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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Royce Kurmelovs

‘It’s embarrassing’: riders say time is up for fossil fuel sponsorship of heat-affected Tour Down Under

Competitors under a huge inflatable bicycle
Riders line up in the 25th Santos Tour Down Under 2025 in Glenelg, South Australia. Cyclists are calling for fossil fuel sponsorship to be outlawed as they increasingly face extreme heat. Photograph: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

The first time Maeve Plouffe trained in the heat, she was in Paris in the lead-up to the Olympics. It was supposed to be an easy ride to help get used to the conditions. When she returned, she fainted from heat sickness.

“That’s how badly I was affected,” she says. “Racing in extreme heat is like playing chicken with your environment.”

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