Back when , I prepared myself to answer the same question whenever I encountered a fellow American bike nerd.

What’s your favorite bike race?

Most people assumed that I’d say the Tour de France. But my answer was always the same: the .

That’s right, Belgium’s Tour of Flanders, which will commence this Sunday, April 6, is cycling’s best race. It’s my favorite race to watch on TV and to attend in person.

Unlike the three-week Tour de France, the Tour of Flanders is just one day. It is one of the sport’s five so-called Monument races, which is a title reserved for road cycling’s oldest and hardest one-day events. These events鈥擬ilano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Il Lombardia鈥攁ll boast courses that are 150 miles or longer.

The racing at the Tour of Flanders is breakneck and aggressive for 167 miles. The route is laden with razor-sharp cobblestones and steep, punishing climbs. And almost every year, the race produces drama all the way to the finish line. Once the Tour of Flanders starts, you don’t want to look away from the livestream.

As awesome as the Tour of Flanders is to watch on TV, it’s even cooler to check out in person. And anyone who loves traveling to bike races should put the Tour of Flanders atop your bucket list. Here’s why:

In Flanders, Belgium’s northern Flemish-speaking region, the race is equal parts patriotic celebration, day-long party, and professional sporting event. It’s like combining the Super Bowl with a Fourth of July parade, and adding gallons of heavy Trappist ale. Millions of Flemish people leave their homes to stand alongside the roads and party. People wave the yellow Lion of Flanders flag and generally goes bananas whenever the cyclists ride by. The whole scene absolutely slaps.

My affection for the Tour of Flanders starts with the racecourse. The route zigzags its way across the Flemish countryside before completing two laps on a hilly circuit outside the town of Oudenaarde. The circuitous route is way more spectator-friendly than the Tour de France course. While fans at the Tour de France wait by the roadside for hours to see the peloton buzz by in a flash, at Flanders, you can see the riders speed by multiple times on race day.

There’s a men’s and a women’s pro races both tackle the same approximate route on the same day. Fans who attend get to see cyclists whizz by all day long.

I also love the race’s topography. Make no mistake: there are no soaring Alpine or Pyrenean ascents in Flanders. Instead, the pastoral countryside is dotted with short but punchy hills. The roads up these mounds are steep, no wider than a sidewalk, and are made of cobblestones. Riding a stiff carbon听bicycle over a European cobblestone street is extremely painful and jarring.

When the pro peloton hits these narrow and uncomfortably bumpy lanes, chaos ensues, and cyclists jostle for position while generating eye-popping amounts of power. When it rains, the cobblestones become extremely slippery, and riders must sometimes dismount and walk.

Il existe un Koppenberg 脿 Zurich ?

鈥� ntoine VAYER (@festinaboy)

I cannot stress how important these tiny hillsides are to the Flemish, who revere them much like Americans love Mount Rainier or Denali. Seemingly innocuous hillsides like the Koppenberg, Paterberg, or Oude Kwaremont are steeped in the race’s 112-year history, and have been the site of legendary battles for generations.

The third reason I love the Tour of Flanders is the way these climbs fuel the action.听The race’s ebb-and-flow is must-watch TV for any fan of bike racing. Since it’s a one-day race, and not a stage race like the Tour de France, the cyclists are racing for that day’s victory only. Each hill breaks the peloton into smaller groups, but the gaps between these groups are small, which creates a constant cat-and-mouse dynamic as the action unfolds.

The very best racers wait until the final 40 miles or so to attack, and drama always ensues when the top riders square off on the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg. Oftentimes, the crux of the race occurs when one cyclist can generate just a few more watts than his or her foe on one of these short climbs. He or she who wins Flanders is equal parts brains and brawn.

脡 amanh茫! Tour de Flandres!

鈥� BikeBlz (@BikeBlz)

And the cyclists who excel at the Tour of Flanders are鈥攂y and large鈥攂uilt differently from those who win the Tour. Grand Tours cater to spindly, ultralight cyclists who can ascend 3,000-foot mountain passes for days on end. At Flanders, the peloton’s big and brawny racers like Flemish hero Wout van Aert or Dutch racer Mathieu van der Poel get to shine.

But here’s perhaps the best reason to check out Flanders in person: you get to ride your own bike on the course. On the day before the professional race, organizers stage a mass-participant cyclosportive called We Ride Flanders on the same route. You can choose your own distance ride. Organizers position feed zones along the route where you can chow down on waffles and local chocolate.

Every year, approximately 16,000 cyclists head onto the narrow lanes crisscrossing Flanders and race each other up the Koppenberg, Paterberg, and other climbs. I’ve done We Ride Flanders on four separate occasions times, I can attest that it is chaotic and bonkers and unquestionably fun. You get to experience just how steep and painful the climbs are, which gives you an added appreciation when you see the peloton rumble up them a day later. You don’t get to do that at the Tour de France.

Plus, when you’re done with the amateur event, you can check out the in downtown Oudenaarde. You can also drink plenty of local beer and eat chocolate and cheese until you pass out.

I always tell cyclists to make the Tour of Flanders the focal point of a week-long or ten-day trip to Belgium. The weekend prior to Flanders is another major cobblestone race, called Gent-Wevelgem, which has its own amateur event. There’s a smaller race on the Wednesday between the two events, called Dwars Door Vlaanderen, which is always a compelling event to watch as well. And if you have oodles of vacation time to burn, you can then stick around another week and view in nearby France.

I obviously understand the appeal of the experiencing the Tour de France, with its soaring Alps, picturesque towns, and summer sunshine. But take my word for it: the Tour of Flanders is better.

The post The Tour of Flanders Is Better than the Tour de France. Here鈥檚 Why. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Heroes of the Tour de France have a few things in common. Most are white men, and they tend to hail from European nations with strong cycling cultures and robust infrastructure for developing professional racers. Over the event鈥檚 121-year history, riders from France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy have dominated.

Perhaps that鈥檚 why fans of the sport were so enthralled by one rider at the 2024 Tour: Biniam Girmay. The 24-year-old comes from Eritrea, a mountainous country on Africa鈥檚 Red Sea coast and one of the poorest nations in the world.

At this year鈥檚 race, Girmay won three stages and claimed the green jersey, awarded to the best sprinter. These accomplishments etched Girmay into the Tour鈥檚 history books. He became the first Black cyclist to win a stage and to claim one of the event鈥檚 four jerseys.

Girmay told 国产吃瓜黑料 that he wants his victories to lead more Black racers to the Tour. 鈥淚 hope more professional teams will give opportunities to African riders,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he talent is there, but more investment needs to be done.鈥�

Girmay鈥檚 accolades were oft repeated during the Tour鈥檚 broadcast, highlighting pro cycling鈥檚 notorious lack of diversity. Other Black cyclists have competed in the race, but their contributions were always in supporting roles. In 2015 another Eritrean rider, Daniel Teklehaimanot, wore the polka dot jersey鈥攇iven to the top climber鈥攆or several stages before relinquishing the lead in that competition. Colombian rider Egan Bernal became the first South American rider to win the race overall in 2019.

Professional cyclists of color have also faced blatant racism. In 2017, Frenchman Kevin Reza, who rode the Tour three times, was called a racial slur by Italian cyclist Gianni Moscon during the Tour de Romandie, a weeklong event in Switzerland.

Girmay鈥檚 path to the Tour wasn鈥檛 easy. Cycling is popular in Eritrea鈥攁 by-product of its colonization by Italy in the late 19th century. But because of the country鈥檚 largely agrarian economy and paltry racing infrastructure, even the best Eritrean riders rarely reach the big European leagues. Girmay grew up in the capital, Asmara, the son of a carpenter. His father loved cycling and began showing the Tour broadcast to Girmay when he was 11. Girmay began racing mountain bikes at 12, before switching to road racing.

He showed immediate talent, quickly rising to the top of the country鈥檚 road-cycling leagues. At 18, he was selected to train and race in the Union Cycliste Internationale鈥檚 World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland, as part of a program that offers coaching and racing opportunities to up-and-coming riders from under-resourced nations.

The jump to Europe wasn鈥檛 easy. 鈥淭he solitude was hard,鈥� he told 国产吃瓜黑料. The new climate was also challenging. 鈥淚 still struggle to perform optimally in the rain,鈥� he added.

Girmay learned quickly and advanced rapidly. In 2021, three seasons after moving to Europe, he finished second in the under-23 world championships. The following year, he won the historic Gent-Wevelgem in Belgium. He also won a stage of the Giro d鈥橧talia, becoming the first Black cyclist to do so at one of cycling鈥檚 Grand Tours. The 2024 Tour de France, with its history and significance, presented the next barrier. And Girmay broke through.

The post How Biniam Girmay Made History at the 2024 Tour de France appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Close your eyes and picture the following scene:

The starting gun sounds at the New York City Marathon and elite runners sprint over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and into Brooklyn. Suddenly, and a small group of pre-race favorites stop at a bodega鈥攖hey sip coffees and munch bacon, egg, and cheeses听while the mid-pack guys gallop out of sight. One minute goes by, then three, then five.

Finally, Kipchoge and his pals pay their bill, jog onto the course, and begin chasing after the leaders, leaving bewildered fans to wonder if they can close the gap before Central Park, or if they’ve been undone by Napoleon-level hubris.

Sounds pretty improbable, right? Well, that scenario is currently playing out at cycling’s three-week , and hardcore cycling fans鈥攊ncluding yours truly鈥攁re transfixed by this race across Spain between a proverbial tortoise and hare.

After 11 of 21 stages, Slovenian racer Primoz Roglic, a three-time Vuelta champion, and the other pre-race favorites trail an Australian cyclist named Ben O’Connor, who is no slouch, but also isn’t a top-tier star. Roglic and his rivals essentially took a siesta on the race’s sixth stage and allowed O’Connor to get a massive head start in the battle for the red jersey鈥攖he getup worn by the race’s overall leader.

And now, they must chip away at O’Connor’s advantage, one stage at a time.

The Tour鈥檚 Drunk Uncle

Fans of the Tour de France are accustomed to the predictable ebb-and-flow that occurs during each stage. Shortly after the racers start, six or seven lesser-known riders accelerate up the road to form the day’s breakaway, while the stars of the sport stay in the peloton. For the next few hours, the race’s worker bees, or domestiques, ride a steady tempo at the front of the peloton to keep the breakaway’s advantage to no more than three minutes.

Then, as the race approaches the finish, or a major climb, the peloton accelerates and reels the group back in, setting up star riders to battle for victory. Bing, bang, boom. This controlled style of racing is especially evident during the Tour’s first half鈥攖he overall winner is crowned on cumulative time, so star riders tend to keep an eye on each other and wait for the mountains that come in weeks two and three.

The Vuelta a Espa帽a is like the Tour’s drunk uncle鈥攗npredictable and impossible to control. Some days the breakaway will swell to 20 or 30 riders. Oftentimes the peloton will simply give up and allow the front group to contest the victory. And every so often, a guy with a legitimate shot of winning the overall will slip into the breakaway and get a huge advantage on his rivals.

During last year’s Vuelta, American racer Sepp Kuss gained a huge advantage over the pre-race favorites by joining a big breakaway on stage 6. Kuss then defended his advantage from his own teammates and eventually won the overall by just 8 seconds.

Situations like this one are why hardcore cycling fans often prefer the race around Spain to the Tour de France. It’s harder to predict, and almost every year something completely out of left field occurs, like a , or a poorly-organized finish line, or a .

Why is the Vuelta so kooky? The stakes are lower in Spain than in France, so the desire to control every inch of the course is less intense. Some riders are exhausted from the long season, while others are fresh. And temperatures regularly soar into triple digits, which saps people’s legs, lungs, and willpower.

History Repeats Itself

Kuss’ winning strategy was front-of-mind during stage 6 of this year’s Vuelta. Roglic began the day in the red jersey and appeared to be the strongest guy in the race. But then he got careless or tired.

After a frenetic early half of the stage, a breakaway formed with 34 riders in it, among them O’Connor. Behind, Roglic’s Red Bull-Bora team refused to set the pace for the peloton, and the main group dropped way behind. At times, Roglic and other riders in the main pack looked like they were sightseeing. The breakaway, meanwhile, opened a seven-minute gap over the field.

When the peloton finally snapped out of its slumber and mounted a chase, it was too late. O’Connor accelerated out of the breakaway and won the stage, and the peloton limped across the finish line six minutes later. In the new overall standings, called the general classification, O’Connor led Roglic by 4:51鈥攁 massive head start.

鈥淜APOW BEN O鈥機ONNOR BRINGS IT IN!鈥�

Ben O鈥機onnor shocks the peloton and rides his way into the leaders jersey at La Vuelta. He now has a win in all three grand tours what a ride!

鈥� Eurosport (@eurosport)

Underestimating Ben O鈥機onnor

Why did the peloton give Ben O’Connor so much time? He’s no slowpoke: O’Connor finished fourth overall at both the 2021 Tour de France and 2024 Giro d’Italia.

My sneaking suspicion is that Roglic and the Vuelta stars held a viewing party for season two of Netflix鈥檚 cycling docuseries Unchained: Tour de France, which aired back in June. One of the season’s eight episodes focuses almost entirely on O’Connor and his rollercoaster-like emotions. Clips show O’Connor erupting with f-bombs, slamming car doors, and generally acting like a frustrated toddler when things go wrong at the Tour. Interviews with O’Connor’s coaches present the conundrum that his French team, called Decathlon AG2R, must manage: O’Connor has the talent but not the temperament to win.

“Ben is an aggressive rider with a strong character, who sometimes struggles to control his emotions,” team manager Julien Jardine says in the episode.

“We are working with Ben so he can control his emotions when things go wrong,” Jardine adds.

An explosive temper may seem trivial, but controlling one’s emotions is a huge part of winning a grand tour. Every rider faces at least one setback during a three-week race鈥攁 crash, flat tire, or mental lapse鈥攂ut the sport’s very best know how to stay cool amid calamities and limit their losses to just a few seconds here and there. Whether or not O’Connor can keep his calm during the final half of the Vuelta only adds to the intrigue.

The Margin Narrows

After 11 stages, Roglic and the other top riders have already taken a big bite out of O’Connor’s advantage. On stage 8, Roglic dropped O’Connor and took back 56 seconds; on stage 11 he grabbed another 37. O’Connor’s gap has tumbled from 4:51 to 3:16, and there are ten hard stages left to go. Every one represents an opportunity for Roglic to attack and bring himself closer to the red jersey.

… and Roglic and Mas are off!

隆Y se marchan y !

鈥� La Vuelta (@lavuelta)

This is one of the reasons why hardcore cycling fans like myself often prefer the Vuelta to the Tour. During the Tour, organizers chart out flat stages, mountainous routes, and individual time trials鈥攅ach different type of route has its own controlled style of racing.

But at the Vuelta, organizers like to toss in a super steep climb near the finish of each stage as a way to inject unpredictability and action into the race.听On long, grinding climbs in the Alps, dropped riders can pace off of their teammates to catch back on; that’s not the case on a 22-percent ramp. Short and sheer ascents often boil the race down to mano-a-mano clashes, and a rider suffering from bad legs can hemorrhage time.

Yep, even a hare who is minutes behind can catch a tortoise.

The post The Vuelta a Espa帽a Is More Exciting than the Tour de France. Here鈥檚 Why You Should Watch. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The third week blues have hit Uno-X Mobility leader . No, he wasn鈥檛 sad today at the start of stage 16; in fact he was his usual jovial self.

So why is he blue? Well, his mustache is.

The prototypically blonde Dane is known for sporting a signature 鈥榮tache as he fights for the break.

The thick streak of golden hair on his lip has become such an identifying feature that it attracted a bet from a well known Danish , who has 1.3 million followers 鈥� extra impressive considering he posts in Danish, a language spoken by about 6 million people.

The terms were simple: If Hemmingsen could help Cort reach 200,000 followers on Instagram 鈥� at the time it was at 146,000, Cort says 鈥� then Cort would have to dye his mustache a particularly bright shade of blue.

鈥淚t only took him 24 hours,鈥� Cort said Tuesday morning at the stage start. 鈥淣ow I have to keep my word.鈥�

After Hemmingsen鈥檚 legions of followers boosted Cort鈥檚 account, the only thing left to do was decide a color: red, yellow, or blue? Winning with 45 percent of the vote, conducted via Instagram poll, blue was the answer.

Cort took Monday鈥檚 final rest day as an opportunity to follow through on his side of the deal.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It has turned out to be a rather small price to pay for one of the most valuable currencies in the modern world, social media followers. has skyrocketed to to 229,000 and counting.

Now all those new followers will get to enjoy Cort鈥檚 of the Tour de France鈥檚 infamously French accommodations.

Perhaps the 鈥榮tache upgrade will be the performance boost Cort needs this week to earn his third career Tour de France stage victory. Regardless, everyone鈥檚 a winner in this situation.

The post Why Is Magnus Cort Racing the Tour de France with a Blue Mustache? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

鈥淣o one has done the Giro-Tour double since 1988.鈥�

Cycling commentator Phil Liggett said this the other day during the broadcast of the Tour de France, which these days is beamed live on NBC’s streaming platform Peacock. He was referring to race leader chances of winning the Giro d鈥橧talia and the Tour this year鈥攁 Herculean feat totaling some 4,000 miles of over nine weeks of racing. At any rate, Phil was wrong by a decade. Italian cyclist Marco Pantani last did the Giro-Tour double in 1998.

Hardcore cycling fans know this wasn鈥檛 the most egregious of gaffes, especially considering it was made during the heat of a live bike race. But alas, for the 80-year-old Liggett, it was par for the course. Dates, locations, statistics鈥擫iggett often blunders these basic details during the Tour broadcast. Watch the Tour long enough and you鈥檒l hear Liggett call a current racer the name of some guy who retired eons ago. Google Phil Liggett, and you鈥檒l get Reddit threads and other forum rants ranging from the polite, 鈥�…鈥� to the blunt, 鈥�.鈥�

Yes, Phil Liggett is increasingly prone to what seems like amnesia. But I still love the guy, and will defend him and his cycling commentary against even the staunchest critics. Here鈥檚 why:

Back in the day, before Lance Armstrong took cycling mainstream in America, Liggett and his longtime co-host Paul Sherwen were our spirit guides into the wonky netherworld of European professional bike racing. Coverage was scarce at best, even as late as the mid-nineties. In those mostly pre-Internet days, I鈥檇 get my fix from monthly issues of VeloNews, mainlining the black and white broadsheet as if it were contraband.听I was a cycling junkie, thanks in part to my European father, who鈥檇 passed on the bug, filling my head with stories of Eddy Merckx and Francesco Moser. Liggett took care of the rest.

For three weeks every July, he鈥檇 narrate my summers in his lyrical British accent, dropping metaphors and knowledge every few minutes.听He鈥檇 chant the names of my heroes with perfect diction鈥擟laudio Chiappucci, Gianni Bugno, Laurent Jalabert, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (trying saying that one three times fast)鈥攁nd I鈥檇 parrot them back to my parents, or to myself. When I鈥檇 head out for long, lonely rides, my only companion Liggett’s voice in my head calling play by play: 鈥渁nd there he is, James Jung, the young usurper from America, the angel of the mountains!鈥� At age 12, I knew what words like 鈥渦surper鈥� meant because Liggett used them and I鈥檇 later look them up.

Liggett taught me other things, too. History lessons about cycling legends of the past鈥擣ederico Bahamontes, nicknamed the 鈥淓agle of Toledo鈥� due to his climbing prowess; Raymond Poulidor, the “Eternal Second” because he never won the Tour. Through Liggett, I learned that 51 is the race number with the most Tour wins, that Napoleon was exiled on the Italian Isle of Elba, and that a palindrome is a sentence that says the same thing forwards as it does backwards. Normal American boys had John Madden; I had Phil Liggett.

My father and I ordered video cassettes of Liggett calling other races that you couldn鈥檛 catch on TV鈥攇rand tours like the Giro d鈥橧talia, and one-day spring classics like Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege鈥攁s if we were both part of some cult. One summer, when Dad was out of work and put the family on a strict budget that meant canceling cable, we swallowed our pride and went over to the neighbors to watch the Tour, rather than go Liggett-less all July. It was there that I remember, Dad and I rapt on the old couple鈥檚 loveseat, watching our hero Miguel Indurain drop the entire peloton on the finishing climb to La Plagne, sealing his fifth consecutive overall Tour de France victory. 鈥淓nough is enough!鈥� Liggett shouted, narrating what he believed to be going through Indurain鈥檚 mind at the moment of the vicious attack.

My father loved it, and for the rest of his life he would repeat the catch phrase in his thick Austrian accent whenever things got tough, looking at me mischievously with his bright green eyes. Between Dad and I, Liggett was our love language.

Of course, as you age, your tastes change. While I enjoyed the increased coverage that came with Armstrong鈥檚 seven-year reign, I grew tired of his bravado and that of his fans, many of whom seemed to be the type of red-blooded American dudes who used to shame me for wearing lycra and shaving my legs. Liggett and Sherwen became their guys, not mine, like when your favorite band gets too commercial. 国产吃瓜黑料 even profiled the announcing duo in a 2004 print feature. Liggett also, as some people criticize, graduated from objective cycling journalist to Armstrong fanboy, never once questioning the Texan鈥檚 ethics at the race. Why would he? Armstrong was good for business. Rather than gripe, I moved on from Liggett thanks to the proliferation of pirated online streaming feeds, instead watching illicit broadcasts of races called by equally eloquent Brits like Eurosport commentators Carlton Kirby, Brian Smith, and Irishmen Sean Kelly鈥攁nnouncers who get their facts right. During this era I acted like a snobby record store clerk out of High Fidelity. 鈥淥h you like Phil Liggett,鈥� I鈥檇 think when around the rubes. 鈥淢e? I listen to commentators you鈥檝e never even heard of, maaaan.鈥�

In recent years, however, I鈥檝e returned to Liggett. Snobbery is something you should let go of in your forties, and besides, geo-fencing has gotten much better online. Rather than stream pirated feeds, I鈥檓 glued to NBC鈥檚 coverage. Things have changed since Liggett was the voice of the Armstrong era鈥攖ragically, Paul Sherwen died in 2018 of heart failure at age 62. These days, Liggett’s dulcet voice echoes through my home every July, his cringe-inducing metaphors filling the living room, his mistakes unfurling from the TV speakers, one after the other. My wife groans, just like my mother once did. My two boys, ages six and three, recognize his lilt as well. To me, it鈥檚 a lilt that sounds like summer.

My father is no longer alive to hear Liggett鈥擠ad died almost five years ago. I miss him daily, but it is during the Tour de France that I feel his absence most acutely. I find myself reaching for my phone anytime something surprising happens鈥攁n attack, a dramatic finish, a white-knuckle descent鈥攚anting to hear Dad鈥檚 voice, to laugh and marvel at whatever athleticism we鈥檝e just witnessed.

Instead there鈥檚 Phil Liggett, talking to me from the TV, mistakes and all, just like he has nearly every summer since I was a boy. I鈥檓 glad we still have him.

The post Why I Still Love Tour de France Broadcaster Phil Liggett appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The daily menu of a rider is a multi-course, 8,000-calorie gut-buster cooked up by science and flavored like carbs.

From early morning rice binges to late-night pasta parties, , , and the Tour de France peloton get little respite from meal plans that are interrogated to the macronutrient and managed to the micro level.

In a sport that鈥檚 reduced to the finest margins, nutrition has become as essential as VO2 max, aerodynamics, and race craft. are just as much a part of the Tour de France entourage as mechanic stations and massage tables.

The pressure to achieve perfect fueling means a Tour de France daily menu is as complex as a six-month training schedule or a mechanic鈥檚 Di2 manual. They鈥檙e the product of nutritionists and physiologists as much as a team鈥檚 own Michelin-level chef.

Here鈥檚 how a day on Tour might taste:

T-minus Three Hours to Stage: A Breakfast that Looks like Dinner

The breakfast buffet:

• For the new-school: Rice, pasta, noodles, quinoa, eggs, fruits, juices/smoothies, electrolyte and prebiotic drinks, coffee.
• For the traditionalist: Oatmeal, cereals, bread, pancakes, eggs, cold meats, yogurts, fruits, juices/smoothies, electrolyte and prebiotic drinks, coffee.

A rider could burn more than 5,000 calories during the hardest stages of the Tour de France.

That enormous energy demand means the gruppetto awaits anyone who missed a few mouthfuls that morning.

Resultantly, breakfast is a multi-course banquet devoted to the church of carbohydrates.

鈥淚n general, most riders will have four times their body weight in grams of carbohydrates at breakfast alone,鈥� Israel Premier Tech nutritionist Gabriel Martins said.

鈥淚 dare a normal person to try to eat this amount of food at breakfast,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ost of us would struggle to do that in a whole day.鈥�

The peloton is divided into two echelons of breakfast preferences.

For some, 鈥渂reakfast鈥� is a morning meal that looks and tastes like dinner. Bulging bowls of rice, pasta, noodles, and quinoa provide an easy energy fix.

For the diminishing resistance that maintains 9 am is no time for rice, oatmeal, breads, and pancakes are the centerpiece of a 鈥渢raditional鈥� tasting morning meal.

鈥淩ice is now the preference carbohydrate for us, and we encourage it for our riders. It鈥檚 perfect race food. It鈥檚 super carbohydrate dense, gluten-free and so it is easy to digest,鈥� JAyco-AlUla nutrition scientist Laura Martinelli told Velo. 鈥淲e encourage it for any, or all, the meals of the day.鈥�

Whatever a rider鈥檚 preference, breakfast serves as the final phase of a 24/7 鈥渃arb load鈥� that ensures grand tour riders are ready to race for three weeks straight.

Most riders in the Tour peloton will aim to chow 10-12 grams of carbohydrate per kilo of body mass in the 24 hours before any stage that鈥檚 expected to be a sufferfest.

For ~60kg Jonas Vingegaard, that鈥檚 a 600-720g 鈥渃arb load鈥�, the equivalent of approximately 2,500 calories. In real terms, that鈥檚 a gut-wobbling three kilos of cooked white rice.

There is some respite from all things starch and sugar.

Nutrition-packed smoothies and small serves of muscle-saving protein accompany the carbohydrates and provide a welcome break from bowls of beige.

鈥淲e have to make sure food remains interesting to riders, especially on a grand tour when they eat so much every day,鈥� Martinelli said. 鈥淭he colors and flavors, even the textures, need to be varied and bright. Otherwise riders get 鈥榖ored鈥�.鈥�

T-minus 30 Minutes to Stage Start: A Caffeine Boost and a Sugar Rush

The tank-topper:

• Rice cakes, wraps, energy bars.
• Espresso, espresso, espresso!

Just a few short hours and a bus ride after breakfast, it鈥檚 time to eat again.

Riders slam several espressos and chew on energy bars, bananas, and rice cakes while they pin numbers and ratchet shoes in buses that serve as kitchens, bathrooms, and lounges.

Those final espressos aren鈥檛 just a token nod to cycling tradition.

Caffeine is one of the few legal ergogenic aids. A dose of 3-6mg/kg body mass is proven to boost endurance, enhance cognition, and benefit perceived exertion.

Every rider will have established their caffeine limit during training and will buzz their way toward that threshold at breakfast, on the bus, and finally on the bike with a pocket full of rocket-fuel caffeine gels.

During the Stage: The Carb Frenzy

In the bottles, musettes, and jersey pockets:

• Energy gels, chews, bars.
• Carbohydrate and electrolyte drinks.
• Rice cakes, wraps, mini cokes.

Aero bike frames, electronic gearsets, and have made the Tour de France a totally different sport from that of even a decade ago.

In-race fueling strategies progressed just as fast.

This decade has seen a that shifted the dial on what鈥檚 possible for performance.

Energy gels and drinks pack improved carbohydrate ratios and hydrogel technologies that allow riders to take down sugars at unprecedented rates.

鈥淐arbohydrate targets during racing increase year by year鈥� Jayco-AlUla鈥檚 Martinelli said. 鈥淚 started working in cycling in 2013, and at that time, 70-80 grams of carb per hour was the ideal target to be competitive. Nowadays, you need 100-110g at least.鈥�

The rise of gut- and pallete-friendly gels and drinks has driven the pace of the pro peloton.

Riders can push thresholds higher in training and recover faster from their efforts to achieve an upward spiral of progress.

They can be more aggressive in racing, for longer periods.

The era of gut-rotting GI distress and race-ending 鈥渂onks鈥� is long gone.

鈥淭he ability to tolerate carbs is becoming one of the biggest factors in winning or losing,鈥� Astana-Qazaqstan trainer Vasilis Anastopoulos said.

Most riders now rely almost purely on energy products to power a day in the saddle.

Gels and bars are easy to eat, carb-dense, and pocket-friendly. Energy-packed drinks can meet fueling and hydration needs with a few thirst-quenching sips.

A rider aiming at the new 鈥済old standard鈥� of 120 grams per hour of carbohydrate might be slurping three or more energy gels per hour for a constant flow of fast fuel that guarantees they鈥檒l never be hit by 鈥渢he hammer.鈥�

The musette picnic of rice cakes, wraps, and cokes so central to the Chris Froome era are now just a decorative cherry on top of the synthetically produced cake.

鈥溾�橬ormal foods鈥� go into the race bags as much to help a rider鈥檚 morale as anything,鈥� Lidl-Trek nutritionist Stephanie Scheirlynck told Velo. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not much performance benefit, but they do no harm and keep riders happy, so why not?鈥�

At the Finish Line: A Recovery Kick-starter of Ketones, Carbs, Sodium

Drinks from the bar:

• Water, sodas, juices, ketone mixes, hydration mixes.
• Haribos!

Riders are met at the finish line of the Tour de France by a stocked bar of recovery-boosting drinks.

Staffers laden with bottles of water, soda, and ketone mixes hustle out to riders and thrust drinks their way before they鈥檝e barely caught breath. Bags of candies serve as the finish line finger-food.

鈥淩iders now mostly get a juice after races. The main thing is to provide them with simple sugars; glucose and fructose to start replenishing the glycogen stores,鈥� Bora-Hansgrohe nutritionist Tim Podlogar told Velo.

鈥淪ometimes the juice is cherry juice as there is some evidence that this can help with recovery,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hen, they usually get some gummies or dates. Again, it鈥檚 simple sugars.鈥�

Ketones, the peloton鈥檚 , are also a part of the mix.

This so-called 鈥渇ourth macronutrient鈥� rose to the headlines off the back of its perceived impact on performance, but the peloton now chooses ketones primarily for recovery.

鈥淜etones help recovery and lower chronic inflammation and oxidative stress,鈥� Alpecin-Decuninck team doctor Peter Lagrou said. 鈥淏oth are very important in the prevention of illness, injuries, overuse, mental and cognitive fatigue.鈥�

One Hour Post-Stage: A Bus Ride Buffet for Rapid Replenishment

The post-ride picnic:

• Protein shake: Whey, optional aminos, and maltodextrin (sugar).
• Carbs: Rice, pasta, potatoes.
• Lean proteins: Chicken, fish, eggs.

The team bus provides riders sanctuary from the melee of bike-mad crowds and pesky media crews.

Nowhere is safe from the full-time requirement to fuel, however.

鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial the guys eat on the bus,鈥� Lidl-Trek expert Scheirlynck听said. 鈥淒inner won鈥檛 be for many hours, and the faster they can start to reload their energy, the better it is for recovery. It simply can鈥檛 be missed in a three-week race.鈥�

A pre-shower smoothie ensures riders hit the benchmark 20 grams of protein required for rapid muscle synthesis before an on-board meal continues the replenishment process.

Intriguingly, protein is less a priority in a 听than the shelves full of protein shakes, snacks, and supplements at your local health store may have you believe.

Protein isn鈥檛 the priority for an endurance athlete who burns days鈥� worth of energy in a few breathless hours of WorldTour racing.

鈥淲e have to prioritize carbohydrate in the hours after the stage, so we keep protein intake to about 30-40 grams in total,鈥� Israel Premier Tech nutritionist Vanessa Zoras said. 鈥淲e then aim for riders to consume at least 2-2.5 grams per kilogram over the rest of the meals and snacks throughout the day.鈥�

A shake and a a shower later, it鈥檚 finally time for 鈥渞eal鈥� food.

鈥淓ach rider will get a fresh pre-packed meal on the bus that was prepared by our chef, or there will be dishes on board,鈥� Martinelli said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 usually rice, pasta, or potatoes, with a protein accompaniment like chicken or tuna.

鈥淲e also make sure it鈥檚 colorful with vegetables, and make sure it鈥檚 pleasing to eat,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t can be hard for riders to 鈥榝orce鈥� food in after these races, so the meal has to look and taste good.鈥�

This post-race meal isn鈥檛 the type of go-til-you-blow affair that rewards an amateur warrior after their big weekend ride.

Nutritionists like Martinelli and Scheirlynck extrapolate 鈥渨orkload鈥� scores from power meters into portion sizes and protein-carb-fat ratios that perfectly offset a rider鈥檚 exertions of the day.

鈥淲e calculate riders鈥� recovery targets rather than leave them to go by 鈥榝eel鈥� or hunger cues,鈥� Jayco-AlUla鈥檚 Martinelli said, referring to the re-feeding process. 鈥淲hen a rider is very tired, and their appetites are suppressed, they could very easily get it wrong.鈥�

Four (ish) Hours Post-stage: A Dinner Tailored to the Next Day

A dinner for the next day:

• Pre-mountain stage menu: A calorie-dense meal focused on carbohydrate, with minimal vegetables and lean protein: Rice, pasta, potatoes, chicken, fish.
• Pre-sprint stage menu: A high-volume, lower calorie meal rich in nutrients, lower on carbohydrates: Salads, soups, pulses, grilled or steamed vegetables, quinoa chicken, fish 鈥� and of course, rice, pasta, potatoes.
• Pre-rest day menu: Home-made burgers, pizza, lasagne, barbecues.

The evening meal is designed with both recovery and refueling in mind.

Like how the post-ride meal reflects the demands of that day鈥檚 stage, the evening meal reflects what鈥檚 to come.

When a climbing stage that might burn 5-6,000 calories is on the horizon, riders eat a suitably mountainous meal focused on energy-rich carbohydrates.

Vegetables, salads, and proteins make only a small proportion of a meal designed to take riders toward the crushing carbohydrate benchmarks set on the Tour鈥檚 hardest days.

The script is flipped the evening before an 鈥渆asy鈥� sprint stage.

鈥淲hen we think of grand tour menus, it鈥檚 about 鈥榝unction鈥� for the mountains, and 鈥榟ealth鈥� the rest of the time,鈥� Scheirlynck said.

鈥淏ut we think about satiety, too. On a mountain stage we try to create a small volume of food that鈥檚 packed with energy,鈥� she said. 鈥淐onversely, before a sprint stage, we look to proteins, big salads, and soups to help make riders feel full without overloading on calories.鈥�

Team chefs even consider the weather when concocting their multi-course menus.

Riders will be met with cold soups and iced deserts after a scorcher on the C么te d鈥橝zur, but hearty broths and warming stews after a rain-soaked stage up in Brittany.

Nutritionists pull at the three levers of nutrition 鈥� carbohydrates, proteins, and fats 鈥� when they design every meal.

Fiber is another variable that鈥檚 carefully fine-tuned.

Fibrous vegetables and salads are scrapped the evening before a mountain stage in that prevents riders from retaining water and gaining weight.

A pre-mountain day dinner is a dreary affair of beige 鈥渇uel鈥� rather than an Instagram-worthy rainbow plate of health-supporting nutrients and vitamins.

The 鈥済ood stuff鈥� a rider鈥檚 mom would have them eat 鈥� multi-color vegetables, healthy fats, and pulses 鈥� is reserved for other evenings.

鈥淲e look at nutrition across the grand tour as a whole and balance it across that whole period,鈥� Lidl-Trek expert Scheirlynck said.

鈥淭he meals on some days may seem plain, maybe unbalanced. But across the three weeks, we ensure riders get everything they need in terms of vitamins and minerals.鈥�

And the evening before a rest day or perhaps the night of a team victory?

There鈥檚 no trip to the nearest 鈥淕olden Arches鈥� or pizza joint. Fatty patties and pepperoni parties have to wait for when riders start fueling for stage 22.

Instead, team chefs serve their own take on a Tour de France 鈥渃heat meal鈥�.

Homemade burgers, tacos, and lasagnes using lower-fat, higher-nutrition recipes feel like a celebration but don鈥檛 overdo the calories. Some teams serve up some bubbly, while others maintain policies to abstain.

Just a few episodes of Netflix and a 10-hour sleep later, and the fueling frenzy starts all over again.

The post Here鈥檚 What a Tour de France Rider Eats in a Day appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

VALLOIRE, France 鈥� 鈥檚 seven grand tour wins have been based around the strength of their team 鈥� and having supporting their leaders in the thick of the action.

Think of the mob-handed Col du Granon masterplan in the 2022 , Primoz Roglic and taking Pogacar over his head before the finale, or their 2023 Vuelta a Espa帽a evisceration.

Not for nothing is the squad鈥檚 motto the Dutch phrase samen winnen 鈥� winning together, the concept that nobody is above the unit, that the hive鈥檚 hard work and cohesion will make the difference.

However, on stage 4 of the Tour de France, the Dutch 鈥淜iller Bees鈥� were more like harmless flies. Rivals Team UAE Emirates swarmed at the front of the race and , eking out a 45-second lead.

Wilco Kelderman, suffering from a crash on the race鈥檚 opening day, and Jan Tratnik drifted back on the Lautaret, while American Matteo Jorgenson was last man standing for his leader Vingegaard.

He supported the Dane until dropping back 4 kilometers from the summit of the mighty Col du Galibier. At that point, Pogacar still had Juan Ayuso and Jo茫o Almeida alongside him, racing with intent and .

Asked how he judged the team performance post-race by media, Visma-Lease a Bike coach Grischa Niermann said: 鈥淭oday, we saw that we miss an in-form Sepp Kuss in this race.

鈥淏ut we knew that when we had to take the decision he鈥檚 not coming, because we don鈥檛 have a climber like Sepp next to Jonas on the team,鈥� Niermann said.

An absentee after failing to recover from a COVID-19 infection, mainstay Kuss has been a team member on all of the team鈥檚 seven grand tour wins, pace-setting and supporting Vingegaard and Rogli膷 over the years.

鈥淚 think Matteo, maybe he expected a bit more [from] himself, but in the end, he finished with the group going for ninth place,鈥� Niermann said. 鈥淗e was up there and there were other guys also getting dropped.鈥�

Jorgenson鈥檚 Bad Day

A new signing to the team in 2024, 25-year-old Jorgenson has stepped up to be Vingegaard鈥檚 right-hand man at the Tour.

鈥淚t was a learning experience, I guess,鈥� Jorgenson told Eurosport and assembled media afterwards. 鈥淚t was not the best day for us.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the numbers were anything ridiculous. When I was looking at my power meter, I wasn鈥檛 like, 鈥榃ow, I can鈥檛 hold this pace,鈥� I was more within my limits. I just wasn鈥檛 on that great of a day.

鈥淕enerally, Jonas could probably have used a higher pace to reduce the explosivity of Pogacar. That鈥檚 kind of my bad for not being there to be able to do it,鈥� he added.

He explained that the Visma-Lease a Bike team wanted to set a harder tempo on the Galibier, but didn鈥檛 have the numbers to do it after the Col du Lautaret precursor.

Sporting a bandage on his right elbow , Jorgenson rued that he didn鈥檛 have his best legs: 鈥淚t鈥檚 just two days after the crash, I had a bit of a bad day. But in general, we did our best as a team.鈥�

鈥淚 lost two and a half minutes or something on Pogacar, so it鈥檚 not great. And I also wasn鈥檛 there when Jonas needed me. Hopefully it gets better.鈥�

Minutes before Jorgenson spoke, his team leader Vingegaard, 50 seconds behind his Slovenian adversary on GC, .

Jorgenson has won Paris-Nice and finished second at the Crit茅rium du Dauphin茅 in a breakout year, but it seems that the pre-race possibility of him challenging for GC as Plan B will surely go to the back burner.

After stage 4, the Idahoan is positioned 11th overall, 3:21 behind race leader Poga膷ar after finishing in a seven-strong group which included Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) and the Ineos Grenadiers pair of Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal.

The post 鈥淲e Don鈥檛 Have a Climber Like Sepp Kuss鈥�: Visma-Lease a Bike Missing Its Kryptonite at Tour de France appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The relentless pace set by the squad on Tuesday did more than just platform 鈥檚 stage winning attack: it devastated many big names in the .

Several key riders found themselves dealing with big time losses after stage 4 of the race, cracking on the Col du Galibier and conceding time in the first serious day in the mountains.

Overnight race leader was one of the biggest casualties, slipping back early on and trailing in only 32nd, 5:10 back.

The EF Education鈥揈asyPost rider received the backing of teammate Ben Healy in the chase but tumbled from first to 22nd overall, his yellow jersey and any GC hope gone.

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) was another surprise, losing 11:44 after cracking early on. He had spoken earlier this year of wanting to chase a high overall result; that ambition is now over.

Dropping Seconds and Minutes

Pogacar鈥檚 Galibier surge and lightning descent opened solid time over every other rider in the field. Defending champion (Visma鈥揕ease a Bike) handled his rival鈥檚 acceleration best, fighting to hold his wheel for several hundred meters and then going over the summit several seconds back.

However he yielded further ground on the descent, likely still nervous after his crash in April, and was caught by several others before the finish in Valloire.

(Soudal Quick-Step), who had started the day level on time with Carapaz, Poga膷ar and Vingegaard, was also there and won the sprint to the line, 35 seconds back. That earned him second place on the stage and ensured he ended the day second overall.

(Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) also finished in this group, a good turnaround after cracking on the climb but recouping time on the descent.

鈥淭hat was enough. I am satisfied with today,鈥� he said to RTV Slovenija, while admitting his form is not where he expected it to be.

鈥淚n the climb, I was battling with myself. Tadej set the pace, which was clearly the best thing for him.鈥�

Still, he believes he can and will do more in this Tour. 鈥淚鈥檓 slowly getting better, I鈥檓 still here.鈥�

Vingegaard and Ineos Grenadiers leader were fifth and sixth, conceding a further two seconds to the Evenepoel/Roglic group when a gap opened just before the line.

The latter is now his team鈥檚 undisputed leader, as both Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal finished 2:42 behind.

They won the race in 2018 and 2019 respectively, but unless one or both can regain significant time in a breakaway, they will be backing Rodr铆guez for the remainder of the race.

After going in with four possible leaders, Ineos Grenadiers is down to one.

Jorgenson, Yates Under Pressure

The devastation handed out by UAE Team Emirates put other big names in the red.

Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale leader Felix Gall also finished in the Thomas-Bernal group. American rider was similarly present.

Jorgenson, winner of Paris-Nice and second overall to Rogli膷 in the Crit茅rium du Dauphin茅, was seen as a possible GC alternative if Vingegaard lacked fitness after his Itzulia crash.

He will now be fully committed to the resurgent Danish rider.

Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) also finished in this selection. The Briton was third overall last year despite having ridden for Pogacar.

Some felt he could podium again after a dominant ride in the Tour de Suisse, but instead he is almost three and a half minutes adrift after four stages.

That鈥檚 down to an off day but his team boss Mauro Gianetti told Velo鈥檚 Andrew Hood after the finish that UAE Team Emirates still had a big day in the saddle.

鈥淭he plan was to see the level of each team, not only the leader of the team,鈥� . 鈥淲e wanted to see how many riders of each team could be at the top of the Galibier.

鈥淭he three leaders of Red Bull, the leaders of Ineos, and at Visma,鈥� Gianetti said. 鈥淲e put a very big pace to push.鈥�

The goal was completely successful.

With Alesandr Vlasov and Jai Hindley losing 3:05 and 4:01 respectively, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe was another team which saw GC options reduced to just one rider.

They, Ineos Grenadiers and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have now just one contender each in the GC, with plan B鈥檚 and C鈥檚 out the window, barring a big breakaway comeback.

It was a day to remember for UAE Team Emirates in eliminating so many rivals. They will welcome that Tuesday evening, and so too the fact that Evenepoel and Vingegaard are the only riders who remain within a minute of Poga膷ar.

It may be only day four of the Tour but already all of the Slovenian鈥檚 rivals have a mountain to climb.

The post These Are the Big Names Who Lost Time on Tour de France Stage 4 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

and UAE Emirates ruled the Galibier but they鈥檙e not the kings of the just yet.

For yellow jersey Pogacar and his great nemesis , the three-week Tour de France has only just begun.

鈥淓veryone did five-star work today and we can do that again,鈥� UAE Emirates director Joxean Fern谩ndez Matxin told after he orchestrated the team鈥檚 Alpine assault Tuesday.

鈥淲hether the Tour has already been decided? No, of course not. That鈥檚 only in Nice,鈥� Matxin said. 鈥淎nd it will be a very long time before we get there.鈥�

UAE Emirates obliterated everyone on the hulking Hors Categorie Galibier with on Tuesday鈥檚 fourth stage.

Visma-Lease a Bike melted away from Vingegaard, was on the ropes, and even the most dogged version of struggled to hold on.

Yet Pogacar鈥檚 45- and 50- second classification advantage over Evenepoel and Vingegaard respectively means nothing in a race that will be decided in the Pyr茅n茅es and Alps of week three.

鈥淲e came here believing we鈥檇 lose time in three of the first four stages, so to lose time on just one is pretty good in my opinion,鈥� Vingegaard said after he was distanced on the fast downhill to the line Tuesday.

鈥淲e thought we might lose two minutes or more, so only 50 seconds behind is quite good,鈥� Vingegaard said.

鈥淥ur time will come.鈥�

What Trajectories Will the Big 4 Follow?

There鈥檚 no doubt 鈥淪lovenian Slayer鈥� Pogacar looks well on track for his historic quest for the Giro d鈥橧talia-Tour de France double.

Imperious Pogcar is the puppet master of an armada of elite climbers.

UAE Emirates is with three riders in the top-10 with Juan Ayuso and Jo茫o Almeida behind Pogacar in third and eighth. 2023 Tour podium finisher Adam Yates isn鈥檛 much further behind.

By contrast, Visma-Lease a Bike is a shadow of Jumbo-Visma and is , Dylan Van Baarle, and Steven Kruijswijk.

Yet a largely benign second week will afford Pogacar鈥檚 Basque-battered, training-lite rivals the breathing space to ride themselves into the race, right on time for when mano-a-mano mountain battles will be just as decisive as collective team muscle.

鈥淚鈥檓 slowly getting better, I鈥檓 still here,鈥� Roglic insisted Tuesday after he was pressured on the Galibier.

The stage 7 time trial on Friday is the only true GC appointment before the mountains arrive en masse with stage 14 next weekend.

For Vingegaard, Roglic and Evenepoel, any creases in condition could be ironed out in time for when the race returns to the high peaks 鈥� although of course, there鈥檚 always the risk things get worse.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always a good thing when you finish second behind the best rider in the world,鈥� Evenepoel said Tuesday. 鈥淚t was a very good day for us. There was nothing to criticize.

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 getting better,鈥� Evenepoel said after he led the chase behind Pogacar. 鈥淣ow I鈥檓 already focusing on Friday鈥檚 time trial.鈥�

Meanwhile for Pogacar, the great unknown of post-Giro d鈥橧talia fatigue shadows every passing stage.

Visma Vows to Keep swinging: “We Believe in our Plan”

In true Pogacar fashion, he started his grand tour in sixth gear and came away rewarded.

Yet he鈥檚 done similar at the Tour twice before, only to be blown away by one disaster day in the back-half of the race.

Sure, the Visma-Lease a Bike of 2024 is not the Jumbo-Visma that tore Pogacar apart in 2022 and 2023 with blitz offenses from Kuss, Roglic, and Wout van Aert.

But the 鈥淜iller Bees鈥� are promising it still has sting.

鈥淚 was doubting myself going into this Tour but it鈥檚 not like he was a lot stronger uphill,鈥� Vingegaard said after the stage Tuesday. 鈥淚 would have liked to close the gap instead of it opening. I would have liked to stay with him but that鈥檚 life.

鈥淭he Tour is long and we鈥檒l do our best,鈥� said the defending champion. 鈥淲e know what to do. We believe in our plan, like in the last two years and we鈥檒l see at the end of the Tour.鈥�

Vingegaard will need to brush away any descending demons left from his Basque crash to ensure 鈥淭he Bees鈥� have venom ahead of the mountain-packed crescendo of the Tour.

Re-measuring After the “Race of Truth”

The stage 7 time trial Friday will be a crucial measuring stick for who wears the maillot jaune听in Nice later this month.

It鈥檚 not called 鈥渢he race of truth鈥� for nothing. There鈥檚 no better marker of physiological prowess and the ability to suffer than a lonely 25km against the clock.

Vingegaard hasn鈥檛 been able to train on the TT bike during his long comeback from injury like he would have wanted, but his history against Pogacar in grand tour time trials is telling.

Time trial world champion Evenepoel, who鈥檚 after four days of racing, could slash his 45-second deficit to Pogacar in half on Friday鈥檚 ~30 minute individual test.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 not really decided who is where [on GC],鈥� Pogacar said Tuesday after he donned his second yellow jersey of the 2024 Tour.

鈥淔or sure, you see the level a little bit,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut in three weeks some days can be better for some riders, and other days can be better for others.鈥�

How the GC looks Friday will be the best barometer of the favorites we鈥檒l get until the race hits the Pyr茅n茅es more than a week from now.

鈥淢aybe someone wasn鈥檛 feeling great or super good today,鈥� Pogacar said. 鈥淚n three weeks, things can change a lot.鈥�

It might have looked like Pogacar buried the Tour de France on Tuesday. But in reality, the race is only just getting started.

The post The Tour de France Is Not Over Yet. Pogacar Still Has a Three-Week Puzzle to Solve. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There was a time in the not-so distant past when British cyclist seemed to have a better shot at winning a bowling tournament or a game of darts than claiming another stage at the Tour de France. Cavendish, perhaps the best pure sprinter in cycling history, spent the 2017-2020 seasons struggling with illness and injury and various other setbacks.

Cycling journalists, myself included, watched as these calamities tore Cavendish apart from inside. He’d , y, and regularly . In 2019, Cavendish could barely stay with the peloton at the Tour of Slovenia, let alone thrive at the Tour de France. This fallow period came during his mid-thirties, the age when most pro cyclists ride off into the sunset.

But one goal kept Cavendish coming back to the sport in lieu of the losses and heartache: his dogged pursuit of the Tour de France’s record for most stage victories. Since 1977 that number had held at 34, set by the greatest all-around cyclist of all time, Belgian legend Eddy Merckx.

SIR MARK CAVENDISH

鈥� Tour de France (@LeTour)

And then, Cavendish’s form returned. During the 2021 Tour, Cavendish scored an amazing four stage wins, which brought him even with Merckx. The history books seemed within reach. And then, more setbacks. His Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl team left him off the Tour roster in 2022 in favor of the younger sprinter Fabio Jakobsen. He returned to the Tour with a different team, Astana Qazaqstan, in 2023, only to crash out of the race on the eighth stage during what was supposed to be his final season.

I, along with a few other cycling pundits, assumed Cavendish would simply retire after that heartache, content to be tied with Merckx in the history books. Boy were we wrong.

On Wednesday, Cavendish unleashed a sudden burst of speed in the waning moments of the Tour’s fifth stage to win the stage, vaulting him past Merckx in the history books as the Tour’s most prolific winner.

The victory showcased Cavendish’s brains and brawn as a racer: after he lost touch with his teammate in the chaotic gallop to the line, Cavendish found the wheel of the sport’s new dominant sprinter, Jasper Philipsen of Belgium, and then bolted around him just before the finish.

The 39-year-old Cavendish was mobbed after crossing the line, first by his Astana teammates, and then by other Tour riders as he celebrated his milestone. He brushed back tears during his post-race television interview, and shook his head in disbelief as he replayed the win.

“It’s how the Tour de France is. You sprint as hard as you can until you get to the finish line. And maybe your life changes”

Mark Cavendish talks to Matt after winning his record breaking 35th Tour de France stage

鈥� ITV Cycling (@itvcycling)

“You sprint and go as hard as you can until you get to the finish and maybe your life changes if you cross that line first, maybe it doesn’t if you don’t,” Cavendish said. “That is the nature of this race and what makes it so beautiful.”

It’s also been the nature of his career. Cavendish has raced in the pro ranks since the 2006 season. For context, the Tour’s current leader, Tadej Pogacar, was eight years old back then. He won his first Tour stage in 2008, which kicked off a six-year run of dominance, before enduring winless streaks, returns to greatness, and more fallow times.

Over that span Cavendish has battled multiple generations of rivals: Erik Zabel, Robbie McEwan, Marcel Kittel, Peter Sagan, Dylan Groenewegen, among others. He’s enjoyed longevity as a sprinter鈥攁 chaotic and dangerous profession that rewards strong legs, daredevil attitudes, and a big ego.

Two memories popped into my head as I watched Cavendish celebrate his historic win鈥攕cenes that reminded me of Cavendish’s good times and bad. The first came from stage 11 of the 2018 Tour, which finished high in the alpine ski resort of La Rosiere. Half an hour after stage winner Geraint Thomas had finished the stage, Cavendish huffed and puffed up the long ascent by himself, the final rider to finish. I stood alongside a handful of journalists as we watched him ride across the line.

He crossed it well past the elimination time cut, which mean he was disqualified for the remainder of the Tour. It was a yet another setback during Cavendish’s four-season fallow period, and it stung.

Cavendish cursed and spat and rode straight past his Dimension Data team bus and the gaggle of journalists standing out front, and beelined it straight to the hotel. His poor team director at the time, Douglas Ryder, had to answer for him. “Mark is bitterly disappointed,” Ryder told those of us gathered at the bus.

The next memory comes from the final stage of the 2013 Tour鈥攁 race where Cavendish collected two stage wins and challenged for the win in three others. Cavendish didn’t win the final sprint along the Avenue du Champs Elysees in downtown Paris, but still he was still encircled by adoring fans along the historic avenue. Whatever disappointment he felt seemed to melt away, and he enjoyed the attention, smiling and signing autographs. At the time he was 28 and still dominating the Tour’s sprint stages, and the Merckx record seemed like an inevitability.

We now know that the record wasn’t predestined鈥攂ut rather something Cavendish would spend the next 11 years听chasing. And the struggles he endured to get back to the Tour’s winning circle, in my mind anyway, make his accomplishment all the more worthy of praise.

The post Mark Cavendish鈥檚 Tour de France Wins Record Was Hardly a Cakewalk appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.