Tour de France Shortens Stage Nine Due to Heat

The Tour de France shortened stage nine between Malemort and Ussel by 30 kilometres on 12 July after temperatures approached 40°C. Organizers made the change for the first time in the race's 123-year history. Riders placed ice inside their jerseys during the stage.

The Norwegian-Danish team Uno-X Mobility recorded a second-place finish by Tobias Hallend Johannessen in the shortened stage and held the yellow jersey for two stages earlier in the competition.

Bu has added body-temperature monitoring to the team's lactate-based training protocol. Athletes limit exposure to air conditioning and cold drinks while completing short, low-intensity sessions that gradually increase in duration and intensity. The team also uses heated rooms and painter's suits during training in Norway.

Bu stated that most performance gains occur after seven to 10 days and that plasma volume increases serve as a measurable marker of adaptation.

Bu said athletes who skip heat preparation can see performance drops of 30 to 40 percent. He noted that the team's results at this year's race demonstrate the value of the protocol under race conditions. The methods described remain experimental and are conducted under supervision, according to an editor's note in the original report.