do tour de france riders pee

How Do Tour de France Cyclists Pee During the Race? Mark Cavendish Admits ‘It Warms Me Up’

Only the world’s best cyclists enter the grueling Tour de France . The three-week race tests their endurance as they ride thousands of miles through often-rough terrain. Participants spend hours on their bikes every day. This begs the question, “How do cyclists pee during the Tour de France?” Thankfully for them, there are a few options. Thankfully for us, these choices are pretty well-known.

The Tour de France is intense

Tour de France riders are strapping on ice vests and guzzling water amid a scorching heat wave https://t.co/JBxyGiBBW8 pic.twitter.com/qFF1MvoXGb — CNN International (@cnni) July 25, 2019

It takes a lot of dedication, training, and grit to participate in the Tour de France. There are 21 stages, one per day, and it takes 23 days to complete the race from start to finish. This is why Encyclopedia Britannica begins its entry on the event by calling it “the world’s most prestigious and most difficult bicycle race.”

G Q tells us riders are on their bikes for over six hours daily as they pedal nearly 3,000 miles. All the exercises can depress the immune system, making it easier for the riders to get sick. And cyclists must stay properly hydrated, which means what they drink needs to leave their bodies somehow. How do they get the chance to relieve themselves?

How do cyclists pee during the Tour de France?

Cycling Weekly investigated the issue of urinating during the Tour de France after at least 10 riders were fined during the 2019 event for public urination. Here are some of the methods the website uncovered:

Urinating on the side of the road

Many Tour de France stages are road courses, so the riders can stop at the side of the road to pee, with teams sometimes organizing a “nature break” in which the teammates collectively urinate. Time is of the essence here because other racers will pass riders while they are taking care of their business.

Urinating while riding

Some riders will pee while they’re on their bike. Sometimes while doing this, a teammate will help the cyclist keep his momentum by pushing his bike from the back while the urination is in progress.

Urinating in your suit

Another option is just to let it happen without planning and pee in your suit . Evidently, this can be particularly helpful in cold conditions because, as Cavendish once explained, it warms him up temporarily in rainy or cold conditions. “You get warm, and you don’t have to fuss around.”

What cyclists say about peeing

Greg LeMond, a three-time Tour champion , isn’t one of the cyclists who urinate while on the saddle. He admitted he’s “never been able to pee off the bike.” Instead, he “always found a tree,” making sure to remember the tactics involved in the act. LeMond advises that you should “go to the front of the pack. Hopefully, you tell everybody you’re peeing so they don’t attack.”

When he’s not peeing in his suit, Cavendish has some strategies for when and how to go. The cyclist says he always goes “right at the beginning of the stage.” As for how, he discusses different ways the guys do it. “Some guys lift up their shorts and go. Normally, if you’re on a slight downhill, you can kind of just move to the side of the group and continue while you do it on the bike.”

Riders must be careful, though, so they don’t get in trouble. Johan Vansummeren receives three fines for urinating in front of fans during the 2010 race. Cavendish once got a slap on the wrist for peeing into a river; he claimed he didn’t know it was illegal, but he learned his lesson from the incident. “I stopped on a bridge and pissed off the bridge into the river. And then I heard it’s not allowed. So I won’t be doing that again.”

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How Do Riders Pee During the Tour de France?

By Bill Bradley

The Tour de France, now in its 11th day, is a certifiable slog. Riders are in the saddle upwards of six hours a day for three weeks and nearly 3,000 miles. And all those miles necessitate proper hydration, which necessitates proper…elimination. So how does one relieve himself in tight spandex without dropping in the standings?

"It’s different for every rider," says British sprinting phenom Mark Cavendish, who crashed out of this year’s Tour in the first stage. "Some riders maybe take two, three, four pisses during the race. I go right at the beginning of the stage."

It’s common for the peloton—that’s the pack of riders pedaling together all day—to stop near the start of the race and take a leak on the side of the road en masse. (The TV cameras offer common courtesy in this case.) But every man’s bladder is different, and sometimes guys _just have to go. _Which is why the camera occasionally catches riders with their pants down or taking advantage of a flat tire . "People have different ways," Cavendish says. "Some guys lift up their shorts and go. Normally, if you’re on a slight downhill, you can kind of just move to the side of the group and continue while you do it on the bike. Or you can get a teammate to push you."

Three-time Tour champion Greg LeMond just couldn’t do it from the saddle. "I’ve never been able to pee off the bike," he says. "I always found a tree." But you can’t simply pull off to the side of the road. There are tactics involved in watering that tree. "You go to the front of the pack," he says. "And hopefully you tell everybody you’re peeing so they don’t attack."

Riders have to be somewhat careful when marking their territory, though. Belgian rider Johan Vansummeren was fined three different times (!) for urinating in front of fans in 2010 . And Cavendish received a slap on the wrist for whizzing in a river. "I didn’t know it was illegal," he says. "I stopped on a bridge and pissed off the bridge into the river. And then I heard it’s not allowed. So I won’t be doing that again."

Peeing on the bike can have other benefits, especially if temperatures dip in the mountains or the windswept French countryside. "In races that are soaking wet and freezing cold, I like to piss myself," Cavendish says. "It warms me up for a split second. You get warm and you don’t have to fuss around."

FAQs of the Tour de France: How lean? How much power? How do they pee mid-stage? All that and more explained

Ever wondered why riders have such veiny legs? Do riders share rooms? How does a 60km ride count as a rest day? We take a look at the burning questions and those you never thought to ask

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The 2024 edition of the Tour de France is not far away - and if you’ve watched previous editions, there’s probably quite a fair few points that might have piqued your curiosity. That is to be fully expected - a lot is left going on behind the scenes that the cameras aren’t capturing.

Google's autocorrect can provide us with a wealth of information around the general public's deepest thoughts about the pros. For instance, it seems there are enough people desperately searching for ‘how do cyclists pee whilst racing the Tour de France?’ that the search engine is serving up this suggestion for everyone. 

Naturally, we couldn’t leave them hanging, and our answer to how exactly cyclists do pee during top level races can be found here. There’s an almost dizzying array of other questions, too, which we'll get fully stuck into here.

We will take a look at Tour de France performance trends and, continuing past the finish line, we’ll also reveal what the riders get up to in their team buses and talk more about how the pros deal with the hotel-to-hotel life that makes up the three weeks of a Grand Tour.

Why are Tour de France cyclist’s legs so veiny?

We’ve all got veins in our legs quite near to the skin surface, but they are hidden by a layer of fat just under the skin. 

Tour de France cyclist's legs appear to be uber-veiny for two main reasons: firstly, they have much less body fat than ‘ordinary’ people, and secondly, their veins and arteries have adapted to carry more blood around their bodies. The cardiovascular adaptations are numerous, but a large increase in vein and artery diameter is one of them. You can read more about the science behind why Tour de France rider’s legs are so veiny here.

A post shared by Tomasz Marczyński 🅻🅾🅲🅾 (@tmarczynski) A photo posted by on

What do Tour de France riders do on their rest days?

They ride, and not just a little amble around the streets. Most will be on their bikes for two hours and some even more. 

In the early days of Team Sky, Russell Downing found out why after the first rest day of his Grand Tour debut in the 2011 Giro d’Italia: “It was a hard race, the weather was bad and by the first rest day I was really tired. The others asked if I was going with them, but it was cold and raining and I said I’d go on the turbo in the hotel basement instead. I did that for about 45 minutes, just very easy, then went back upstairs to lie down. Next day I was nailed for the whole stage, just hanging on. I was okay the day after, but I’d learnt my lesson and rode with the boys on the next rest day. If you don’t ride reasonably hard on the rest day , your body thinks you’ve stopped and switches off ready for deep recovery. You’ve got to keep it firing for the whole three weeks.” 

What is a soigneur in cycling and what are their duties during the Tour de France?

Soigneur is the French word for ‘carer’, and basically soigneurs care for riders. They prepare them for each stage, looking after them at the finish and back the hotel, with massage and rehab therapies. And they care in other ways too. 

Dirk Nachtergaele, a Belgian pro team soigneur for over 40 years says: “A soigneur is also like a priest. We are the one who riders can confide in, confident that anything they tell us goes no further. They can complain about another rider, the sports director even; they can talk about problems at home – anything. They know we will not tell anyone what they said. That role as confidante is as necessary in a team as being a skilled therapist.”   

How light and lean are the Tour de France climbers?

Double Tour de France stage winner, and now retired Irish pro rider Dan Martin was a climbing specialist. His racing weight was 62kg, which is light for his 5ft 9in height, but some shorter climbers weigh under 60kg. However, being super-light is no longer the preserve of the pure climbing specialists. Defending Tour champion Pogacar is the same height as Martin and only slightly heavier at around 66kg, while 2019 winner Egan Bernal , also 5ft 9in, is a true featherweight at just 60kg. 

The riders mentioned start the Tour de France with body fat percentages well below 10 per cent, but nutritionists are careful not to allow ‘cutting’ to go too far. 

In fact, it can be better to offload a little muscle, as Dr Rob Child, a performance biochemist who worked with several World Tour teams, explains: “It’s sometimes worth losing a bit of muscle to reduce weight because very low body fat has health implications. Tour de France performance is governed by the cardiovascular system, not by the maximum force applied to the pedals. Pro riders don’t need huge amounts of muscle to pedal at 400 watts for 20 or 30 minutes, and that’s often the key to performing well overall in the Tour. They need a highly developed cardiovascular system, not big muscles.” 

Why do Tour de France riders drink Coca-Cola?

Most team nutritionists would rather the riders didn’t drink coca cola, and some teams even forbid it.

That said, there’s also always one small can of coke in the musettes Trek-Segafredo gives its riders. Drinking a regular fizzy drink such as a cold can of coke after a stage is good for morale – and preserving positivity in a brutal three-week race is vital.

Of course, the most important nutritional consideration for riders is getting enough calories to meet the extreme demands of the race. If you’re wondering how they achieve that, here we look into what exactly goes into fuelling the riders of the Tour de France .

What do Tour de France riders do to recover between stages?

The standard of hotels used by the Tour has improved a lot in recent years, so that helps with sleep and recovery . Even so, teams provide further ‘home comforts’ by carrying all their own bedding, including mattresses and pillows. They also have their own washing machines in the team buses and equipment trucks. Everything is done to promote good sleeping habits and hygiene. 

Riders generally do room-share, partly through tradition but also because it’s good to have company. Pairings are decided diplomatically, though.

Why and how do riders warm up before each stage?

The ‘why’ is explained by double Tour stage winner Steve Cummings: “There are two races in every stage: the first is to get a breakaway established, and the second is to win the stage. If I saw a stage that suited me, one where a break might stay away and give me a chance to win, I’d focus on the first hour to 90 minutes, nothing else. Typically it was attack after attack right from the start, then a huge effort to get the break established. You had to be fully warmed up for that.” 

As to the ‘how’, a Tour warm-up is usually done on a turbo trainer, allowing the whole team to warm-up in one compact space, everyone controlling their effort. Ineos-Grenadiers’s deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth says: “The idea is to prepare the rider’s energy systems for a fast start. They ride steady but progressively harder for at least 20 minutes, then do five minutes of capacity work to open everything up. After that they pedal easily and try to stay loose.”

How much do riders have to eat to meet energy demands?

Riders can burn twice or even three times their usual calorie requirement during a hard day at the Tour. Nigel Mitchell, a nutritional consultant who worked extensively with WorldTour cycling teams, says: “At a Grand Tour, riders can burn more than 5,000kcal on a single stage, depending on the terrain, and that means consuming a huge amount, both off the bike at meal times and on it during the race, in the form of energy drinks, bars and gels.” To put 5,000kcal into perspective, it is roughly equivalent to four large McDonald’s BigMac meals. 

What do the riders eat after each stage?

 Does each rider have their own bespoke meals? Who does the cooking?  

Three questions, but they are related and so are the answers, which come from a former Tour de France rider, UAE Team Emirates former sports director and current race analyst Allan Peiper. The man who oversaw Tadej Pogačar’s first Tour de France win in 2020 told us: “Each rider has a bespoke meal plan based on any needs flagged up by team doctors and physiologists, and on any personal physiological quirks such as intolerances or allergies. The medics talk with nutritionists, and the nutritionists tailor meals to meet specific needs. Each team also has its own chef who works with the nutritionist to prepare tailor-made meals.” 

How heavy are the heaviest riders in the race, and how do they get over the mountains inside the time cut?

There are very few riders of over 80kg in the Tour de France nowadays. The limiter when climbing mountains is power-to-weight ratio, and if a rider is too bulky they cannot overcome the disadvantage, no matter how mighty their power output. The heaviest Tour de France rider since 2000 was the Swede Magnus Backstedt, who says: “I had to be the lightest I could be for the Tour, which was around 90kg, and as fit as I could be. But at my weight, every hill is steep, and the mountains were a real challenge. On mountain stages, I’d hang on to the peloton for as long as possible, then look for a good grupetto – that’s what we call the groups of non-climbers who ride together to get inside the time limits. Once in a grupetto with experienced riders, it was just a case of digging deep, sometimes very deep, and hanging on.” 

Grit and stubbornness get heavier riders up the mountains, but they have an advantage to deploy on the other side, going down. Tour stage winner Sean Yates was a tall, well-built rider, and he says: “You have to get good at descending if you are bigger. You can’t regain all the time you lost going up, but you can get some of it back by really going for it on the descents.”

What’s the relationship between rider age and Tour de France performance?

It used to be that riders developed into Tour contenders gradually over many years. Those youngsters who did take part would be expected to help the team and gain experience, and possibly even drop out after the first week. That’s all changed. Tadej Pogačar was just 21 when he first won in 2020, and Egan Bernal was 22 when he won in 2019. Pogačar’s coach Inigo San Millan has this to say about his rider’s prodigious ability: “He has extraordinary physiological characteristics, and the correct mental attributes, so he was already good enough to win at 21.” 

Until Bernal’s win four years ago, it was thought that riders reached their peak in terms of physiology, psychology and skill at around 26 or 27. According to Allan Peiper: “This may still be true, we just don’t know what the young winners we have now will be like when they are 27 or 28. Will they still be winning, or will the next generation have surpassed them?” At the other end of the scale, the oldest Tour winner of modern times was Cadel Evans in 2011, at the age of 34.  

What do the riders’ musettes contain?

Nothing very surprising, just a re-supply of the gels, drinks and energy bars. Musettes were more interesting in times gone by, when they contained cakes and tarts for energy, small ham and cheese baguettes for protein, and all manner of delights. The food was individually wrapped and packed by the soigneurs. The first female soigneur Shelley Verses, who worked for US team 7-Eleven in the 1980s, used to wrap her riders’ food in pages from Playboy magazine. “It was good for their morale,” she commented. 

Do Tour de France riders drink alcohol during the three weeks?

Yes, but not much. Stage wins might be celebrated with a glass of champagne, and sometimes a small glass of red wine is taken with the evening meal, but that’s as far as it goes. Teams have tried total bans on alcohol, but most allow small amounts to protect morale. 

All rather sensible – not like Tour riders from previous eras. In the early days of the race, riders drank wine and beer during stages because it was less of a threat to health than the contents of some of the primitive water supplies. Right up to the 1960s, some riders enjoyed a mid-Tour tipple or two. One of the most notorious stories is about the 1964 Andorran rest day when race leader Jacques Anquetil went to a party and indulged to such an extent he was hungover the next day and almost lost the race. 

How do Tour de France riders stay hydrated through sweltering long stages?

Nigel Mitchell tells us: “I get riders to start drinking as soon as they wake. I mix water with a little fruit juice in a big bottle, because that makes it more interesting than plain water, and I ask them to finish it before breakfast. They drink fruit juice with breakfast for the electrolytes, and another bottle of diluted fruit juice travelling to the stage start.

“During the stage, they drink from two bottles on the bike, one plain water and one energy drink, and they keep getting fresh bottles from the team car or support motorbikes. They get more fluid in a protein shake after the stage, and an electrolyte drink if it’s been hot. I also provide rice cakes, which contain quite a lot of moisture from the water absorbed by the rice during cooking. 

“Even then, we still check on hydration by checking the rider’s weight each morning. If they are well hydrated, they will stay at pretty much the same weight throughout the Tour.” 

What’s the role of the bottle-carrying domestiques in the Tour de France?

The cycling community uses a lot of French words, with domestiques being one of them. Transporting bottles from the team car to team-mates in the peloton is just one of many duties carried out by domestiques. 

This supply chain is overseen by the sports directors, as Allan Peiper explains: “The sports directors have real-time information in the team cars on each rider’s performance metrics. They can tell if anyone is having a bad day, and they won’t ask that rider to drop back to the team car and pick up bottles, because it could just push them further into the red.” 

Each team has several domestiques and their role, although complicated in execution, is straightforward in mission. It’s to put the team’s leader (or leaders) in the best position to challenge for victory.

That could involve riding at the front to control the peloton’s pace, leading riders who’ve punctured back to the action, chasing when a breakaway needs to be brought back, leading out sprinters at the end of stages, setting the pace in the mountains, and many other jobs. They even perform a very unglamorous function in comfort stops.

Find definitions of the French cycling terms you hear during the Tour de France , such as domestiques, over here.

In terms of FTP and watts per kilo, what does it take to be a GC contender at the Tour de France?

In 2020 the power meter supplier to Team UAE Emirates, Stages, released the following information on Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar’s performance metrics from Stage Nine, a mountainous stage in the Pyrenees: 

Time: 3:58:16 

Average power: 301W (4.5W/kg) 

Normalised power: 351W (5.4W/kg) 

Peak 5min power: 473W (7.2W/kg) 

Peak 20min power: 429W (6.5W/kg) 

To put these figures in context, good amateur racers (i.e. cat two) are capable of five-minute power in the region of 4-5W/kg and 20-minute power of 3.5-4.1W/kg. Even for committed amateurs who train hard, a huge gulf in performance separates them from the likes of Pogačar. 

Do Tour de France riders use dietary supplements. If so, which ones?

They need lots of protein to help recover, so they drink recovery drinks and eat protein bars to augment the protein they get from food. They sometimes consume vitamin and mineral supplements too. Dr Rob Child says: “I try to meet a rider’s needs through well-cooked, nutritious foods, but I always know what their nutritional state is in detail. We take regular blood tests, and I can use supplements to make good any deficiencies.”  

Do riders pee during the Tour de France?

If the race pace isn’t too high, riders can stop by the side of the road, having picked a place where nobody can see – which can be difficult. Peeing on the move is a skill Tour de France pros must have in their toolbox. It’s tricky, as it’s impossible to pedal while peeing, so it’s up to the poor domestique to ride alongside and with a hand on the back to maintain forward momentum. 

And here’s how difficult peeing can be…In 1965 British pro Vin Denson rode the 1965 Bordeaux-Paris, a 365-mile single day race, in support of the race winner Jacques Anquetil. As he approached Paris late in the afternoon, Denson realised he hadn’t peed since the start at 2.30am, and he was bursting. He stopped at the side of the road, but found he couldn’t pee at all, even though his bladder was full. Desperate, he shouted to the stationary team car and his soigneur got out, poured a flask of hot coffee down the front of Denson’s shorts, and Denson recalled: “I went like a fountain – it was glorious!”

This full version of this article was published in the print edition of Cycling Weekly.  Subscribe online  and get the magazine delivered direct to your door every week. 

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• Cycling Tips

How Do Cyclists Pee: A Guide to Staying Hydrated during the Tour de France

• August 23, 2023
• No comments
• 11 minute read

Andrew Hampsten

Table of contents, strategies for relieving themselves mid-race, risks and consequences of public urination, overcoming challenges and prioritizing performance, the physical and psychological impact of managing bathroom breaks, the evolution of bathroom break strategies in professional cycling.

Cycling is a demanding sport that requires riders to spend long hours in the saddle, especially during grueling events like the Tour de France. With the need to stay hydrated and maintain performance, the question of how cyclists pee during the race arises. In this article, we will explore the various methods employed by professional cyclists to relieve themselves during the Tour de France, shedding light on the challenges they face and the strategies they utilize. By understanding the techniques used by these elite athletes, we can gain insight into the unique demands of professional cycling and the measures taken to ensure optimal performance.

During the Tour de France, professional cyclists face the challenge of finding opportunities to relieve themselves without compromising their performance. Here, we will explore the different strategies employed by these athletes to handle this bodily need while on the bike.

1. Coordinated Bathroom Breaks: In some cases, the peloton, or the main group of riders, will collectively decide on a “nature break” during the race. This usually occurs at a strategic point when the pace is more relaxed, allowing riders to stop at the side of the road and quickly relieve themselves. This approach requires coordination and cooperation among the riders to minimize time loss.

2. Strategic Timing: Timing is crucial when it comes to finding a moment to answer nature’s call. Riders often take advantage of lulls in the race, such as during a neutral roll-out or a less intense period of the stage, to find the opportunity to relieve themselves. By carefully observing the race dynamics, riders can identify the best moments to step away from the peloton and handle their bathroom needs.

3. Assistance from Teammates: In some instances, a rider may request assistance from their teammates to maintain their momentum while peeing. A teammate can provide a helpful push from behind, allowing the cyclist to maintain their speed and rhythm while attending to their bodily needs. This strategy is especially useful during stages when the pace is high and every second counts.

It’s worth noting that the decision to pee on the bike or stop for a bathroom break is influenced by various factors, including race dynamics, weather conditions, and individual preferences. Some riders may opt to urinate in their shorts while riding, especially during cold and wet conditions. The temporary warmth provided by the urine can help mitigate the discomfort caused by low temperatures. However, this approach is not without its challenges, as maintaining control and avoiding unwanted spills can be a tricky task.

While these strategies provide practical solutions for managing bathroom breaks during the race, it’s essential to adhere to race etiquette and respect the unwritten rules. Riders must ensure that their actions do not disrupt the flow of the race or create hazards for fellow competitors. Moreover, they should always aim to find suitable locations for urination to avoid fines or penalties.

In conclusion, the mechanisms employed by cyclists to pee during the Tour de France highlight their ability to adapt to the unique demands of the sport. Coordinated bathroom breaks, strategic timing, and assistance from teammates are all part of the tactics employed to ensure that bodily needs are addressed without compromising performance. By understanding these strategies, we gain insight into the challenging world of professional cycling and the innovative ways in which athletes handle the demands of the sport.

Next, we will delve into the risks and challenges associated with peeing during races and the consequences riders face if they fail to find appropriate locations for relief.

While the logistics of how cyclists pee during the Tour de France are intriguing, there are potential risks and consequences associated with relieving oneself in public. In this section, we will discuss the challenges riders face and the penalties that can result from improper urination practices.

1. Fines and Penalties: When cyclists resort to public urination in full view of race spectators or cameras, it can lead to fines and penalties imposed by race officials. These fines are often issued to maintain a level of professionalism and uphold the integrity of the sport. For example, Belgian rider Johan Vansummeren was fined three times in 2010 for urinating in front of fans during the Tour de France.

2. Image and Reputation: The public nature of the Tour de France means that any actions, including urination, can have a significant impact on a rider’s image and reputation. Riders face scrutiny from fans, media, and sponsors, and any actions deemed inappropriate or disrespectful can tarnish their standing within the cycling community and beyond. Maintaining professionalism and adhering to race etiquette is crucial for preserving one’s reputation as a professional athlete.

3. Hygiene and Environmental Concerns: Public urination can pose hygiene issues, especially when done in close proximity to fans or other riders. Urinating in public can create an unsanitary environment and increase the risk of spreading diseases. Additionally, the impact on the environment must be considered. Urine can contain trace amounts of chemicals and substances that can be harmful to the natural surroundings. Respecting the environment and finding suitable locations for urination helps minimize these concerns.

4. Maintaining Race Etiquette: The unwritten rules and etiquette of professional cycling dictate that riders should aim to avoid any actions that disrupt the rhythm of the race or pose hazards to other participants. While bathroom breaks are a necessity, riders must find appropriate times and locations to minimize the impact on fellow competitors. Adherence to race etiquette ensures fair competition and enhances the overall race experience for all involved.

In light of these risks and consequences, it is essential for riders to exercise precaution and find suitable locations for relieving themselves during the race. Coordination among teammates and strategic timing can help minimize time loss while still maintaining professionalism and respect for the sport.

In conclusion, while the logistics of how cyclists pee during the Tour de France may seem unusual or unconventional to outsiders, there are risks and consequences associated with these actions. Fines and penalties, image and reputation concerns, hygiene and environmental issues, and the importance of race etiquette all contribute to the need for riders to approach bathroom breaks with caution and responsibility. By understanding and respecting these considerations, professional cyclists can balance their bodily needs with the demands of the race, ensuring a level playing field for all participants.

Professional cyclists participating in the Tour de France face unique challenges when it comes to managing bathroom breaks while prioritizing performance. In this section, we will explore the strategies employed by riders to balance their bodily needs with the demands of the race.

1. Timing and Strategic Planning: Timing plays a critical role in managing bathroom breaks during the race. Riders must carefully assess the race dynamics, including the terrain, pace, and upcoming challenges, to identify suitable moments for bathroom breaks. This often requires quick thinking and decision-making skills to ensure minimal time loss and maximum efficiency.

2. Utilizing Team Support: Teamwork is integral in professional cycling, and riders often rely on their teammates for support during bathroom breaks. Teammates can provide essential assistance by pacing the rider during the break, ensuring they can reconnect with the peloton swiftly. This coordination minimizes the impact on overall race performance and aids in maintaining position within the group.

3. Hydration Strategies: Proper hydration is crucial for performance during the Tour de France. Cyclists carefully manage their fluid intake to balance their hydration needs with the challenges of bathroom breaks. Some riders reduce their fluid intake closer to critical race moments while ensuring adequate hydration before and after bathroom breaks. This strategic approach helps optimize performance while minimizing the frequency of bathroom breaks.

4. Training and Preparation: Professional cyclists undergo extensive training and preparation to develop the physical and mental stamina required for the Tour de France. Part of this preparation involves simulating race scenarios, including managing bathroom breaks, during training sessions. By familiarizing themselves with the challenges and practicing appropriate techniques, cyclists can minimize the impact of bathroom breaks on their overall race performance.

5. Mental Focus and Resilience: Mental resilience is crucial when facing the physical demands and distractions associated with managing bodily functions during the race. Cyclists train themselves to maintain focus, make quick decisions, and adapt to changing race dynamics while addressing their personal needs. By prioritizing performance and staying mentally resilient, riders can overcome the challenges of managing bathroom breaks without compromising their overall race goals.

In conclusion, professional cyclists participating in the Tour de France employ various strategies to overcome the challenges of managing bathroom breaks while prioritizing performance. Timing, strategic planning, team support, hydration strategies, training, and mental resilience all contribute to a balanced approach that minimizes time loss and ensures optimal race performance. By combining these strategies with a deep understanding of the race dynamics, cyclists navigate the demands of the Tour de France while taking care of their bodily needs.

Managing bathroom breaks during the Tour de France not only presents physical challenges but also has a psychological impact on cyclists. In this section, we will delve into the effects of handling bodily needs on the riders’ overall performance and mindset.

1. Physical Discomfort and Distraction: The urge to urinate can cause physical discomfort, especially when riders need to hold it in for extended periods. This discomfort can be distracting, taking their focus away from the race and potentially affecting their performance. The physical discomfort can also lead to decreased concentration and overall discomfort during the race.

2. Energy Expenditure and Time Loss: Managing bathroom breaks requires riders to divert energy and time away from the actual race. While every second counts in competitive cycling, taking a bathroom break can result in a loss of precious time, potentially impacting a rider’s standing in the race. Balancing the need to relieve oneself with the imperative of maintaining speed and position is a delicate task.

3. Mental Resilience and Adaptability: Professional cyclists must develop mental resilience to navigate the challenges of managing bathroom breaks during the race. They need to adapt quickly to changing race dynamics, make split-second decisions on when and where to take a break, and remain focused on their overall performance goals. Building mental resilience allows cyclists to handle the physical discomfort and distractions associated with bathroom breaks while maintaining a competitive mindset.

4. Psychological Pressure and Race Etiquette: The psychological pressure of competition and the awareness of race etiquette can add to the stress of managing bathroom breaks. Cyclists face expectations to uphold professionalism, adhere to unwritten rules, and maintain a respectful demeanor. Striking a balance between bodily needs and race etiquette can create psychological tension and require athletes to make quick and calculated decisions.

5. Strategies for Managing the Psychological Impact: Professional cyclists employ various strategies to manage the psychological impact of bathroom breaks. This includes mental preparation and visualization techniques to stay focused and mentally resilient during the race. Cyclists may also develop coping mechanisms to deal with distractions and physical discomfort, such as positive self-talk and maintaining a strong race mindset.

In conclusion, managing bathroom breaks during the Tour de France has both physical and psychological implications for professional cyclists. Balancing the physical discomfort, energy expenditure, and time loss with mental resilience and adaptability is crucial for maintaining overall performance. By employing strategies to manage the psychological impact and developing coping mechanisms, cyclists can navigate the challenges associated with bathroom breaks while staying focused on their race goals.

Bathroom break strategies in professional cycling, including during the Tour de France, have evolved over the years as athletes learn from experience and seek to optimize their performance. In this section, we will examine the changes and advancements in bathroom break strategies adopted by professional cyclists.

1. Team Coordination and Communication: In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on team coordination and communication during bathroom breaks. Teams work together to ensure that riders in need of a bathroom break are supported by their teammates. This coordination includes identifying suitable moments for breaks, offering pushes from behind to maintain speed, and guiding riders back to the peloton after the break. Improved communication among teammates allows for more efficient execution of bathroom breaks.

2. Strategic Use of Neutral Zones: Neutral zones, which are sections of a race that are ridden at a more relaxed pace, have become popular for bathroom breaks. Riders take advantage of these periods to address their needs without significantly impacting their race position. Neutral zones provide a safer and more controlled environment for bathroom breaks, reducing the risk of accidents or disruptions to the peloton.

3. Innovations in Clothing and Equipment: The design and innovation of cycling clothing and equipment have also contributed to advancements in managing bathroom breaks. Bib shorts with innovative features, such as drop-tail designs or zippers, allow for easier access during bathroom breaks without the need to fully undress. Technological advancements in fabric materials have also improved the comfort and functionality of clothing during races.

4. Improved Hydration Strategies: Cyclists have refined their hydration strategies to minimize the frequency and urgency of bathroom breaks. Careful monitoring of fluid intake, taking into account factors such as race distance and weather conditions, helps athletes optimize their hydration levels. By managing their fluid intake effectively, riders can reduce the frequency of bathroom breaks and maintain their performance without compromising hydration needs.

5. Psychological Preparation: Professional riders have recognized the importance of mental preparation when it comes to managing bathroom breaks. They employ techniques such as visualization, mental rehearsal, and positive self-talk to stay focused and mentally resilient during races. Maintaining a calm and adaptable mindset helps athletes handle the physical discomfort and distractions associated with bathroom breaks while keeping their race goals in sight.

In conclusion, bathroom break strategies in professional cycling, including during the Tour de France, have evolved to optimize performance and minimize disruptions. Team coordination, strategic use of neutral zones, innovations in clothing and equipment, improved hydration strategies, and psychological preparation all play a role in the advancements made in managing bathroom breaks. By continuously refining their approaches, professional cyclists strive to strike a balance between addressing bodily needs and maintaining competitive performance during races.

Managing bathroom breaks during the Tour de France is a complex challenge for professional cyclists. Balancing bodily needs with the demands of the race requires careful planning, coordination, and mental resilience. Throughout this article, we have explored the strategies employed by riders to address this issue, including coordinated bathroom breaks, strategic timing, assistance from teammates, and psychological preparation. 

It is evident that bathroom break strategies have evolved over the years, with advancements in team coordination, innovations in clothing and equipment, and improved hydration strategies. These developments have allowed cyclists to optimize performance and minimize disruptions during races.

However, the psychological and physical impact of managing bathroom breaks cannot be overlooked. The discomfort, distraction, and time loss associated with bathroom breaks can pose challenges for riders. Mental resilience and adaptability play a crucial role in overcoming these obstacles and maintaining a competitive mindset.

Moving forward, continued research and innovation in clothing design, team strategies, and mental training techniques will contribute to further advancements in managing bathroom breaks during professional cycling events. By finding innovative solutions and prioritizing athlete well-being, the sport can continue to evolve and provide a conducive environment for optimal performance.

Ultimately, the question of how cyclists pee during the Tour de France highlights the intricate nature of professional cycling. It invites us to reflect on the physical and mental demands placed on these athletes and sparks discussions on how to strike a balance between bodily needs and race performance.

Andrew is a passionate bike enthusiast who has been cycling for over a decade. With a deep love for exploring the outdoors, he spends most of his free time on two wheels, discovering new trails and pushing his limits. When he's not cycling, John works as a freelance writer and shares his cycling experiences through his writing, inspiring others to hit the road and explore the world on a bike.

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The top Tour de France questions asked of Google, answered by us

Put your feet up, google algorithm. we've got this..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Dear Google Algorithm, 

We see you. We see the strain you are about to be put under. We know – and you, Google, you know too – that as the premier stage race of the year, the Tour de France is perhaps the only cycling event to transcend the sport’s bubble and cross over to a mainstream audience. 

That’s excellent, because cycling as an activity is wonderful, and as a sport it’s the most beautiful in the world. But there are some uniquely confusing things about the Tour de France, and new fans – quite understandably – have some questions. 

And when you’ve got Tour de France questions, who do you ask? Google, that’s who. But while everyone is OK Googling questions, nobody asks if Google is OK – so in the lead up to this year’s Tour de France, we are here to help. 

These are the questions the internet has about the Tour de France.

Put your feet up, Algorithm. We’ve got this. 

Do Tour de France riders poop? 

That’s the first question you have?! Really? Good grief.

Yes. It is an ordinary human function that is consistent across all humans, even Tour de France riders. If they did not, they would be very uncomfortable for the duration of the race. Maybe they’d even die. I don’t make the rules.

Do Tour de France riders pee their pants? 

Generally not, although I’m not going to say ‘never’. 

Typically, riders in need will pull over to the road side in an organised fashion, kind of angle-parking themselves next to a field or guardrail, before letting it rip. This usually happens in a détente in the day’s proceedings, where the pace slows enough to allow the urinating riders (the peeloton ) to return to the main group (the peloton ).

If a rider is caught out with a sudden tingling urge or the pressure is on, they may drift back in the bunch and take a rolling wee, with some assistance from teammates – either to help them balance or to pace them back. 

There has been recent commentary from certain riders that the bathroom etiquette of road cycling has gone out the window , with Peter Sagan memorably describing the flurries of urine he battles through as “total anarchy”. True story, true quote.

Do Tour de France riders poop their pants? 

Oh, we’re back here again? Sure. I love that for us.

Usually, they do it on the side of the road during quiet moments, but for reasons of privacy they might dismount and head for a ditch (as modelled by the aforementioned Peter Sagan here):

A rider will usually make it through the stage without being struck by the urge, but not always. Sometimes, that will make a rider the butt – hur, hur – of everyone’s jokes ( à la Tom Dumoulin ). Sometimes, a rider will be struck down with explosive diarrhoea (à la Greg Lemond), as the following memorable passage shows, from Richard Moore ‘s excellent ‘Slaying the Badger: Greg LeMond, Bernard Hinault, and the Greatest Tour de France’:

“It was 60, 70 kilometers to go, and I took a peach,” LeMond says. “About 10 km later, I went to a teammate, ‘Pass me your hat.’ He was like, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Pass me your hat, please.’ ‘What do you want my hat for?’ ‘Pass me the goddamn hat!’ “I shoved it down my shorts; it didn’t feel like it was going to be diarrhea, but oh, my God, it was so severe. I just felt the shorts go woooooop! And it fills my shorts, then slowly dribbles down my legs into my shoes. I mean literally, it was dripping into my wheels, it was flying off the spokes. And then everyone separated off from me. We were single file, we were going hard, and I was cramping, my stomach.” 

Evocative, no?

What makes the Tour de France so special? 

See above. 

Nah, it’s been around since 1903 and attracts the biggest audience, televised in 186 countries. It has the biggest prize money and the most prestige, and because of that, it’s the most attractive to sponsors of the sport. That makes for a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, making the Tour all but untouchable. 

Also, it is exceptionally beautiful.

Are females allowed in the Tour de France? 

No, although there have been several women’s-specific Tour de France equivalents over the years, including a one-off as far back as 1955, and, from 1984-2009, an event under a shifting cast of names (the Tour de France Féminin, Tour of the EEC Women, Tour Cycliste Féminin and Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale). 

2022 is particularly exciting because it’s the debut of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – an eight-stage women’s Tour de France, starting in Paris on the same day that the men’s race finishes, run by the same organisers. It’s long overdue, and it’s going to be awesome. 

Do Tour de France riders listen to music? 

No. They typically have earpieces in one ear, but they are used for communication with their team directors or with other teammates. They do, however, listen to often terrible music in their team buses in the morning before each stage.

How many gears does a Tour de France bike have? 

Bike tech is constantly evolving and some of the minor teams may be still on older equipment, but the majority of riders would be riding bikes with two chainrings at the front and 12 sprockets at the back, making for a total of 24 gears.

Do Tour de France riders use disc brakes? 

As noted above, some teams may still be on rim brakes, but the vast majority will now be using disc brakes. Ineos Grenadiers were the sole top-tier team still using rim brakes but they have been riding discs throughout the 2022 season. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar sometimes uses rim brakes on big mountain stages, as they allow for a lighter bike.

Where do the Tour de France riders sleep? 

In hotels, usually with two riders to a room. Sometimes those hotels are nice. Sometimes they are miserable Ibises. It is a nightly lottery.

Do Tour de France riders sleep? 

Yes. The Tour de France is three weeks long and they are exercising very hard throughout. They need to sleep.

Do Tour de France riders drink alcohol?

Not nearly as much as Tour de France journalists and spectators. 

What Tour de France stage is today? 

The Tour de France starts on Friday 1 July, 2022. If you are reading this article before then, there is no Tour de France stage today, but we love your energy.

In the meantime, please enjoy this handy guide to the stages and route of the 2022 Tour de France .

What did Tour de France sign say? 

If I’m being obtuse, there are many signs at the Tour de France, often saying things like ‘Tour de France’, Skoda, LCL, E Leclerc, Continental, and Krys. 

But I think what you are really asking about is the crash on stage 1 of the 2021 Tour de France , where half the peloton was brought down by a spectator, greeting her grandparents with a sign reading ‘Allez Opi-Omi!’. Which means “Go grandpa-grandma!” in a hybrid of French and German.

It was a whole thing . 

What caused Tour de France crash? 

There are a lot of crashes at the Tour de France, big and small and usually several times a day. But I think most Googlers are probably pounding the algorithm for the one we just mentioned above. Tour de France crash was caused by one woman’s love for her grandparents.

What time Tour de France start? 

This world has many time zones and I wouldn’t dare presume which one you are in, but here is a useful guide for how to watch the Tour de France on live TV or streaming platforms, wherever you might be. 

What is Tour de France time trial? 

For the purposes of this year’s Tour de France, the time trial is an individual race against the clock, where all riders ride the same course, with staggered start times, trying to post the lowest possible time. For these stages, they use more aerodynamically efficient equipment and special time trial bikes and there’s no drafting allowed.

This year there are time trials on stage 1 (13 kilometres) and stage 20 (40 kilometres). 

Tour de France how long? 

21 stages, and – usually – two rest days. This year, because the race starts in Denmark, there is an extra transfer day on July 4 as the whole show picks up and moves from Scandinavia to France. The dates this year are Friday 1 July – Sunday 24 July. 

Tour de France how many km? 

3,328 kilometres, or 2,067 miles (AKA 66,560 Olympic-sized swimming pools).

Tour de France how do they pee?

The riders wear bib shorts, with straps over the shoulders, which makes undressing complicated. As such, there are two main methods that can be used – flopping themselves over the waistband and hoping not to kink the hose, or the more daring ‘down the leg’ method.

If you’re doing this on the move – from personal experience as a bored teen on country roads when nobody was around other than some very confused cows – the risk is high and the reward is low. 

Is Chris Froome in Tour de France 2022? 

Yes, he will be at the Tour de France . No, he will not win.

Where does the Tour de France start 2022? 

Copenhagen, Denmark – a great city that is conspicuously not in France, but I won’t hold that against it. 

Why is the Tour de France starting in Denmark? 

Are there any American teams in the Tour de France? 

There are two American-registered teams in this year’s Tour de France – Trek-Segafredo, and EF Education-Easypost. They look like this:

Who won all three Grand Tours? 

Only seven riders have won the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España in their careers:

Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault , Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, and Chris Froome. 

Who has won the Tour de France the most times? 

That is a surprisingly fraught question. Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive editions of the race from 1999 to 2005, but they were all later stripped from him after he admitted to doping throughout his career. 

There are four riders who have won the Tour de France on five occasions – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. (The cleanliness of these riders has also often been called into question, but let’s not quibble.)

Do cyclist pee themselves? 

I think we’re done here.

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stage","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-6-primoz-roglic-beats-matteo-jorgenson-on-races-queen-stage\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-6-primoz-roglic-beats-matteo-jorgenson-on-races-queen-stage\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 7: primo\u017e rogli\u010d beats matteo jorgenson on race\u2019s queen stage\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-6-primoz-roglic-beats-matteo-jorgenson-on-races-queen-stage\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 7: primo\u017e rogli\u010d beats matteo jorgenson on race\u2019s queen stage\"}}\u0027>\n crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 7: primo\u017e rogli\u010d beats matteo jorgenson on race\u2019s queen stage\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"power analysis: how lachlan morton won unbound gravel","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/power-analysis-how-lachlan-morton-won-unbound-gravel\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/power-analysis-how-lachlan-morton-won-unbound-gravel\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"power analysis: how lachlan morton won unbound gravel\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/power-analysis-how-lachlan-morton-won-unbound-gravel\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"power analysis: how lachlan morton won unbound gravel\"}}\u0027>\n power analysis: how lachlan morton won unbound gravel\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"tour de suisse: mark cavendish set for key pre-tour de france test monday, yves lampaert wins opening tt","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-suisse-mark-cavendish-set-for-key-pre-tour-de-france-test-monday-yves-lampaert-wins-opening-tt\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-suisse-mark-cavendish-set-for-key-pre-tour-de-france-test-monday-yves-lampaert-wins-opening-tt\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tour de suisse: mark cavendish set for key pre-tour de france test monday, yves lampaert wins opening tt\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-suisse-mark-cavendish-set-for-key-pre-tour-de-france-test-monday-yves-lampaert-wins-opening-tt\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tour de suisse: mark cavendish set for key pre-tour de france test monday, yves lampaert wins opening tt\"}}\u0027>\n tour de suisse: mark cavendish set for key pre-tour de france test monday, yves lampaert wins opening tt\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"notebook: dauphin\u00e9\u2019s tour de france lessons, jorgenson\u2019s rising stock, and where\u2019s gc kuss","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/notebook-dauphines-tour-de-france-lessons-jorgensons-rising-stock-and-wheres-gc-kuss\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/notebook-dauphines-tour-de-france-lessons-jorgensons-rising-stock-and-wheres-gc-kuss\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"notebook: dauphin\u00e9\u2019s tour de france lessons, jorgenson\u2019s rising stock, and where\u2019s gc kuss\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/notebook-dauphines-tour-de-france-lessons-jorgensons-rising-stock-and-wheres-gc-kuss\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"notebook: dauphin\u00e9\u2019s tour de france lessons, jorgenson\u2019s rising stock, and where\u2019s gc kuss\"}}\u0027>\n notebook: dauphin\u00e9\u2019s tour de france lessons, jorgenson\u2019s rising stock, and where\u2019s gc kuss\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"5 years after the crash: chris froome holding out for a tour de france return","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/5-years-after-the-crash-chris-froome-holding-out-for-a-tour-de-france-return\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/5-years-after-the-crash-chris-froome-holding-out-for-a-tour-de-france-return\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"5 years after the crash: chris froome holding out for a tour de france return\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/5-years-after-the-crash-chris-froome-holding-out-for-a-tour-de-france-return\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"5 years after the crash: chris froome holding out for a tour de france return\"}}\u0027>\n 5 years after the crash: chris froome holding out for a tour de france return\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"the great american wheel race is the coolest new thing on gravel","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/the-great-american-wheel-race-is-the-coolest-new-thing-on-gravel\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/the-great-american-wheel-race-is-the-coolest-new-thing-on-gravel\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the great american wheel race is the coolest new thing on gravel\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/the-great-american-wheel-race-is-the-coolest-new-thing-on-gravel\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the great american wheel race is the coolest new thing on gravel\"}}\u0027>\n the great american wheel race is the coolest new thing on gravel\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"how thymen arensman gained 5 kilos while racing the 3,500km giro d\u2019italia","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/how-thymen-arensman-gained-5-kilos-while-racing-the-3500km-giro-ditalia\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/how-thymen-arensman-gained-5-kilos-while-racing-the-3500km-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"how thymen arensman gained 5 kilos while racing the 3,500km giro d\u2019italia\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-training\/how-thymen-arensman-gained-5-kilos-while-racing-the-3500km-giro-ditalia\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"how thymen arensman gained 5 kilos while racing the 3,500km giro d\u2019italia\"}}\u0027>\n how thymen arensman gained 5 kilos while racing the 3,500km giro d\u2019italia\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018i leave here super happy\u2019: matteo jorgenson stuns at crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9, scares primo\u017e rogli\u010d","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/i-leave-here-super-happy-matteo-jorgenson-stuns-at-criterium-du-dauphine-scares-primoz-roglic\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/i-leave-here-super-happy-matteo-jorgenson-stuns-at-criterium-du-dauphine-scares-primoz-roglic\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018i leave here super happy\u2019: matteo jorgenson stuns at crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9, scares primo\u017e rogli\u010d\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/i-leave-here-super-happy-matteo-jorgenson-stuns-at-criterium-du-dauphine-scares-primoz-roglic\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018i leave here super happy\u2019: matteo jorgenson stuns at crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9, scares primo\u017e rogli\u010d\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018i leave here super happy\u2019: matteo jorgenson stuns at crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9, scares primo\u017e rogli\u010d\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u0027turn the cameras off\u0027: the juiciest revelations from netflix \u0027tour de france: unchained\u0027 season 2","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/juiciest-reveals-of-netflix-tour-de-france-unchained-season-2\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/juiciest-reveals-of-netflix-tour-de-france-unchained-season-2\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u0027turn the cameras off\u0027: the juiciest revelations from netflix \u0027tour de france: unchained\u0027 season 2\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/juiciest-reveals-of-netflix-tour-de-france-unchained-season-2\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u0027turn the cameras off\u0027: the juiciest revelations from netflix \u0027tour de france: unchained\u0027 season 2\"}}\u0027>\n \u0027turn the cameras off\u0027: the juiciest revelations from netflix \u0027tour de france: unchained\u0027 season 2\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"criterium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 8: primo\u017e rogli\u010d saves jersey by seconds after thrilling matteo jorgenson surge","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-8-primoz-roglic-saves-jersey-by-seconds-after-thrilling-matteo-jorgenson-surge\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-8-primoz-roglic-saves-jersey-by-seconds-after-thrilling-matteo-jorgenson-surge\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"criterium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 8: primo\u017e rogli\u010d saves jersey by seconds after thrilling matteo jorgenson surge\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-8-primoz-roglic-saves-jersey-by-seconds-after-thrilling-matteo-jorgenson-surge\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"criterium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 8: primo\u017e rogli\u010d saves jersey by seconds after thrilling matteo jorgenson surge\"}}\u0027>\n criterium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 8: primo\u017e rogli\u010d saves jersey by seconds after thrilling matteo jorgenson surge\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018i think i\u2019m passing the test\u2019: matteo jorgenson soars to second overall in crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/i-think-im-passing-the-test-matteo-jorgenson-soars-to-second-overall-in-criterium-du-dauphine\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/i-think-im-passing-the-test-matteo-jorgenson-soars-to-second-overall-in-criterium-du-dauphine\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018i think i\u2019m passing the test\u2019: matteo jorgenson soars to second overall in crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/i-think-im-passing-the-test-matteo-jorgenson-soars-to-second-overall-in-criterium-du-dauphine\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018i think i\u2019m passing the test\u2019: matteo jorgenson soars to second overall in crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018i think i\u2019m passing the test\u2019: matteo jorgenson soars to second overall in crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"tour de suisse preview: big names square off in major tour de france tune-up","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-suisse-2024-preview\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-suisse-2024-preview\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tour de suisse preview: big names square off in major tour de france tune-up\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-suisse-2024-preview\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tour de suisse preview: big names square off in major tour de france tune-up\"}}\u0027>\n tour de suisse preview: big names square off in major tour de france tune-up\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 6: primo\u017e rogli\u010d powers to win, drops evenepoel to prove he\u0027s back","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-6-primoz-roglic-powers-to-win-lead-to-prove-hes-back\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-6-primoz-roglic-powers-to-win-lead-to-prove-hes-back\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 6: primo\u017e rogli\u010d powers to win, drops evenepoel to prove he\u0027s back\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/criterium-du-dauphine-stage-6-primoz-roglic-powers-to-win-lead-to-prove-hes-back\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 6: primo\u017e rogli\u010d powers to win, drops evenepoel to prove he\u0027s back\"}}\u0027>\n crit\u00e9rium du dauphin\u00e9 stage 6: primo\u017e rogli\u010d powers to win, drops evenepoel to prove he\u0027s back\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>my newsletters manage cookie preferences privacy request healthy living.

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There's a bit of mystique surrounding the Tour de France. 

What started as a marketing ploy for a local newspaper in 1903, the Tour de France has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon with a viewership now exceeding 3.5 billion people.

Yes, you read that right—3.5 billion people watch spandex-clad men with shaved legs ride bikes around France for hours on end.

At ACTIVE, we can't get enough of the Tour; it's our favorite time of the year. There's nothing like sitting back, cheering on your favorite teams and watching some of the fittest athletes in the world do what they do best. 

If you've ever watched a stage, you know how impressive it really is, and if you haven't, make sure you tune into this year's edition. There's always drama and mid-race fireworks as the peloton makes its way to the Champs-Élysées.

Because the Tour (and bike racing in general) isn't a mainstream sport in the United States, we get asked lots of questions as cycling's biggest race rolls around every year. And we've addressed some of our most-asked questions that will help give you some context in time for the Grand Départ.

Q: How many American cyclists have won the Tour de France? A: This answer is a bit sticky. If you look at the record books, only one American has won the Tour—Greg LeMond in 1986, 1989 and 1990. Lance Armstrong also won the Tour (seven times from 1999 through 2005) but was stripped of those titles after admitting to doping in each. American Floyd Landis won in 2006, but like Armstrong, was stripped of his title. 

Q: How many calories do Tour de France cyclists eat? A: The short answer? A lot. Riders burn around 4,000 to 5,000 calories each stage of the tour, so they have to consume around 8,000 calories a day. What does 8,000 look like?  Check out our article that breaks down each meal the average Tour de France cyclist eats. 

Q: Can women compete in the Tour de France? A: A woman has never competed in the Tour de France, but there is currently a one-day race for women hosted by the same organizing body as the Tour. It's called La Course, and it's awesome—we highly recommend you check it out.

Q: How much does a Tour de France bike cost? A: Before we reveal this answer, we advise you sit down. An average bike ridden by a professional in the Tour de France costs (drum roll, please)...anywhere between $11,000 and $13,000, depending on the stage and the model. For more information, be sure to check out our article, "How Much Does a Tour de France Bike Cost?"

Q: What are the rules for Tour de France bikes?   A: The UCI (cycling's governing body) has placed strict limits on bikes ridden in the Tour de France. There are lots of rules, but here are a few of the important ones: A bike can't weigh any less than 14.99 pounds (so yes, amateur cyclists can buy bikes lighter than those ridden in the Tour), wheels must have a minimum of 12 spokes and the frame must be built around a main triangle (no beam bikes). Bikes are sporadically checked by race officials prior to stage starts. 

Q: How often are Tour de France riders drug tested? A: It varies, and riders contending for the podium are tested more than others. All riders undergo a blood test prior to the start of the Tour, and a random six athletes can be tested (either urine or blood) at the finish line and at the hotels after the stages. The stage winner and race leader is tested every day. 

Q: How do Tour de France cyclists pee? A: This is gross, but remember, you asked. Tour de France cyclists usually pee a couple of times during the race, and this usually happens in the first hour of the race when the peloton pulls over for a quick stop. Riders have also been known to pee while riding if the pace is too quick to afford a stop. If you're wondering about No. 2, that's a different story. Some cyclists have been caught pulling over and using a spectator's motorhome or even pulling off the side of the road and taking care of business in an open field. 

Q: Has anyone died during the Tour de France? A: Cycling has always been a dangerous sport, and with these risks come unfortunate accidents. A total of four cyclists have died during the Tour: Adolphe Heliere (1910), Francisco Cepeda (1934), Tom Simpson (1967) and Fabio Casartelli (1995). 

Q: Who holds the record for the most Tour de France stage wins? A: Legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx (Belgium) holds the record for the most Tour de France stage wins with 34. The "Manx Missile" Mark Cavendish (United Kingdom) is second with 30 wins, and Bernard Hinault (France) is third with 28 wins to his name. 

Q: How much does the Tour de France winner make? A: Besides their salary (which ranges from around $40k to $2 million a year), the winner of the Tour earns about 500,000 Euros. The runner-up earns 200,000 Euros and the final podium finisher earns 100,000 Euros. This prize money is technically the individual's money, but it's usually split between the team riders and staff. 

Q: How many riders are in the Tour de France? A: This varies year to year, but the 2018 Tour de France featured 22 teams and a total of 176 riders. Over 30 riders abandoned during the course of the race, either due to mechanical issues, crashes, illness or missing the time cut. 

Q: How long is the Tour de France? A: The distance the Tour covers varies from year to year. The longest Tour de France was in 1926 and consisted of 17 stages for a total of 5,745 kilometers. The 2019 edition celebrates 100 years of the maillot jaune (yellow jersey) and consists of 21 stages and 3,460 kilometers.

READ THIS NEXT:  The Jerseys of the Tour de France

clock This article was published more than  9 years ago

Here’s how Tour de France cyclists answer nature’s call during the race

Ever wonder how Tour de France racers handle bathroom emergencies? Viewers of today’s Stage 19 found out when NBCSN’s broadcast aimed its cameras on Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider Niki Terpstra. Viewers watched a stream of liquid travel in a low arc as the rider, being recorded from the back thankfully, rode closely to the ditch with just one hand on the handlebars. Twitter noticed:

Ever wonder how Tour de France riders pee? Just captured for posterity on Stage 19, Rider # 78 for Quick Step. — Michael O (@Meehaul) July 25, 2014

Then they joked:

That’s Niki ‘The Flow’ Terpstra. #sbstdf #tdf — Scott Fitzgerald (@ScottFitzG) July 25, 2014

Niki Terpstra has the rolling nature break dialed #sbstdf #tdf — Dan Madden (@danchezxxx) July 25, 2014

Excellent stream there for Terpstra. His urologist must be very happy. #sbstdf #tdf — Scott Fitzgerald (@ScottFitzG) July 25, 2014

While riders sweat a lot along the route, they also are constantly fueling their systems. On average, riders consume roughly 8,000 calories per day, including 1,500 along the race route,

. Many of those 1,500 calories are consumed in liquid form via a specially mixed race drink, which is typically doled out to racers in 500 or 600 milliliter bottles. That’s over 16 ounces a pop and, according to Team Garmin-Sharp press officer Marya Pongrace, riders average about 13 bottles per stage, including pre-race, race and recovery.

With that in mind, it makes you wonder how racers taking mid-ride bathroom breaks aren’t caught on camera more often.

Now, if you’re wondering about the other reason humans need to use the bathroom, that’s a little more complicated. Ideally, racers would plan around their need to defecate, but once in a while, nature calls and all you can do is answer it. In that case, riders need to depend on a friendly spectator with a motor home. Here’s Arnaud Demare of Team FDJ.fr demonstrating that concept on Stage 14.

Poor timing? Yes. But the hold-up doesn’t necessarily mean the end for a rider in a speedy race. Belkin team riders Lars Boom and Maaren Wynants told the French newspaper Le Monde in an interview (via

) that it’s considered unsportsmanlike to overtake the tour leader during a bathroom break.

Tour De France: How Do They Pee?

Jul 27, 2008 | fitness

Have you been hearing a lot about the Tour De France in the media? Maybe you’ve heard that Australian Cadel Evans is runner up again this year. But for many of us out there we know very little about this historic event, only that it’s a bloody long bike ride somewhere in Europe. So for a quick crash course in the Tour De France, international Tri-athlete and cyclist James Masters (of Fitspace Training ) is here to answer your most pressing questions.

1. What exactly is the Tour De France?

A very long 3 week cycling race. 23 days in total. There are 21 days (or stages) of racing and 2 rest days. Each stage is between 160- 230km. There are also 2 shorter time trials spanning between 30-60km which focuses on speed. The course travels mostly in France but also into other countries such as Italy and Spain. Last year it began in London. Each year the course alternates between a clockwise or an anti clockwise direction.

2. What does the yellow jersey mean in the Tour de France?

The person with the lowest accumulated time at the end of each stage, also known as the General Classification (GC) wins the yellow jersey. The person on the last day with the overall lowest time, wins the entire Tour De France. So conceivably someone who never wears a yellow jersey could win the entire GC if they smashed the very last stage (and had been placing 2nd or 3rd on most other days).

There are three main aims in the Tour de France:

• Winning a stage: You get to have a go up on the podium, and you get prizes etc, but you may not get the yellow jersey
• Winning the yellow jersey on a day: You may not have crossed the line first that day, but your overall time is the lowest
• Win the overall race or GC: This is the ultimate aim and biggest achievement, with the most prize money

3. How are Tour de France riders so fiercely competitive, but still work well as a team?

Each team (9 riders) may only have one contender for the crown. The other team member’s main aim is to do everything possible to help their leader have a good race. Their jobs include:

• Fetch water bottles from the team car
• Ride in front of the leader to create a slip stream in the wind
• Swap a bike wheel, or bike if there was a puncture or mechanical issues
• Increase the pace of the whole group to catch break away riders

4. How do Tour de France riders pee?

Pairs (so they aren’t always at the back all the time) or sometimes even peloton stop en masse, and hang a leak on the side of the road. It is normally decided as a group where and when they should stop. There is an unwritten rule that riders do not attack when someone is taking a nature break. (Good to know they’re staying hydrated , right?)

5. How do Tour de France riders eat?

There are designated feed stations on course whereby a crew member stands on the side of the road holding out ‘feed bags’ or ‘musettes’. This is like a satchel that the riders sling over their shoulders. In the pouch is a selection of food such as sandwiches, biscuits, muesli bars, energy snacks and sports gels. The riders take what they want from the bag and put it in their t-shirt pockets, then toss the bag on the side of the road. The entire peloton restocks at the same time and they usually restock once or twice in each stage, eating continuously every half hour.

6. What is EPO?

Erythropoietin or EPO is a performance enhancing drug that increases a persons haematocrits. Haematocrit is the proportion of a persons blood that is made up of red blood cells. Most normal people will have about 38-46% of their blood volume being made up of actual red blood cells. However with drugs like EPO a person’s percentage of red blood cells may increase to over 50%, thickening the blood (which is very dangerous) but also increasing the bodies ability to deliver ever important oxygen to the working muscles.

They used to simply measure someone’s hermaticrite level as an indicator of drug use, but some athletes are freakish and naturally have a higher percentage of red blood cells, and other athletes, with altitude training would also have higher levels. So now the drug testing is much more advanced and they can test the blood to find other DNA structures that differ from their own, and this is how they detect drugs like EPO.

Other common drugs are human growth hormone , testosterone, and amphetamines. However the sport of cycling is now one of the highest targeted sports for drug testing and therefore extremely clean. It is virtually impossible not to get caught with the number of tests being done nowdays, as this current Tour has proven.

7. Can women race in the Tour de France?

There is a female Tour De France – the Tour de France Femmes – which is shorter and much smaller with little prize money or media coverage. Typical!

8. Any other interesting facts about the Tour de France?

Lance Armstrong (from Texas) won the race 7 times in a row (1999-2005)! On one stage, he once lost 7kg in one hour due to dehydration. There are 5 other guys who have won it 5 times. Many of these athletes will compete at the Olympics as well. In the Olympics the race is usually equivalent to one stage of the Tour. They burn 5000-7000 calories in one day.

So that’s the low down on the Tour De France. If you’re are a cycling fan or if you know any other interesting facts about the Tour, I would love to hear about it.

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How Do Cyclists Pee (Inc. Pro Racers And Tour De France)

We’ve all experienced the disastrous feeling of needing a pee halfway into a long-distance ride.

Our hearts stop for a second as we realize we need to find somewhere along the side of the road quickly or things could get extremely uncomfortable or even messy.

Now imagine that feeling and picture yourself riding over 100 kilometers in the Tour de France.

With that in mind, you probably find yourself wondering how on earth cyclists go for a pee during important competitions in which millions of people will be watching.

If you don’t know, this question can leave you baffled, which is why today in this article we want to clear things up.

In this blog, we will be letting you in on all the secret or not so secret ways cyclists go for a pee whilst riding.

Who knows some of the answers may even help you relieve yourself next time you’re stuck in a sticky situation.

How Do Cyclists Pee?

Cycling is a tough high endurance sport that uses up a lot of energy and makes us sweat a lot. As a result of this, we have to stay well hydrated as we ride.

Staying well-hydrated helps us perform to our best for longer but it is only a matter of time before nature starts calling.

With most long rides lasting more than 3 hours, we have to find a way to have a pee.

For most of us, this is nice and easy because we aren’t in any form of competition.

If any unprofessional cyclist needs a pee they can simply pull over at a suitable place to go about their business.

This will be easier for men because… well, you know. But women may struggle.

Women don’t have the luxury of external parts so it’s a case of trying to get the spandex out of the way.

How Can Female Cyclists Pee?

Like men, women still need to remove their cycling clothes to go for a pee. This is harder for obvious reasons but it simply has to be done.

Having said that, there are things we can do to make the whole process a lot easier.

Wearing a jersey with full zips is a huge bonus when needing a pee.

This is because they can be taken off and put back on a lot easier, making the whole situation a lot quicker and not as awkward.

Bibs and shorts with drop-downs and zips are also good options that make it easier to pee.

They make every pit stop quicker than more standard bibs.

Finally, cycling gear that is made of stretchier fabrics can be a lot easier to pull to the side when you need to pee.

How Do Cyclists Pee In Amateur Competitions?

Unfortunately, there are no procedures in place for individuals who need to pee during amateur races.

Therefore, it is down to the cyclist themselves to go for a pee before the race begins.

If you do need a pee during the race you are quite limited in options.

The best option is to try and get off your bike and relieve yourself quickly before the race starts to get interesting.

If you can do this you will have plenty of time to catch up with the peloton.

The other obvious but sadly quite unpleasant option is to simply pee as you ride.

As you can imagine this is very unpleasant unless you manage to avoid getting yourself wet.

Men sometimes pull their shorts down and pee as they ride but for women, this isn’t possible.

This often results in having wet, nasty-smelling shorts for the rest of the race.

We recommend you always bite the bullet and pull over to the side. This is the quickest, safest, and most hygienic way to have a pee during a race.

How Do Cyclists In The Tour de France Pee?

When it comes to professional cycling races like the Tour De France things start to change.

As the Tour de France is such a long, intense, serious event it is almost guaranteed that riders will need to pee at some point in some of the races.

They take on so many fluids and energy supplements that at some point nature has to come calling.

Though races vary, most professional races follow a similar path as the Tour de France.

As a result of this it seems only fitting we look at the biggest cycling event in the world and how its riders pee.

The Unwritten Law

It may come as a surprise to you that there are actually no specific rules or laws in place in the Tour de France for cyclists that need to pee.

This is the case with most professional races. However, the Tour de France has its own set of unwritten laws that cyclists follow or at least should if they are showing good sportsmanship.

The peloton can organize itself to select a ‘nature break’ time slot during which all of the riders will stop collectively to pee.

At a Grand Tour, cycling tradition dictates that the GC (Group Classification) leader decides when this will happen.

Anybody that chooses not to have a pee during this time is bound by the unwritten law not to attack whilst this happens.

In 2017, during stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia, Movistar and Bahrain-Merida faced controversy after deciding not to wait for the leader of the race who was taking a natural break just 31km from the finish line.

What if Only One Rider Needs To Pee?

In professional races, most riders will take the opportunity to pee when it arises, however, if only one rider needs a pee they will have to go at the opportune moment.

Usually, the rider will ride ahead of the peloton giving themselves the largest possible window to relieve their bladder.

Should the peloton pass the individual, they can draft their way back into the bunch using the team cars.

Pee As You Ride

The final way professional riders pee as they ride is to simply go whilst on the bike.

Unbelievably cyclists have been known to hold each other up as they pee, with each cyclist simply getting their willy out and peeing as they ride.

We for one are glad we aren’t behind those two.

If a cyclist isn’t comfortable about getting their body parts out on television, which we can completely understand, they simply have to pee in their shorts.

This may sound pretty unpleasant and uncomfortable but sometimes when you gotta go you gotta go.

Cyclist Marcel Kittel actually says on a cold, wet day peeing in your shorts can keep you nice and warm.

We might leave that one to you to try.

Final Thoughts

So that’s it, hopefully, now you have read this article you know exactly how cyclists pee as they ride.

In our opinion, we still think the best thing to do when you need a pee is simply to pull over and get it done, but you might have a different opinion.

It is interesting to discover that even the best athletes have occasionally had to do the same as us mere mortals.

Even though top cyclists are superhumans, when they’ve gotta go, they gotta go.

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14 Questions You’ve Always Had About The Tour de France

How riders pee on the bike, the age of the youngest winner - no matter what your questions are about the Tour de France, we’ve got your back.

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Let’s be honest: Pro cycling is difficult to watch and enjoy without some basic knowledge. But once you’ve figured out the essential logistics – What’s up with the jersey colours? What’s a breakaway? Which channel is this race even on? – a few more nuanced questions still linger. Here are answers to 14 things you’ve likely wondered about the Tour de France , which we hope get you thinking about even more questions!

How do Tour de France Riders pee?

Long, hot, July days mean the pros are hydrating a lot on the bike, which means bathroom breaks are inevitable.

In the first five to 10 minutes of a race, when the pace is more leisurely, “riders pull to the side of the road, pull their shorts down just like you would underwear – you know, pull front down, do your business,” says retired pro cyclist Ted King, who’s ridden the Tour de France several times. During this neutral roll out, King says, there’s plenty of time to catch back on to the peloton before the race starts in earnest .

Once the pace picks up, riders still use this tactic to pee while racing. “It’s a lot easier to wait for a lull in the race when a big fraction of the peloton pulls to the side of the road rather than doing it solo, because that solo chase is tough!” King says.

But nature calling doesn’t mean riders even have to slow down: You can also pee off the bike while riding. (Too much information? Maybe, but now you’ll know why riders sometimes look awkward when they’re coasting.) “If peeing to the right, your right leg is in a 6 o’clock position, left at 12. Left hand on the handlebars, right hand holds the shorts down, and coast while relieving yourself,” King advises.

Who’s won the most Tours de France?

That depends whether you’re counting titles that have been taken away (cough— Lance —cough). If you’re not, says Christopher Thompson, author of The Tour de France: A Cultural History , the answer is a four-way tie between Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Indurain, Eddy Merckx, and Bernard Hinault. They’re in good company.

Has the Tour ever not happened since it started in 1903?

Only the two World Wars caused the race to be put on hold, says Thompson. All in all, battles cost the world 11 editions of the Tour: WWI broke out a few days after the 1914 Tour, he says, and didn’t run again until 1919; it again went on hiatus during WWII from 1940 to 1946, running again in 1947—two years after the end of the war .

“WWI was a war of attrition and the French were fighting the whole time—and there were several Tour winners who were killed in the trenches,” he says. “But in WWII, France was defeated and occupied quite early, and that was different. There was a government that went along with the Nazis, so there was some racing to prove that things were normal under the occupation, but the Tour wasn’t held. After, France was so devastated by WWII that it took a while to get restarted.”

Why is the leader’s jersey yellow?

Simple, says Thompson: L’Auto , the newspaper that first started and sponsored the race, was printed on yellow paper, so it was essentially an advertising strategy. (That’s also why the Giro d’Italia leader’s jersey is pink—the newspaper that created the Giro was printed on pink paper.)

WTF is ASO?

The Tour de France isn’t run by L’Auto anymore, but current organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) is still part of a media group Éditions Philippe Amaury (EPA). ASO also organises the Vuelta a España and Paris-Nice.

Has anyone died in the Tour?

Sadly, four riders have passed away over the course of the race’s history. In 1910, Adolphe Heliére drowned on a rest day; in 1934, Francisco Cepeda crashed into a ravine on a descent; in 1967, Tom Simpson passed away after a heart attack; and in 1995, Fabio Casartelli was killed after crashing and hitting his head.

What do Tour riders do on rest days?

They ride! At least, they go for short rides to keep their legs from cramping up.

Max Testa, MD, chief medical officer for Team BMC and former team doctor with 7-Eleven and Motorola, says that the short rides (which can be up to three hours for Tour racers!) help keep inflammation at bay and keep muscles ready for another hard day in the saddle.

Why isn’t there a women’s Tour de France?

“Many Europeans define sport—especially a difficult sport like cycling—as a masculine thing, only something hyper-virile men were capable of,” Thompson says. “So even as women were getting into sport—running, tennis—European cycling remained a male monopoly with rare exceptions.”

There was a women’s Tour in the ’80s, but it was short-lived. Today, there is a women’s race during the Tour called La Course, but it’s a one-day only event on the last day of Tour racing. But never say never.

How many people watch the Tour?

According to the organisers, 3.5 billion people tune in to watch the Tour each year, in 190 countries. (To put that into perspective, the Superbowl is only watched by 114.4 million viewers.)

How old was the oldest Tour de France racer, and how young was the youngest?

Both distinctions occurred in 1904: Henri Paret was the oldest competitor at age 50 when he competed in 1904, while 20-year-old Henri Cornet was the youngest. Cornet was also the youngest winner. The oldest winner was in 1922, when 36-year-old Belgian Firmin Lambot took the yellow jersey.

Do TDF racers make their stage data public?

Sometimes—but don’t count on all of them to spend their evenings uploading. Still, you can keep an eye on some top pros’ Strava accounts: Here are the ones associated with Taylor Phinney, Laurens ten Dam, Thibaut Pinot, Romain Bardet and Andre Greipel.

What tyre pressure do the pros run at the Tour?

Every racer and mechanic has a specific (usually top-secret) tyre pressure that he or she considers to be the ‘best,’ but there are some general guidelines.

Garmin-Sharp’s mechanic Geoff Brown told Bicycling ,” In general, with all of those variables [like weather and riders’ personal preference], that tyre pressure is 8 to 8.5 bar for the road stages, and then 9.5 to 10 bar for the time-trial stages. And we drop that by 10 or 15 for rainy days.”

They run about 0.5 bar lower in the front for more control as well, and with tubular tyres, they tend to run slightly lower pressures. Clinchers need to be kept around 7.5 to 8.5 bar in order to avoid pinch-flatting.

How much do Tour de France bikes weigh?

In the 1900s, the bikes that Tour de France cyclists pedaled up and down mountains weighed in at a whopping 18kg each. In fact, Fiets,  a Dutch cycling magazine, showcased a bike from the 1903 race weighing in at 18kg… with a fixed gear. Today, bikes weigh in at just under 7kg—but not any lower, since the UCI’s minimum bike weight is 6.8kg.

Why aren’t there more South Africans in the Tour?

While there isn’t a definitive answer to this, in part, there are fewer Saffers in the Tour because cycling has historically been more of a pastime than a competitive endeavour here in South Africa. Compared to Europe, where children are groomed for competitive racing from a young age, it’s hard for South African racers to compete. Added to that, the cost of competing is higher: Racers need to go where the big races are, and that almost always means moving to Europe.

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How They Pee in The Tour

From Editors at Bicycling.com

The cyclists in the  Tour de France  ride over 100 kilometers almost every day, climb massive mountains, descend at warp speed down twisty pavement, and finish it all off with a furious sprint. With the hours on hours they spend in the saddle every day, we’re curious about one simple thing: How do these riders  pee ?

If you’ve ever been well hydrated on a ride longer than three hours, nature has probably called—and she doesn’t like to be ignored. So what do you do when you’re riding at around 25 miles per hour in a race with 200 other riders and you’ve got to go?RELATED STORY The Fastest Bikes of the Tour de France

In the Tour and many other big races, the race leader (in this case, the guy wearing the yellow jersey) is king. If he has to go, he can call a bathroom break whenever he desires, says Stephen Hall, a professional track and criterium cyclist and a stage winner at the 2015 Tour of Thailand. If that happens, a bathroom break is like an oasis in the desert—you take advantage of it when you see it. The peloton will slow up a bit out of respect for the race leader, and you’ll pull over to the side of the road. Once your business is finished, you’ll work together to navigate back to pack.

Retired pro cyclist Ted King, who’s ridden the Tour de France several times, confirms Hall’s account. When the pace is more leisurely, “riders pull to the side of the road, pull their shorts down just like you would underwear—you know, pull front down, do your business,” he says. During a neutral roll out, King says there’s plenty of time to catch back on to the peloton before the race starts in earnest.

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What Does it Take to Race the Tour de France?

, by Chris Case

We take a closer look at the demands of the most famous grand tour, and how the pros train for three weeks of intense racing.

For three weeks each July, we watch as the best bike racers in the world tear themselves apart for five-plus hours per day at the Tour de France .

Over 21 stages, nearly 200 incredible athletes race an event that would shatter most of us in just one day. But then they also have to contend with answering reporter’s questions, pleasing sponsors, transferring between hotels, trying to eat enough food to cover the day’s expenditures, and, finally—and perhaps most importantly—trying to get quality sleep.

It’s a feat that’s hard to comprehend. In this brief review, we’ll explore what it takes to race the Tour—physiologically and psychologically. We will look at the Tour from a numbers perspective—and describe why the numbers really don’t tell the tale. Then we’ll dive into how the riders train for the Tour before discussing what amateur riders should and shouldn’t take away from how Tour riders train.

Vive le Tour!

RELATED: The Beginner's Guide to the Tour de France

The tale of the Tour in numbers

Compared to what everyday cyclists do, the raw numbers of a Tour de France effort are staggering. Over the course of three weeks, riders will average around 100 hours of racing. And that doesn’t include anything extra that they might do: warming up, cooling down, or rest-day rides.

On a course that averages around 3,500 kilometers, Tour riders will expend about 5,000 to 7,000 calories per day, or over 120,000 calories over the three weeks. The true number depends on things like rider size, their role on the team, and so on.

Interestingly, when you look at the average power over the 21 stages, it can be as low as 170 watts for some light climbers who are in protected roles and who spend a lot of the time off the front of the peloton. It’s just that they will also need to produce those sudden moments of very high power outputs.

RELATED: Preview: An Unusual Tour de France Route

“It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a lot if you’re holding that for 110 hours,” says Ciaran O’Grady, a sport scientist and lead coach at Israel-Premier Tech professional cycling team. “It’s going to certainly add up in terms of physiological load. It’s absolutely astonishing what these guys go through over those 21 stages.”

According to O’Grady, 70 percent of the time the riders spend, on average, during the race is in zone 1 (in a three zone model). So it’s a prolonged sub-threshold pace. Above threshold? For most of the riders, it’s around 10 to 15 percent of the total time.

On a course that averages around 3,500 kilometers, Tour riders will expend about 5,000 to 7,000 calories per day, or over 120,000 calories over the three weeks.

“Again, it doesn’t sound like much on paper, but when you add it up over the course of 21 stages, it’s a fair old physiological whack,” O’Grady proclaims.

Training a Tour engine

The first thing to appreciate about riding the Tour is the sheer volume—over 100 hours of pedaling. So, one of the first training considerations is, no surprise, pure volume on the bike.

During the base phase of a pro rider’s training program, they will have months where the training load is 100 or more hours, to mimic the conditions of the race. Once they’ve bult that ability to handle the volume, then they work on their ability to produce explosive, intense efforts.

RELATED: The 10 Hardest Climbs in Tour de France History

That said, most of the riders who race the Tour, or any grand tour, will have been a professional for several years. Their endurance engine is already very well developed. So the bulk of those 100 hours may have fairly low average power. When they do training blocks, they’ll strategically add intensity to that high volume.

“This is what I call dirty intervals: you go out and ride for three hours at tempo pace, burn maybe 2,500 to 3,000 kilojoules, and then start the intervals,” O’Grady says. “It’s all about making sure that the body is able to work when it is fatigued.”

After doing that day by day by day, with the proper recovery to allow for the adaptive process, you create the engine to perform in a grand tour environment, according to O’Grady. This assumes the athlete already has the genetic predisposition to do so.

A study that analyzed six years of training data from Pierre Rolland, a former Tour de France GC rider, confirms this approach.

In short, his five-second power, 30-second power, and one-minute power didn’t change much over the course of those six years, as he developed into a top-10 finisher at the Tour. However, his training volume over those six years increased 79 percent. The development was focused on the aerobic engine, and on the ability to resist fatigue.

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At the start of the six-year study, he managed to do only three big training blocks filled with extremely stressful, big volume, big intensity workouts. However, by the time he finished in the top 10 at the Tour de France, he was completing 11 of those training weeks in a year.

The focus was never about building huge power. It was much more about that ability to resist the grind.

For the mortals among us (that’s you!)

It goes without saying: these guys are professionals, so what they do is not usually what a recreational rider should do.

This [type of training] would probably set us mortals back more than it would drive us along. We’re just not able to assimilate those adaptations that are being made by the stresses.

“This [type of training] would probably set us mortals back more than it would drive us along,” O’Grady says. “We’re just not able to assimilate those adaptations that are being made by the stresses that we would be putting our body under.”

If you had a week off from work, you could do a huge amount of volume in that week . But then to make quality adaptations from that, it’s going to be extremely difficult without the proper recovery.

It’s always important to be mindful of your limitations. Don’t try to replicate the rides of the pros, particularly if you work full-time.

RELATED: Low Risk, High Reward: The Polarized Training Method for Cyclists

However, one aspect of their training is highly relevant. The so-called polarization of their training—spending most of the time at a relatively low intensity, and then doing very specific hard efforts only sparingly—leads to the biggest gains with the smallest risks.

This is the type of training you see time and time again from the bulk of the professional peloton. It takes time, it takes discipline, but if their efforts at the Tour are any indication, it works very well.

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The Top Googled Tour de France Questions, Answered

Put your feet up, Google Algorithm. We’ve got this.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

This piece originally appeared on CyclingTips .

Dear Google Algorithm,

We see you. We see the strain you are about to be put under. We know—and you, Google, you know too—that as the premier stage race of the year, the Tour de France  is perhaps the only cycling event to transcend the sport’s bubble and cross over to a mainstream audience.

That’s excellent, because cycling as an activity is wonderful, and as a sport it’s the most beautiful in the world. But there are some uniquely confusing things about the Tour de France, and new fans—quite understandably—have some questions.

And when you’ve got Tour de France questions, who do you ask? Google, that’s who. But while everyone is OK googling questions, nobody asks if Google is OK—so in the lead up to this year’s Tour de France, we are here to help.

These are the questions the internet has about the Tour de France.

Put your feet up, Algorithm. We’ve got this.

Do Tour de France Riders Poop?

That’s the first question you have? Really? Good grief.

Yes. It is an ordinary human function that is consistent across all humans, even Tour de France riders. If they did not, they would be very uncomfortable for the duration of the race. Maybe they’d even die. I don’t make the rules.

Do Tour de France Riders Pee Their Pants?

Generally not, although I’m not going to say never.

Typically, riders in need will pull over to the road side in an organised fashion, kind of angle-parking themselves next to a field or guardrail, before letting it rip. This usually happens in a détente in the day’s proceedings, where the pace slows enough to allow the urinating riders (the peeloton) to return to the main group (the peloton).

If a rider is caught out with a sudden tingling urge or the pressure is on, they may drift back in the bunch and take a rolling wee, with some assistance from teammates—either to help them balance or to pace them back.

There has been recent commentary from certain riders that  the bathroom etiquette of road cycling has gone out the window , with Peter Sagan memorably describing the flurries of urine he battles through as “total anarchy.” True story, true quote.

Do Tour de France Riders Poop Their Pants?

Oh, we’re back here again? Sure. I love that for us.

Usually, they do it on the side of the road during quiet moments, but for reasons of privacy they might dismount and head for a ditch (as modelled by the aforementioned Peter Sagan here):

A rider will usually make it through the stage without being struck by the urge, but not always. Sometimes, that will make a rider the butt—hur, hur—of everyone’s jokes ( à la Tom Dumoulin ). Sometimes, a rider will be struck down with explosive diarrhoea (à la Greg Lemond), as the following memorable passage shows, from  Richard Moore ‘s excellent ‘Slaying the Badger: Greg LeMond, Bernard Hinault, and the Greatest Tour de France’:

“It was 60, 70 kilometers to go, and I took a peach,” LeMond says. “About 10 km later, I went to a teammate, ‘Pass me your hat.’ He was like, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Pass me your hat, please.’ ‘What do you want my hat for?’ ‘Pass me the goddamn hat!’ “I shoved it down my shorts; it didn’t feel like it was going to be diarrhea, but oh, my God, it was so severe. I just felt the shorts go woooooop! And it fills my shorts, then slowly dribbles down my legs into my shoes. I mean literally, it was dripping into my wheels, it was flying off the spokes. And then everyone separated off from me. We were single file, we were going hard, and I was cramping, my stomach.”

Evocative, no?

What Makes the Tour de France so Special?

Nah, it’s been around since 1903 and attracts the biggest audience, televised in 186 countries. It has the biggest prize money and the most prestige, and because of that, it’s the most attractive to sponsors of the sport. That makes for a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, making the Tour all but untouchable.

Also, it is exceptionally beautiful.

Are Women Allowed in the Tour de France?

No, although there have been several women’s-specific Tour de France equivalents over the years, including a one-off as far back as 1955, and, from 1984-2009, an event under a shifting cast of names (the Tour de France Féminin, Tour of the EEC Women, Tour Cycliste Féminin and Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale).

This year is particularly exciting because it’s the debut of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift—an eight-stage women’s Tour de France, starting in Paris on the same day that the men’s race finishes, run by the same organizers. It’s long overdue, and it’s going to be awesome.

Do Tour de France Riders Listen to Music?

No. They typically have earpieces in one ear, but they are used for communication with their team directors or with other teammates. They do, however, listen to  often terrible music  in their team buses in the morning before each stage.

How Many Gears Does a Tour de France Bike Have?

Bike tech is constantly evolving and some of the minor teams may be still on older equipment, but the majority of riders would be riding bikes with two chainrings at the front and 12 sprockets at the back, making for a total of 24 gears.

Do Tour de France Riders Use Disc Brakes?

As noted above, some teams may still be on rim brakes, but the vast majority will now be using disc brakes. Ineos Grenadiers were the sole top-tier team still using rim brakes but  they have been riding discs  throughout the 2022 season. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar sometimes uses rim brakes on big mountain stages, as they allow for a lighter bike.

Where Do the Tour de France Riders Sleep?

In hotels, usually with two riders to a room. Sometimes those hotels are nice. Sometimes they are miserable Ibises. It is a nightly lottery.

Do Tour de France Riders Sleep?

Yes. The Tour de France is three weeks long and they are exercising very hard throughout. They need to sleep.

Do Tour de France Riders Drink Alcohol?

Not nearly as much as Tour de France journalists and spectators.

What Tour de France Stage Is Today?

The Tour de France started on Friday July 1, 2022.

Please enjoy this handy guide to the stages and route of the 2022 Tour de France.

What Did the Tour de France Sign Say?

If I’m being obtuse, there are many signs at the Tour de France, often saying things like “Tour de France,” Skoda, LCL, E Leclerc, Continental, and Krys.

But I think what you are really asking about is  the crash on stage 1 of the 2021 Tour de France , where half the peloton was brought down by a spectator, greeting her grandparents with a sign reading “Allez Opi-Omi!” Which means “Go grandpa-grandma!” in a hybrid of French and German.

It was a  whole thing .

What Caused the Tour de France Crash?

There are a lot of crashes at the Tour de France, big and small and usually several times a day. But I think most Googlers are probably pounding the algorithm for the one we just mentioned above. Tour de France crash was caused by one woman’s love for her grandparents.

What Time Does the Tour de France Start?

This world has many time zones and I wouldn’t dare presume which one you are in, but  here is a useful guide for how to watch the Tour de France  on live TV or streaming platforms, wherever you might be.

What Is the Tour de France Time Trial?

For the purposes of this year’s Tour de France, the time trial is an individual race against the clock, where all riders ride the same course, with staggered start times, trying to post the lowest possible time. For these stages, they use more aerodynamically efficient equipment and special time trial bikes and there’s no drafting allowed.

This year there are time trials on stage 1 (13 kilometres) and stage 20 (40 kilometres).

How Long Is the Tour de France?

21 stages, and—usually—two rest days. This year, because the race starts in Denmark, there is an extra transfer day on July 4 as the whole show picks up and moves from Scandinavia to France. The dates this year are Friday 1 July to Sunday 24 July.

How Many Kilometers Is the Tour de France?

It is 3,328 kilometers, or 2,067 miles (AKA 66,560 Olympic-size swimming pools).

Tour de France: How Do They Pee?

The riders wear bib shorts, with straps over the shoulders, which makes undressing complicated. As such, there are two main methods that can be used—flopping themselves over the waistband and hoping not to kink the hose, or the more daring ‘down the leg’ method.

If you’re doing this on the move—from personal experience as a bored teen on country roads when nobody was around other than some very confused cows—the risk is high and the reward is low.

Is Chris Froome in Tour de France 2022?

Yes,  he will be at the Tour de France . No, he will not win.

Where Does the Tour de France Start 2022?

Copenhagen, Denmark—a great city that is conspicuously not in France, but I won’t hold that against it.

Why Is the Tour de France Starting in Denmark?

Are there any american teams in the tour de france.

There are two American-registered teams in this year’s Tour de France: Trek-Segafredo and EF Education-Easypost. They look like this:

Who Won All Three Grand Tours?

Only seven riders have won the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España in their careers:

Jacques Anquetil,  Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx,  Bernard Hinault , Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, and Chris Froome.

Who Has Won the Tour de France the Most Times?

That is a surprisingly fraught question. Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive editions of the race from 1999 to 2005, but they were all later stripped from him after he admitted to doping throughout his career.

There are four riders who have won the Tour de France on five occasions—Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. (The cleanliness of these riders has also often been called into question, but let’s not quibble.)

Do Cyclists Pee Themselves?

I think we’re done here.

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Can pro cyclists have sex during Tour de France? Niki Terpstra gives honest answer to age-old question

L ast week, Niki Terpstra was racing as a gravel cyclist in Unbound, but he also has his podcast Speed on Wheels . In it, the Dutchman answers any and all questions – and when we say all questions, we mean that literally. Terpstra, who has ridden the Tour de France eight times, didn't even sidestep the question "do riders have sex during a Grand Tour?".

"Of course," replied the winner of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Other riders, such as Filippo Pozzato, claimed the opposite. "What Pozzato says is really nonsense and outdated, he maybe managed that once," laughs Terpstra.

"I know the stories from the past. For instance, women were not allowed to visit at Peter Post’s team. But I've had tours where Ramona stayed with me for a few days. So, yes, indeed," he says without a doubt.

Paris parade continued in the hotel: "Within half an hour that whole building was shaking"

Even the single men need to have their needs met. "It does happen that they go wild, but calling escorts or something like that, I haven't experienced that. The story about Frank Vandenbroucke? Yes, I've experienced that more often in the Vuelta. With teammates. I'm not going to name anyone specifically, but the podium hostesses always looked very good."

"Do we even have the energy for it? What do you think? You are away from home for four weeks, they are all walking testosterone bombs. When you are completely wiped out, then your libido goes down," explains Terpstra. "But with a rest day, you're good to go again. Think of the Tour. These days, everyone often stays in a big hotel after the Champs-Élysées. After the finish, everyone went to their rooms, where the riders' wives were. Within half an hour, that whole building was shaking," he laughs.

What Is the Average Speed of a Tour de France Rider? Plus More FAQs

Even if you are tuning in for the first time, these facts will make you look like a seasoned viewer of the TdF.

As you get ready to watch the 2023 Tour de France, you might have some questions. This information will transform you—quickly—into a Tour expert. First, the basics: The 110th Tour de France will take place from July 1 - July 23. It’s good to know that the route changes every year. And in 2023, the Grand Départ is in the Basque Country of Spain, with the typical finish in Paris after 21 stages.

How fast do riders go?

We have looked into this ! A Tour pro’s ability to produce more power for longer means that they can really hammer over different types of races and terrains.

Average Time Trial Speed Average Rider: 19 to 20 mph | Tour Pro: 29 to 31 mph Average Speed on Flat Terrain Average Rider: 17 to 18 mph | Tour Pro: 25 to 28 mph Maximum Sprint Power

Average Rider: 600 to 800 watts | Tour Pro: 1,200 to 1,400 watts

Why do so few Americans compete in the Tour de France?

In 2022, there were seven Americans in the Tour. As of the middle of June, start lists aren’t finalized, but viewers will most likely see Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), and Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar).

Christopher Thompson, author of The Tour de France: A Cultural History , believes fewer Americans race professionally because the U.S. has historically seen cycling as more of a pastime than a competitive endeavor. In Europe, it is more common for children to be trained in competitive racing, and it’s hard for American racers to compete with that training

Also, the cost of competing for an American is higher: Racers need to go where the big races are, and that almost always means moving to Europe.

How much prize money does the Tour de France winner get?

According to the Tour de France website, a total of around 2.3 million Euros will be awarded to the teams and riders, including 500,000 Euros to the winner of the final individual general classification (who usually shares his money with his team). That is equal to roughly $537,000 (USD). Second place GC is awarded 200,000 Euros, third place GC walks away with 100,000 Euros, and so on. Other top prizes go to stage winners, who get 11,000 Euros, and the winners of the points classification and mountains classification, both of whom receive 25,000 Euros. Riders can also win money during intermediate sprints and certain climbs. There’s even prizes for the five best teams and the four best young riders.

Who has won the most Tour de France titles?

That depends whether you’re counting titles that have been taken away ( cough — Lance — cough ). If not, the answer is a four-way tie between Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Indurain, Eddy Merckx, and Bernard Hinault, says Thompson.

Has the Tour ever been cancelled?

Only the two World Wars caused the race to be put on hold, says Thompson. All in all, battles cost the world 11 editions of the Tour: WWI broke out a few days after the 1914 Tour, he says, and didn’t run again until 1919. It went on hiatus again during WWII from 1940 to 1946, running again in 1947—two years after the end of the war.

“WWI was a war of attrition and the French were fighting the whole time. There were several Tour winners who were killed in the trenches,” he says. “But in WWII, France was defeated and occupied quite early, and that was different. There was a government that went along with the Nazis, so there was some racing to prove that things were normal under the occupation, but the Tour wasn’t held. After, France was so devastated by WWII that it took a while to get restarted.”

The Tour was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but eventually held in August of that year.

​Why is the leader’s jersey yellow?

Simple, says Thompson: L’Auto , the newspaper that first started and sponsored the race, was printed on yellow paper, so it was essentially an advertising strategy. (That’s also why the Giro d’Italia leader’s jersey is pink —the newspaper that created the Giro was printed on pink paper.) By the way, yellow in French is jaune and the jersey is called maillot jaune .

How do they make the jerseys so quickly?

There are four jerseys awarded during the course of the Tour de France each year and because who wears them gets decided during the race, they have to made on the spot and in a moment.

Has anyone ever died in the Tour?

Sadly, yes. Four riders have passed away over the course of the race’s history. In 1910, Adolphe Heliére drowned on a rest day; in 1934, Francisco Cepeda crashed into a ravine on a descent; in 1967, Tom Simpson passed away after a heart attack ; and in 1995, Fabio Casartelli was killed after crashing and hitting his head.

Unfortunately, there have also been a number of horrific crashes. To see how grueling the race is, even for those who don’t fall or crash, watch Unchained on Netflix.

​What do Tour riders do on rest days?

They ride! At least, they go for short rides to keep their legs from cramping up. Max Testa , M.D., former team doctor for a variety of Tour teams including Team BMC, 7-Eleven, and Motorola, says that the short rides (which can be up to three hours!) help keep inflammation at bay and keep muscles ready for another hard day in the saddle.

Is there a women’s Tour de France?

After a number of iterations over the years, the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will be held from Sunday, July 23 to Sunday, July 30. The course is 594 miles and includes a mountain stage, four flat stages, two hilly stages, and the time trial. They will not race at all in Paris.

Who were the oldest and youngest Tour cyclists?

Both distinctions occurred in 1904: Henri Paret was the oldest competitor at age 50 when he competed in 1904, while 20-year-old Henri Cornet was the youngest. Cornet was also the youngest winner. The oldest winner was in 1922, when 36-year-old Belgian Firmin Lambot took the yellow jersey.

Do racers make their stage data public?

Sometimes—but don’t count on them spending their evenings uploading their numbers . Still, you can keep an eye on some top pros’ Strava accounts.

How much do Tour de France bikes weigh?

In the 1900s, a Tour de France cyclist pedaled up and down mountains on a bike that weighed a whopping 40 pounds. In fact, Fiets, a Dutch cycling magazine, showcased a bike from the 1903 race weighing 39.7 pounds with a fixed gear. Today, bikes weigh just under 15 pounds—but not any lower, since the UCI’s minimum bike weight is 6.8kg, which translates to 14.99 pounds.

What tire pressures do the cyclists run?

Every racer and mechanic has a specific (top-secret) tire pressure that they considers to be optimal, but there are some guidelines.

“In general, with all of those variables [like weather and riders’ personal preference], that tire pressure is 8 to 8.5 bar for the road stages, and then 9.5 to 10 bar for the time-trial stages. Around 115 psi in the front and 125 psi in the back for the road stages and 130-135 psi for time-trial stages. And we drop that by 10 or 15 for rainy days,” Geoff Brown, veteran mechanic for Garmin-Sharp and EF Education First teams tells Bicycling .

They run about 10 psi lower in the front for more control, as well, and with tubular tires , they tend to run slightly lower pressures. Clinchers need to be kept around 110 to 120 psi in order to avoid pinch-flatting.

How do the competitors go to the bathroom?

It’s a long, hot ride so the pros are hydrating a lot. In the first five to 10 minutes of a race, when the pace is more leisurely, “riders pull to the side of the road, pull their shorts down just like you would underwear—you know, pull front down, do your business,” says retired pro cyclist Ted King, who’s ridden the Tour de France several times.

During this neutral roll out, King says, there’s plenty of time to catch back on to the peloton before the race starts in earnest. Fortunately, nature calls for all riders. “It’s a lot easier to wait for a lull in the race when a big fraction of the peloton pulls to the side of the road rather than doing it solo, because that solo chase is tough!” King says.

Of course, riders also pee off the bike while riding, although it requires having their teammates pedal while they go. “If peeing to the right, your right leg is in a 6 o’clock position, left at 12. Left hand on the handlebars, right hand holds the shorts down, and coast while relieving yourself,” King advises.

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Tour de France 2024 – Comprehensive team-by-team guide

A full rundown of all the teams, their leaders and the riders to watch at this year's race

Alpecin-Deceuninck

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As the 2024 Tour de France rolls out from Florence, Italy on June 29, there will be 176 riders competing across 22 teams – some with a target on overall victory, others looking for stage wins and more still pleased with any opportunity that comes along their way to gather publicity on the biggest cycling stage in the world. 

All 18 WorldTour teams, plus the two best-ranked ProTeams – Israel-Premier Tech and Lotto-Dstny – got their automatic invitations to race while organisers ASO handed out wild card entries to Uno-X Mobility and TotalEnergies.

Crashes, form and Olympic goals have shaped the selections and ambitions for the teams but regardless all will be fighting to make an impression as the 21 days of racing over 3497.3km from Tuscany to Nice in the south of France unfolds.

Cyclingnews has pored through every squad, assessing their leaders, objectives and chances of success to bring you this comprehensive team-by-team guide.

• Team leader: Jasper Philipsen
• Objective: Stage wins, points classification
• Rider to watch: Mathieu van der Poel

In the bunch sprints of the Grand Tours of recent years, one team has stood out above the rest as masters of the lead-out train: Alpecin-Deceuninck .

They were a prominent presence throughout the bunch finishes at the recent Giro d’Italia, but Kaden Groves wasn’t able to ride them to victory. However, at the Tour de France, the team will have Jasper Philipsen , the quickest sprinter in the peloton.

Philipsen was one of the stars of last year’s Tour, storming to four stage wins (as many as any sprinter has managed at a single Tour since the 2011 edition), as well as riding consistently enough to claim the green jersey. He didn't slow down this spring, either, with victories at Milan-San Remo and the Classic Brugge-De Panne, as well as a second place at Paris-Roubaix, among his very impressive results.

Not only is Philipsen the quickest sprinter in the race, but he’ll also have the quickest lead-out man riding for him in Mathieu van der Poel . The pair work brilliantly together, as seen not just at last year’s Tour sprints, but also during the spring, when Van der Poel helped Philipsen to triumph at Milan-San Remo, and vice versa at Paris-Roubaix.

Van der Poel will also go hunting for stage wins on appropriate stages, most likely on days with punchy parcours too hard for sprinters but not hard enough for climbers. For a man so untouchable in the Classics, it’s perhaps surprising that he only has one stage win to his name from three Tour appearances, but he has often ridden here with a future goal in mind, as will be the case this year as he builds towards the Olympics.

• Team leader: Arnaud Démare
• Objective: Stage wins
• Rider to watch: Kévin Vauquelin

With Warren Barguil having followed Nairo Quintana out the door, Arkéa-B&B Hotels are going in a fresh direction for the 2024 Tour with sprinter Arnaud Démare as their new talisman.

Having grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of opportunities provided him by his former Groupama-FDJ team, who selected him for only one Tour de France start in the last five years, Démare has moved to a team where he won’t just be picked but will command unified support behind him.

It’s hoped that as a winner of two Tour stages in the past, Démare can deliver the team their long-awaited first-ever following ten winless Tours, but does the Frenchman have the shape to do so? He hasn’t made the top ten of any race for almost four months, and recently fractured a finger at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, plunging his Tour preparations into doubt.

It could therefore be up to others in the line-up to deliver, from which Kévin Vauquelin has shown particular potential. The 23-year-old has done everything this year, from making the top 10 at both Itzulia Basque Country and Tirreno-Adriatico, finishing second on the Mur de Huy at La Flèche Wallonne and winning a time trial at Etoile de Bessèges. He could be a contender for a variety of different stages though specialises in climbing hills and mountains.

• Team leader: Mark Cavendish
• Rider to watch: Alexey Lutsenko

At last, it's nearly time for the race that Astana Qazaqstan 's whole season has been building up towards.

Since signing Mark Cavendish in January 2023, they've made it their foremost mission to deliver the Manxman to the elusive win number 35, move clear of Eddy Merckx, and thereby become the outright record holder for most stage wins at the Tour de France.

It had initially been intended as a one-year plan, but after the heartbreak of last year’s race, where Cavendish crashed out at the end of the first week , he and the team have decided to have one last shot at history this July.

Unlike last year, when he went into the Tour off the back of a final-day victory in Rome at the Giro d’Italia, Cavendish has shown only sporadic signs of form this season, confined to smaller races. He won a stage during his first race of the season at the Tour of Colombia in February but had to wait another three months for a first victory on European roads at the Tour of Hongrie.

The Astana team is set to be built entirely around him. Veteran lead-out master Michael Mørkøv was signed exclusively to deliver him in the sprints, while Cees Bol and Davide Ballerini will sacrifice their own sprinting ambitions to form part of his lead-out train.

One rider who might be granted some freedom to ride for himself is Alexey Lutsenko . He showed great form by winning Il Giro d’Abruzzo before abandoning the Giro d’Italia and finishing seventh and eighth on GC in 2021 and 2022, respectively. He has two Tour de France GC top 10s, as well as a stage win in 2020, on his palmarès, so another top showing isn't out of the question.

• Team leaders: Pello Bilbao
• Objective: GC, stage wins
• Riders to watch: Santiago Buitrago, Matej Mohorič

What Bahrain Victorious lacks in a single stand-out GC contender, they make up for in strength in depth. Following Antonio Tiberi’s fifth place at the Giro d’Italia, they’re hoping to extend their run of top-six finishes on GC to a fifth consecutive Grand Tour and have several riders potentially capable of doing so.

Their best candidate is Pello Bilbao , based on his performance at the Tour last year and in stage races so far in 2024. He was sixth place last year and has been building nicely towards that level again this year with sixth-place finishes at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and Itzulia Basque Country, plus third at the UAE Tour in between.

Santiago Buitrago is poised to make his Tour debut. He brings with him considerable expectations off the back of his stage wins and top-ten finish at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, respectively, as well as his impressive showing at Paris-Nice earlier this year.

It’s also hoped that Jack Haig can rediscover some form ahead of the race, while even veteran Wout Poels could post a high GC finish based on his recent third and sixth-place finishes at the Tour de Hongrie and Tour of the Alps, respectively.

Poels and Bilbao were two of the three different riders to win a stage at last year’s Tour, along with Matej Mohorič, who will again be using his nous and engine to target breakaways. The Slovenian has three Tour stage wins on his career palmarès and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him add another win here.

With Phil Bauhaus , a debutant last summer, also posing a threat in the bunch sprints, Bahrain Victorious has the resources to target a win on almost every stage.

• Team leaders: Guillaume Martin
• Riders to watch: Bryan Coquard, Ion Izagirre.

For the first time in many years, Cofidis can go into a Tour de France without being badgered about questions of whether this will be the year they at last manage to claim a stage win.

By triumphing on stage 2 of last year’s edition, Victor Lafay ended the team’s 15-year drought and then Ion Izagirre added another stage a week later.

Lafay has since left for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale but Izagirre remains and is set to ride, with stage wins on hilly and mountainous days again likely to be the target.

Guillaume Martin will ride his eighth consecutive Tour de France and will be the team’s leading GC hope. He’s placed eighth, 10th, 11th and 12th in past appearances, but has never won a stage, so he may prioritise trying to take one from a breakaway.

Bryan Coquard is another rider without a Tour stage win to his name despite many near misses, including a couple of fourth-place finishes last year. He’ll be the team’s man for the bunch sprints, especially on hillier days that weaken the specialists.

While these riders bring experience, 25-year-old Axel Zingle has form and potential. He’s been consistently in contention for multiple semi-Classics over the last few months and could win from a breakaway if he picks the right move.

• Team leader: Felix Gall
• Rider to watch: Sam Bennett, Benoît Cosnefroy

In the middle of an exceptional season, in which they have already racked up more victories than they managed in the last two seasons combined, expectations are high for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale as they head into the biggest race of the year.

Although the men who delivered stage wins (Valentin Paret-Peintre and Andrea Vendrame) and fourth overall (Ben O’Connor) at the Giro d’Italia will sit this one out as they rest and recover, the core of the other names who have made 2024 such a success are set to be present.

Benoît Cosnefroy has been the team’s biggest contributor with seven of their 23 wins (as of the end of May) and will target the hilly stages, while Dorion Godon will be a candidate in reduced bunch sprints, having won two sprint finishes at the Tour de Romandie in late April.

In the pure flat finishes, Sam Bennett will still be their main candidate, having recently shown signs of returning to form with a haul of wins and GC at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque.

Felix Gall might have had a quieter season to date, but he'll still be the team’s main man for the mountains and their GC candidate.  He finished eighth overall last year after breaking through with a series of good performances in the spring, while he'll also be hoping to replicate his breakaway stage win at Courchevel.

• Team leader: Fabio Jakobsen, Romain Bardet
• Rider to watch: Warren Barguil

For the Tour de France, DSM-Firmenich PostNL are making the unusual move of deploying the same two leaders as they did at the Giro d’Italia.

In the bunch sprints, Fabio Jakobsen will again line up as he continues to rediscover his mojo. The Dutchman still only has one win to his name (at the Tour of Turkey) since signing for the team this year, and he failed to get involved in the Giro bunch sprints before abandoning during the second week. However, the team still retains faith that he can reach the level that saw him win a stage on his Tour debut two years ago.

Romain Bardet fared better at the Giro than Jakobsen, finishing ninth overall while coming close to a stage win on Bocca della Selva. Though he has made the top 10 in all but two of the eight Tours he has finished throughout his career, his excursions in Italy may mean he targets stage wins this time instead.

With 11 wins to their name – including just one WorldTour race and only three outside the Tour of Turkey – DSM need some big results. That means that another French climber, Warren Barguil , will likely be given the freedom to attack and get into breakaways.

• Team leader: Richard Carapaz
• Rider to watch: Neilson Powless, Ben Healy

Last season was the first in EF Education-Easy Post ’s 16-year history that they did not place a rider in the top 10 of any of the Grand Tours. That run continued at the Giro d’Italia last month, where they aggressively targeted stage wins rather than GC via constant attacks, and were eventually rewarded in the final week with success from Georg Steinhauser in the Dolomites.

Nevertheless, they intend to strive to finish as high as possible at the Tour with Richard Carapaz as their leader. The 2021 podium finisher and 2019 Giro champion was signed in 2023 to do precisely that but he endured an under-par season last year and is only just showing signs of some form recently, with a stage win and seventh overall at the Tour de Romandie. 

With Carapaz’s form still uncertain, there ought to be plenty of scope for the rest of the line-up to chase their own personal ambitions. Neilson Powless , for instance, could either chase GC as he did in 2023 (when he finished 12th), or stage wins and the polka-dot jersey as he did last year.

Irish puncheur Ben Healy is set to make his Tour debut, and if his Giro debut from last year and performances in the Classics are anything to go by, we can expect him to attack at every opportunity.

Alberto Bettiol ’s form during the spring suggests he could add a Tour stage win to the one he managed at the 2021 Giro, while Marijn van den Berg has also earned a spot on the team thanks to his impressive early season performances.

• Team leader: David Gaudu
• Rider to watch: Stefan Küng

A new dawn awaits Groupama-FDJ as they embark upon the first Tour de France of the post-Thibaut Pinot era. Before retiring at the end of last year, Pinot had been the fulcrum of the team, appearing for them in all but two of the last 12 editions — sometimes with great success, other times with great heartbreak.

David Gaudu will seek to fill the void left by Pinot, as he has for several years now. Fourth overall in 2022 remains his highest finish at any Grand Tour, and though a repeat of that looks ambitious given his stuttering form this year, he’s still dreaming of a podium finish.

If Gaudu doesn’t have the legs to mount a serious GC challenge, targeting stage wins may be the team’s optimum approach, and they have plenty of riders capable of delivering on that front.

Rising star Lenny Martinez misses the race in favour of the Vuelta a España, but 21-year-old Romain Grégoire is set to make his Tour debut on the back of some very impressive results this year, including a stage win at Itzulia Basque Country

Valentin Madouas has become a recognisable face from recent Tours without quite winning a stage, though he certainly has the talent to do so. Stefan Küng will, as ever, be a candidate for both the time trials as well as select breakaways.

• Team leaders: Carlos Rodríguez
• Objective: GC
• Rider to watch: Tom Pidcock, Egan Bernal

Last year was only the second time in the last decade that Ineos Grenadiers failed to put a rider on the GC podium at the Tour de France. Even since their run of yellow jersey-winning Tours came to an end in 2020, up until then they had still managed to crack the podium through Richard Carapaz (in 2021) and Geraint Thomas (in 2022), but last year their highest finisher, Carlos Rodríguez , finished further down in fifth place.

Still, that result means Rodríguez is the obvious choice to lead the team’s 2024 GC bid, and the 23-year-old has bolstered his status with overall victory at the Tour de Romandie and second place behind Juan Ayuso at Itzulia Basque Country.

Also in the squad are other, more wildcard options for GC. Geraint Thomas would usually be a dependable candidate, but it’s unclear how fresh he will be, having dug deep to seal third place at the Giro d’Italia , while Tom Pidcock has stated that he intends to concentrate on the GC rather than stage wins, despite failing to make the top ten last year.

And what of Egan Bernal ? The 2019 champion has for the first time since his horror crash two and a half years ago shown form approaching his best, with third overall at Volta a Catalunya and top tens at Paris-Nice and the Tour de Romandie, but it remains to be seen if he can manage a sustained GC bid over three weeks.

Michał Kwiatkowski and Laurens De Plus will be on hand to help the aforementioned trio achieve their GC goals, even if the Belgian could harbour ambitions of his own after racing to an unexpected and impressive fifth overall at the Critérium du Daupihiné. 

• Team leader: Biniam Girmay, Louis Meintjes
• Rider to watch: Georg Zimmermann

Biniam Girmay returns to the Tour de France hoping for a positive turn in fortunes. So far his season has been blighted by interruptions, with promising form in the early spring classics halted by a crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen, and another crash spelling the end of his Giro d’Italia one day after finishing third in Fossano.

He’s since returned to winning ways with victory at the Circuit Franco-Belge , and looks on course to arrive at the Tour in form. As Intermarché-Wanty ’s star, the onus is on the Eritrean to make an impact and he has the chance to make history as the first-ever Black African to win a stage of the Tour de France. His consistency and versatility also make him a candidate for the green jersey.

Like Girmay, who failed to show his best self at last year’s Tour, Louis Meintjes will be hoping to return to the form that saw him finish seventh overall in 2022 rather than crash out last year.

Meintjes will be the team’s GC leader, but the rest of the line-up will have the freedom to get into break and chase stage wins, much as Georg Zimmermann (who was second on stage 10) did last year. Rouleurs like Laurenz Rex and Hugo Page might fancy their chances of winning a stage this way, too.

• Team leader: Stephen Williams
• Rider to watch: Derek Gee, Pascal Ackermann

Israel-Premier Tech 's high ambitions from 2021, when they gambled on signing Chris Froome in the hope that he could recover from his horror crash two years earlier and revive his Tour-winning form of old, have since been significantly tempered.

Now no longer a WorldTour team, they've instead depended upon a wildcard to earn entry into the Tour de France, and their hopes are limited to chasing stage wins rather than mixing it up in the battle for the yellow jersey.

Froome himself is still fighting for selection. He’s eager to avoid a repeat of last year when he was left out of the Tour line-up, but his hopes of proving himself worthy were compromised when a fractured wrist sustained during Tirreno-Adriatico forced him to miss almost three months of racing.

His compatriot Stephen Williams is enjoying a terrific season, winning both La Flèche Wallonne and the Tour Down Under. He'll therefore be a top contender for stage wins in the hilly terrain.

The team should have a presence in the sprints, where Tour debutant Pascal Ackermann aims to add to his Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España stage wins and complete the Grand Tour clean sweep.

The rest of the line-up will be made up of stage hunters such as Dylan Teuns (who won here in both 2019 and 2021), and Derek Gee . The Canadian, who last year burst onto the scene with a series of breakaway second places at the Giro d'Italia, makes his Tour debut in the form of his life after scoring a stage win and third overall at the Critérium du Dauphné .

• Team leader: Simon Yates, Dylan Groenewegen
• Riders to watch: Michael Matthews

For a second successive season, Jayco-AlUla leader Simon Yates has foregone his usual Giro d’Italia participation in order to concentrate more committedly on the Tour de France.

Last year, this approach turned out to be a success, as he came to the Tour with some of the best legs of his career, eventually finishing fourth overall, and only missing out on a podium finish by 87 seconds to his brother Adam. His build-up to this year’s Tour isn’t so encouraging, however, having not shown much form since winning the AlUla Tour in the winter.

Jayco-AlUla aren’t putting all their eggs in the single basket of Yates’ GC bid. Dylan Groenewegen will be led out in the sprints by the likes of Luka Mezgec to see if he can add to his five Tour career stage wins, having come close last year with a second and third-place finish at Moulins and Paris, respectively.

On days too hilly for Groenewegen, Michael Matthews will step up, and may also try to get into some breakaways as he did to win a stage in 2022. He looked in fantastic form this spring, placing second at Milan-San Remo and, before being relegated for deviating from his line, third at the Tour of Flanders.

• Team leader: Mads Pedersen, Tao Geoghegan Hart
• Rider to watch: Giulio Ciccone

As a team boasting a diverse range of talent, Lidl-Trek could feasibly compete for all three of the major jerseys.

For the yellow jersey, they have Tao Geoghegan Hart . He’s only done the Tour de France once in his career and is eager to target GC here while still in his prime years. Victory might seem implausible, but that was also the case when he triumphed at the Giro d’Italia in 2020.

Mads Pedersen finished a distant second to Jasper Philipsen in the points classification last year, though he did score his second stage win in as many years. He's shown the kind of excellent form throughout this year to suggest he could bridge that gap, as well as add to his stage win tally.

As for the king of the mountains, Giulio Ciccone won that classification last year and will now be present to potentially defend that title after saddle sore surgery forced him to skip the Giro d’Italia.

Lidl-Trek might even have had a prime candidate for the white jersey if Matias Skjelmose had opted to ride, but he plans to skip the Tour and save himself for a Vuelta a España overall bid instead.

• Team leader : Arnaud De Lie
• Rider to watch: Maxim Van Gils

Compared to other teams, Lotto-Dstny have a laser-focussed approach when it comes to the Tour de France. Not only will it be their first Grand Tour of the season, having opted out of the Giro d’Italia, but they have also narrow down their ambitions to focus exclusively on stage wins, having not placed a rider in the top 10 for 14 years.

They haven’t had success on these terms recently, though, with no stage win to their name since Caleb Ewan’s victories in the sprints during the 2020 edition. The Australian has led the team for the past five Tours, bringing much success initially with multiple stage wins in 2019 and 2020, but nothing in the three editions since then.

He’s now left the team for Jayco-AlUla, and taking his place as Lotto’s leader will be Arnaud De Lie . Much is hoped from the 22-year-old debutant based on his rapid rise over the past two years, and he'll be especially threatening on hillier days where the pure sprinters will struggle.

However, the Tour will be a big step up from the level of competition he’s used to, and he’s only recently r eturned to form after suffering from Lyme disease during the spring.

De Lie might be the most hyped name, but another young Belgian, Maxim Van Gils , has been the team’s best performer so far this season. He finished second on the stage to Grand Colombier last year and has since established himself as one of the very best puncheurs in the world following podium finishes at Strade Bianche and La Flèche Wallonne, and a fourth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

2023 super-combativity winner Victor Campanaerts is also set to ride again, though his season to date has been a quiet one.

• Team leader: Enric Mas
• Rider to watch: Rémi Cavagna

2024 has so far been another difficult season for Movistar , with Pelayo Sánchez’s stage victory at the Giro d’Italia their only win at WorldTour level all year.

That doesn’t bode well for their prospects at the Tour de France, where they have, in recent years, laboured to reach the levels of the past. They’ve now gone two successive Tours without placing a rider in the top 10, having done so in eight of the nine previous editions.

If any of their roster is to break that duck, it’ll be Enric Mas . The Spaniard has generally been one of the most dependable GC riders of his generation, making the top six in six of his last eight Grand Tour appearances.

However, he has been forced to abandon both of his last two Tours de France, with his participation last summer ending on the first day following a crash.

So far, Mas has enjoyed a solid season without causing too much of a stir, finishing fifth overall at Volta a Catalunya and sixth at the Tour de Romandie. Considering that he normally ups his game for the Grand Tours, that’s encouraging.

New signing Rémi Cavagna is a dependable name in the time trials, breakaways and in helping team leaders on the flat, though the Frenchman hasn't scored a WorldTour win of his own since 2021. Returning star Nairo Quintana won't make the race, meanwhile, after breaking his hand in a crash at the Tour de Suisse.

• Team leaders: Primož Roglič
• Riders to watch: Jai Hindley, Aleksandr Vlasov

For the 2024 season, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe signed Primož Roglič with the primary objective of winning the Tour de France.

The team might never before have made the podium at any previous edition in their 10-year history, but Roglič has the calibre to challenge for yellow, as well as the desire, having moved from Visma-Lease a Bike for that specific purpose.

The Slovenian has left it to the last minute to show the kind of form he'll need to challenge for the yellow jersey, with his Critérium du Dauphiné victory his best showing of 2024 so far. The week-long warm-up race marked his first race since the heavy crash suffered by him, Remco Evenepoel, and Jonas Vingegaard at Itzulia Basque Country.

His two stage wins at the late summit finishes at Le Collet d'Allevard and Samöens 1600 were his first since the opening day at Itzulia, though a shaky final stage showing – where he shed almost a minute to Matteo Jorgenson and only held onto yellow by eight seconds – could provoke some cause for concern. 

Roglič’s presence means last year’s leader Jai Hindley — who enjoyed a day in the yellow jersey after winning stage five in Laruns before back pain contributed to a slip down to seventh on GC — will be demoted to the role of super-domestique.

While Hindley’s form has tailed away since his impressive third-place finish at Tirreno-Adriatico, Aleksandr Vlasov might believe he has the results to justify potential co-leadership status. With a second place at Tour de Romandie, sixth at Volta a Catalunya and fifth at Paris-Nice, he has been among the team's top performers this year. At the Dauphiné, he proved a reliable and strong deputy for Roglič.

Elsewhere, the rest of the team is geared exclusively towards targeting the yellow jersey, with Champs-Elysées-winning sprinter Jordi Meeus missing out on selection as the team looks to domestiques Danny van Poppel , Nico Denz , Marco Haller , Matteo Sobrero , and Bob Jungels .

• Team leader: Remco Evenepoel
• Rider to watch: Mikel Landa, Ilan Van Wilder

In a drastic change of approach, Soudal-QuickStep have abandoned their usual Tour de France strategy of targeting bunch sprints and stage wins, and instead are going all in on Remco Evenepoel ’s push for GC.

This is set to be Evenepoel’s debut Tour, and it’s a hugely anticipated one, given the already enormous star profile he’s built for himself through many superb performances and major results including two Liège–Bastogne–Liège victories, the world title in 2022, and the GC at the Vuelta a España that same year.

His build-up has been compromised after a crash and fractured collarbone at Itzulia Basque Country stalled the momentum that had already seen him win Volta ao Algarve and finish second at Paris-Nice, but the plan remains the same.

His first race back, the Critérium du Dauphiné, saw him score a dominant time trial win, though he faded hard in the closing three mountain stages, losing 2:58 to Primož Roglič. That will be a major cause for concern heading into July.

As part of the team building around Evenepoel, Mikel Landa has been signed up as a super-domestique. The Spaniard has performed this role in the past – at Sky to help Chris Froome win the 2017 Tour de France, and at Movistar for Richard Carapaz’s 2019 Giro d’Italia triumph. Second at Volta a Catalunya and 10th at the Dauphiné suggests he has the legs to do something similar this year, too

Landa will be joined by Evenepoel’s familiar right-hand man, Ilan Van Wilder . The Belgian has ridden in support of Evenepoel many times, most notably during his triumphant Vuelta a España effort two years ago and should be in solid form, too, having placed fourth at the Tour de Romandie.

The team’s focus on GC means there will be no room for in-form sprinter Tim Merlier, despite his success at the Giro d’Italia, nor even home favourite Julian Alaphilippe, as the remaining spots instead go to domestiques including Yves Lampaert , Casper Pedersen , Louis Vervaeke and Gianni Moscon .

• Team leader: Mathieu Burgaudeau
• Rider to watch: Steff Cras

When TotalEnergies signed Peter Sagan for the 2022 season, they hoped the Slovakian would be the star name to make them protagonists at the Tour de France. His first edition for them was typically consistent, finishing in the top six of five different stages, but lacking the edge of his heyday; by the following year his powers had seriously waned, and he only made the top ten once.

Sagan now having retired, the team must embark on a new direction. They’ve struggled at the Tour in recent years, and haven’t won a stage since Lilian Calmejane in 2017.

It will be hard for them to break that duck this year. Of the four non-WorldTour entries, they probably have the weakest roster, as reflected by the fact that they’d only won three races this season as of the beginning of June.

Consequently, they’re strategy will be to buy daily tickets in the lottery that is getting into the breakaway. Mathieu Burgaudeau is a particular specialist at this, having finished second and third on stages of last year’s race, and placed second in the King of the Mountains classification at this year’s Paris-Nice riding similarly aggressively.

The likes of Pierre Latour, Anthony Turgis, Geoffrey Soupe and Alexis Vuillermoz all provide experienced options for TotalEnergies to potentially select. And though the team don’t tend to target GC anymore, Stef Cras ’ 11th place finish at the Vuelta a España last year suggests he could become their first rider to crack the top ten since Pierre Rolland in 2015 — although his participation remains up in the air due to his involvement in the horror crash at Itzulia Basque Country.

• Team leaders: Tadej Pogačar
• Rider to watch: Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso

Phase one of UAE Team Emirates ’ great ambition to win the Giro/Tour double this year with Tadej Pogačar was a success, with the Slovenian waltzing to an enormous victory at the first Grand Tour . Now, it’s time for the hard part.

Pogačar won the Giro at a canter, almost 10 minutes clear of second place as he won a staggering six stages without ever appearing to have to stretch himself. But at the Tour, he’ll be up against a much stronger field of GC candidates, none of whom have the accumulated fatigue of having already completed a Grand Tour this season – even if Evenepoel, Roglič, and Vingegaard are all making comebacks from that brutal Itzulia crash.

UAE Team Emirates provided ample support to him at the Giro, with Rafał Majka and Vegard Stake Laengen impressing in particular, but the team is set to ring in the changes with an all-new line-up at the Tour.

On paper, it’s a much stronger group of riders. In Adam Yates , they have the man who finished third last summer, even if his form this year is in more doubt having performed only in patches since winning the UAE Tour in February. Juan Ayuso provides another potential GC option, making his Tour debut on the back of a podium finish at the Vuelta a España and overall victory at Itzulia Basque Country earlier this year. 

More climbing firepower will come from João Almeida , another rider who would slot in as a GC leader at most of the other teams in the peloton. Elsewhere, Pavel Sivakov and Marc Soler bolster the climbing line-up along with Tim Wellens and Nils Politt , the latter pairing set to feature in the engine room during flatter stages.

The team will be hoping Ayuso, Sivakov, Wellens, and Politt recover well from a mass spill at the Critérium du Dauphiné, with Ayuso forced out of the race with pain in both hips as a result.

• Team leader: Alexander Kristoff
• Riders to watch: Andreas Leknessund, Magnus Cort

After making a successful Tour de France debut last year, Uno-X Mobility have been invited back by ASO as a wild card entry again.

Last year, they impressed by being active in the breakaways, with Tobias Halland Johannessen enjoying particular success with three top-six finishes. He’s set to return this year and on the back of some good form, too, having finished sixth at La Flèche Wallonne during the spring.

This time, they’ll have more strings to their bow. In new signing Andreas Leknessund , they have a rider capable of challenging for GC, even if he hasn’t yet shown the form this season that saw him finish eighth overall at the Giro d’Italia last year. And Magnus Cort brings considerable experience as a two-time former stage winner at the Tour, and will be dangerous from an intermediate stage break or reduced bunch sprint.

They will also again have Alexander Kristoff for the bunch sprints, who, though poised to turn 37 during the Tour, has been winning regularly this past month or so and could have it in him to add to his four career Tour stage wins. 

But they are also sure to be one of the main presences in the breakaways, with Jonas Abrahamsen posing a particular threat, having recently won the Brussels Cycling Classic that way.

• Team leader: Jonas Vingegaard
• Rider to watch: Sepp Kuss, Wout van Aert

As the Tour approaches, Visma-Lease a Bike are still sweating on the fitness of Jonas Vingegaard . The defending champion’s participation was plunged into doubt when he crashed out of Itzulia Basque Country in April and hasn’t raced since. He has recently returned to training at high altitude, though his exact racing level won't become apparent before the Tour.

Given the severity of that fall, the fact he has a genuine chance of returning in time feels miraculous, but doing so with the form to win the yellow jersey again will be an even bigger ask.

Prior to that crash, Vingegaard had started the season in intimidatingly good form, triumphing at both Tirreno-Adriatico and O Gran Camiño while claiming five stage wins in total, and would surely be the overwhelming favourite for yellow were it not for his fitness and form doubts. 

Should the Dane fail to recover in time, it might be up to Sepp Kuss to fill his boots. The peerless climbing super-domestique proved himself as a Grand Tour GC rider by winning the Vuelta a España last year, though he hasn’t shown anything like that form so far this year. On top of that, he abandoned the Critérium du Dauphiné before the final day of racing as he wasn't feeling 100% .

Like Vingegaard, Wout van Aert , too, is a doubt as he tries to recover in time from the injuries that ruled him out of both the Giro d’Italia and the major spring Classics, though he has returned to racing at the Tour of Norway.

He hopes to join other stalwarts of the previous yellow jersey-winning campaigns Tiesj Benoot , Dylan van Baarle and Christophe Laporte . Matteo Jorgenson will make for a very useful addition to the line-up, bringing a diverse range of talents that has this year seen him win Paris-Nice and Dwars door Vlaanderen and score a surprising second overall at the Dauphiné.

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Stephen Puddicombe is a freelance writer based in Bristol. He has written for Cyclingnews since 2020, and has covered cycling professionally as a freelancer since 2013, writing for outlets such as Rouleur , Cycling Weekly and Cycle Sport , among other publications. He is the author of The World of the Tour de France, published by Sona Books. Outside of cycling he is a passionate cinephile, and a long-suffering Spurs fan.

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