As far as feats of physical endurance goes, the Tour De France has to be way up there at the top of the list. Pushing your body to the limit for over 2,000 miles across 21 stages, only the fittest athletes make it through the brutality Even the ones who finish have scars to prove it. It’s no surprise many have doped up to get ahead in the past. We’re breaking down what happens inside your body as you compete in the legendary Tour De France.
Further reading:
Bicycling
https://www.bicycling.com/tour-de-france/a33915305/tour-de-france-weight-healthy/
https://www.bicycling.com/racing/a20038314/how-racing-the-tour-de-france-changes-cyclists-bodies
SB Nation
https://www.sbnation.com/cycling/2018/7/10/17442138/tour-de-france-cyclist-physiology-pain-suffering
https://www.sbnation.com/cycling/2018/7/5/17533058/tour-de-france-doping-cyling-what-is-epo-salbutamol
Outside
Men’s Journal
https://www.mensjournal.com/sports/5-ways-the-tour-de-france-contenders-are-physical-freaks-w429644/
Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-competing-in-the-tour-de-france-does-to-your-body-2017-7
NBC
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38325487
Cycling Weekly
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/fast-tour-de-france-useless-stats-429620
The Conversation
https://theconversation.com/suffer-score-how-demanding-is-le-tour-de-france-8040
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38 Comments
It's actually healthier for the athletes to use PEDs. If riders could use insulin and GH it would dramatically increase their health and longevity. I'm not saying abuse them likes there's no tomorrow hut therapeutic amounts would definitely do more good than bad
That’s why I’ve never entered.
And I don’t have a bike.
Cyclists amaze me. I don't know how there aren't more accidents when you have so little space to work with.
This being the most watched sports event in the world is absolute BS. The source that the Tour organizers used is not even tied to any actual numbers. They just tried to count how many people mightve watched at least one total minute of this loooong event. India and China dont even watch this so how the heck did they get almsot 4 billion people watching it? Not the summer olympics or world cup? Those have way more accurate numbers.
The background music is too annoying to watch the video, is a shame too, sounds like there might be some very good informatioin
It pretty much takes years off your life.
It's amazing that people don't die during the race from heart problems.
it also does this weird thing with their heads whereby they think they are actual vehicles and occupy the whole lane
why did they start in Denmark and then fly to France
Just let them have the drugs. Jeez
I enjoy a good bonk 😏
Anytime I crack 20 mph average per ride (25 to 35 miles long rides) I’m extremely sore for two to three days. In order to recover faster, and ride after one day rest, I keep my hard fast days between 19 to 19.5 mph. It’s taken me years to figure out what works for my body training wise. I stopped doing long rides, >40 miles and over two hours because I saw no added health benefit. And the additional issues, hard to rehydrate, vertigo sometimes, longer days sore, just didn’t make sense. I see folks doing crazy rides on Strava, century rides with climbing in it, and wonder how they can keep themselves from breaking down. I guess people are built different. I know it makes no sense for me to breakdown tissue and potentially injure myself rising that long. Still I average between 100-110 miles a week but I do it in 4 rides. That’s my threshold. The Tour is insane. This video was enlightening. Cycling is life! 🚴♀️
I always wondered if the extreme nature of pro cycling shortened their lifespans. Evidently that's true.
Interesting . I read the bios of your reporters and I dont see ANYTHING that would make any of them qualified to be a content expert on cycling
And then all of you cartoon interjections. As a recreational cyclist I was hoping you would do a real presentation.
How do you get penalized for drinking?
Just here to show appreciation for "'pomme de terre' camera" 😂
Wow- I met John Eric Goff at a conference years ago, when he shared his early modeling efforts for the Tour de France!
Can someone explain why at minute 6:52 the commentator says the rider can’t take a break or get penalized? What if the rider purposely drops back behind the peloton to get hydration from his team car without dangering the peloton, will he still gets penalized?
A group of amateur's from New Zealand did the exact same route of the 2018 tour de france and all 8 made it through.
These riders are a special breed, and very impressive!
TDF is over 21 days, not 24….😎
Top sport isn't about health, it's a job. It's money.
Hardest sport in the world on this level
Professional road cycling is the toughest sport there is, period. Anyone who contests this doesn't know what they're talking about.
i adore exercise science, endurance sports, and this video <3
No other sport puts an athlete through the extremes that a cyclist endures from the mileage to the weather, rain, snow, wind, cold, heat, they can get all that in just one day.
And they get paid peanuts!
This video gives the impression that there is doping in the peloton. Speculation like this doesn’t help cycling although I understand it given the sports past. The “recent” 2015 report from the UCI is rumor and opinion from pro riders post/present. The truth is we don’t know the current level of doping in the world tour peloton if any and there have been very few doping cases in recent years that we can point to as evidence of doping.
Of course these riders are superhuman. Along with their genetic advantages, they do nothing but train, day in and day out. You go to work, have your routine, and maybe get in 150 km-200 km per week if you're serious. These guys ride 6-8 hours a day, will the support of a team of professionals catering to their every needs. They're made, not born this way.
I came back to this video after watching yesterday’s J. Vingegard performance at queen stage of TDF2023. Everyone else have had a bad day so far, but he hasn’t. How is it possible?
Watching Froome give his opinion is quite funny. While he was known to use inhalers to cheat. LOL
Greg Lemond and Cadel Evans. Best clean riders with all bloods published, of the last 50 years of TDF.
Super Big respect! ❤
winning is not winning, if it’s not by the strength of pure human psychological and physiological strength and ability.
The TDF is about pushing human ability.
It’s not about pushing chemistry.
Any home built meth lab or steroid lab can do that.
TDF and the 3 week tours are about the extent of human ability.
Go clean!
Show us what we humans can achieve! ❤❤
It doesn't do sht to the pros, 90% od the race the ride at 0.65-70IF which is 65-75% of their ftp, that's the average number over the whole race. When they train they train at 0.75-80IF. So basically the race for them is like a 20 days training block. Yes of course some mountain days they have to ride maybe at 0.90-95IF but that one day and their engine is so big that they are like new the next day.
And they think NFL football players are badass! LAUGH! Tom Brady? Not a shot.
0:36 what are the straight-ish gray lines from the Netherlands and into Paris?
Keep it clean folks.
Make the stages doable for a clean person, can’t keep pressuring them to do better and not expect this.
There is a point where the length of an event makes it less competitive not more. Cycling is already less competitive of a sport than running due to the higher barrier of entry.