The race director of the Tour de France rebuffed Tadej Pogaars suggestion that the race ought to be moved from its July slot due to rising temperatures, insisting that the Tour will never not take place in peak summer.Record-breaking temperatures and heatwaves have gripped Europe throughout June and July, making conditions at the Tour extremely difficult for the peloton, roadside fans and everyone else covering the race.Speaking after stage nine, held under 38C sun, the races leader and defending champion Pogaar proposed a radical shift to combat climate change.If I had the power I would change all the calendar and not race in July and August in hot places. Id do a completely different calendar, but its not something I can do, he said.But when speaking with Cycling Weekly just a few days later, the Tours director Christian Prudhomme said that Pogaars idea was a non-starter.For me, its not possible not while Im in charge, Prudhomme said. Not because I dont want to, but because the Tour de France is July. Its France in July. When France gave people paid leave in 1936, that was the start of the popularity of the Tour de France. People came out to the race on their bikes on holiday. Thats the Tour de France. Its so much more than the biggest bike race in the world. It might be more difficult to understand if youre not French, but its so much more than that. There are so many people here they dont even know what the riders names are, but they love the Tour. The Tour de France works even if there isnt a French rider up the road That social aspect is paramount. Its what allows us to get the authorisations [from local governments to stage the race].Pogaar also said that he would be in favour of earlier start times. Currently, riders tend to depart between 12:30 and 14:00. Maybe the next step is to start the stages earlier. Yesterday there was a proposal to start at 10, but it doesnt change anything because then you finish in the heat, the Slovenian said.You need to start at eight or nine, or even before. Its a little bit shit, but I think the body can adapt to waking up at five oclock in the morning and doing a stage at eight.Pogaar would like to see major changes to cycling's calendar (Image credit: Getty Images)But Prudhomme also pushed back on that idea, mostly for practical reasons, although the supposed negative impact on television figures and therefore revenues is thought to be the main reason why ASO, the race organisers, would be against early morning starts.The women, who were starting at 9am or 10am, asked us a few years ago to start later. And we accepted the request because we saw it to be legitimate, Prudhomme said.Pogaar himself said at the Tour de Romandie that the development of womens cycling was brilliant, but womens races start too early.For stage starts, riders get up three hours before, if theyre staying locally. Thats only when were in a big city with lots of hotels. But to finish in big cities, its more and more difficult because you have to close down more roads. Im saying this to make clear that things cant change with a click of the fingers. Theres a lot that goes with it.Prudhomme was not dismissive of the impact of climate change, saying that were sure of the phenomenon and we know its drawing nearer. At some point, it will be inescapable. But is that in two years? 10 years? We dont know.It is clear that though the Tour is conscious of the issue, it is not yet prepared to drastically overhaul its product. Prudhomme did, however, point out some measures the Tour has taken in recent years.There are things that weve been doing for a while on the length of stages," he said. "Stages are getting shorter; 10 years ago, you had eight or nine stages longer than 190km. This year there are two: theres one over 200km and one over 190km. Next year there will be longer ones, but thats because were starting in the UK. If its 42C in Edinburgh then were in trouble. He continued: When we were planning stages in the mountains, we used to want something in the open, with no trees or anything, mostly for the television pictures, but also so that spectators could come, set themselves up for the day, and watch the Tour come through four or five hairpins. Today, its the opposite. The Col du Haag, near the Grand Ballon in the Vosges, is very forested. We sought it out because its steep, but also because its forested, and thats good for the riders. The most important thing, though, is the safety of the fans.