Overview
- On Thursday, July 16, team principal Ralph Denk publicly proposed moving the Tour de France from July to August, shifting the Vuelta a España to April, and introducing a midseason team break.
- Tour leader Tadej Pogačar earlier called for a radical calendar rethink to avoid racing in very hot regions in July and August, and Denk said he welcomes those ideas and would join formal discussions.
- Denk rejected earlier stage starts as a solution and instead suggested later start times so some finishes fall near 21:00 to lower riders' heat exposure and keep prime-time TV audiences.
- No race organiser or governing body has committed to changes and any calendar shuffle would need negotiation with organisers, broadcasters, national calendars and sponsors because it would affect logistics and contracts.
- The proposals build on a growing safety concern after hot summers, reference a past era when the Vuelta ran in spring, and would change riders' schedules, recovery windows and team planning if adopted.