supplemented with \u201cpassive\u201d sessions where riders sizzle in a sauna or bubble in an extra-hot bath.<\/p>\n
And of course being the data-obssessed WorldTour, heat training is tracked, monitored, and measured.<\/p>\n
\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Many teams use CORE temperature sensors to ensure riders heat up enough to trigger a heat stimulus without the risks associated with overheating. The brand claims UAE Emirates-XRG, Lidl-Trek, and Soudal Quick-Step as part of its blockbuster roster of leading WorldTour teams.<\/p>\n
Others are skeptical of the CORE tracker\u2019s accuracy and stick to old-school internal temperature pills or even RPE.<\/p>\n
A recurring theme in the Tour de France training program<\/h2>\nPoga\u010dar has been seen wearing a CORE temperature sensor during racing. He\u2019s also known to have recently increased his heat training regimen.<\/span> (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Heat training for temperature acclimation is most effective performed in concise blocks. Around 10-14 sessions across 2-3 weeks is thought to be best.<\/p>\n
Velo<\/em>\u2018s\u00a0training guru Zach Nehr detailed a full heat training guide, here.<\/p>\n
Tour de France teams typically introduce these acclimation sessions before early-season desert racing and again ahead of summer.<\/p>\n
Targeting heat training around altitude camps adds the bonus of bigger, redder blood to the thermoregulation benefits.<\/p>\n
Heat training before altitude \u201cprepares\u201d riders for thin air and boosts the efficiency of costly camps to Teide or Sierra Nevada. Active heat training after a trip to altitude prolongs the hard-earned hypoxic benefits.<\/p>\n
No hiding from heat training<\/h2>\n
For now, there\u2019s no clear consensus on how to best turn up the dial on heat training, whether for improved thermoregulation or a hemoglobin boost.<\/p>\n
\n
ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Boiler suits, indoor trainers, and temperature sensors? Or burning up on the tarmac of Sierra Nevada?<\/p>\n
Ongoing research will likely answer many of the questions that still circle around heat training.<\/p>\n
For example, EF Education-EasyPost and CORE recently released a study suggesting that riding outdoors in the heat won\u2019t produce meaningful adaptations unless workout intensity is sufficiently high.<\/p>\n
What is certain is that some type of heat training is a non-negotiable. The longevity of the peloton\u2019s collective handlebar tape has never been shorter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CORE_Q365.jpg”] Jim Cotton Updated July 12, 2026 09:48AM Heat training has become the latest non-negotiable of the Tour de France training plan. Whether training in the basement wearing a hazmat suit or steaming out in a sauna, the importance of tuning the body for extreme heat can no longer be ignored. As this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-2040625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2040625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040625\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2040625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2040625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2040625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Tim](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285044440.jpg?width=2048&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
![](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Q4A4055-1200x694.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
![](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/filters-quality75-10-1200x726.jpeg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CORE-Heat-Suit_Cofidis-1200x799.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
![\"Tour](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Z8B_3955-2-1-1200x722.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")