Scorching heat hits the Tour de France. Not a drop of rain since the runners have been in France. The Tour is obliged to water certain sections of the roads to prevent the tar from melting, and the heat is also difficult for all the seasonal workers in charge of safety and entertainment.
From our special correspondent on the roads of the Tour in Saint-Gaudens,
When he comes to town, all the fans want to see him. The lion, mascot of a partner bank of the yellow jersey of the Tour, puts on a show on the finish line. ” Yellow reflects the sun well. “, even if at 40 degrees, Louis Delporte, a young man of 22 wrapped up under the thick mane, it is more complicated: “ I sweat a lot, I lose weight. But I hydrate well, so everything is fine. Several hours in the mascot, I’m not sure I’ll be there to talk to you, but for now, five minutes, ten minutes is more than enough. »
The Tour has never been so hot, says André Bancala, coordinator for the departments of France: ” I have been taking my temperature three times a day for over 20 years. When we apply the statistics and compile all these figures, we realize that the temperature of the air has increased, by between one degree five and one degree seven, and the temperature of the ground by more than four degrees . »
Along the roads, in the landscape, drought is everywhere: “ The Route du Tour takes roads that sometimes run alongside dams and water reservoirs. And we see the traces along the dam, along the shores of the artificial lakes, and we realize that two, three, five, ten meters of water are missing. So, yes, there is a shortage of water, there is a drought which is effective. Let’s hope for a little more freshness first, and then a little more rain. »
Like an incantation here: rain, yes, but not too big a storm that could cause mudslides. Mudslides, a bad memory. In 2019, in the Alps, a stage was interrupted because of them.
► Also to be found: the previous postcards of the Tour de France