Heat, hydration, tyres and clothing. What you need to know before rolling out.

Portuguese summer is generous but unforgiving. 40°C in a black jacket at 3pm turns any tour into an ordeal. These are the golden rules we apply on every tour from June to September.

Hydration. One litre of water for every 100 km. A Camelbak under the jacket does the job. Avoid alcohol at lunch, even light wine — it impacts focus on the hot afternoon curves.

Gear. Jacket and trousers with real ventilation (mesh) plus a separate waterproof. Light colours. Ventilated boots. Perforated summer gloves.

Hours. Start early (7am in summer), long break from 1pm to 4pm, resume until sunset. The central hours are for lunch, siesta and pool, not for asphalt.

Tyres. Check pressure in the morning, with the tyre cold. Asphalt at 55°C raises pressure by 0.3 bar and changes handling.

Extra attention in fire and smoke zones. And watch out for diesel spilled on curves in rural areas — heat and harvest make it appear where you least expect.