Smart beds, cold rice pudding and magic urinals: Adapting to the hottest Tour de France in history

The hottest Tour de France stage on record has forced cycling teams to adopt advanced cooling and hydration solutions, including smart urinals that quantify urine biomarkers in real time. During Stage 4, held in extreme heat of 41°C (105°F), British rider Tom Pidcock described the conditions as a “warzone” after using more than 10,000 water bottles. Inside Spanish team Caja Rural’s air-conditioned bus, a device made by Kamleon provides a hydration score and related metrics such as urine specific gravity, urine colour, estimated total electrolytes, urine volume and frequency. Used by top soccer clubs, the system is reported as the first such tool in the professional peloton. The report links these measures to Tour-wide logistics and climate vulnerability highlighted by reigning champion Tadej Pogačar.