Cycling

What's the fastest speed you've achieved during a race?

Speeding Through Tunnels: Cyclist's Thrilling 117kph Race Experience

What's the fastest speed I've ever achieved during a race? We were just talking about this over the weekend actually. Fastest speed I've ever went was 117k an hour in the tour of Suisse through a tunnel. So it's just dead straight, more or less, semi-lighting and it was raining. So it was a bit damp. It wasn't so wet inside the tunnel. But still, it was wet. And during this, I always felt like I was the only one panicking that we were going this fast. And then when we finally made it out of the tunnel, everyone was like, oh, my God, what was that all about. So yeah, 117 is-- what, 71, 72 miles per hour. And to give you a little bit of perspective, the roads in Switzerland are absolutely gorgeous for the most part. Banked, smooth, obviously, so great place to go and drive a beautiful car or race your bicycle. And every day, on average, we'd go max speed of right around 100 kilometers per hour. So 62 miles an hour. So that gives you perspective how fast you regularly go on those roads. But 72-- yeah, no, that was stupid, and I don't ever care to go that fast again.

I achieved a speed of 117k an hour (71-72 miles per hour) during a race in the Tour of Suisse. This was much faster than the usual 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) that is typical for roads in Switzerland.

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The fastest speed I've ever achieved during a race was 117 kilometers per hour (72 miles per hour) in the Tour of Suisse. It happened in a tunnel that was straight and somewhat lit, although it was raining, making the conditions a bit damp. I remember feeling a bit panicked about the speed, but when we emerged from the tunnel, everyone else seemed equally shocked. In Switzerland, where the roads are generally beautiful, banked, and smooth, we would typically reach a maximum speed of around 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) on a daily basis. Going 72 miles per hour was definitely a bit reckless, and I have no desire to go that fast again.

Do you shave your body hair when you compete? Why, if so?

Elite cyclists reveal surprising reason behind shaving legs

[INAUDIBLE],, you got the best questions, do you shave your body here when you compete? Why, if so? We don't shave our whole bodies down like y'all do in swimming, but legs for sure. And mostly it's because of cleansiness, mostly. Think about if you crash, and you get hair in your wounds, that's going to get infected, and then if you have to put gauze and then tape on there to keep that gauze on top of it, good luck with it sticking there with hair. And then, if it does stick, then you got to rip it off. And then one of the biggest ones really is massage. We get massage every day after the races, and sometimes almost every day during training as well, so having a massage and with hair in your legs is just-- nope. It just doesn't work. Some people will say aerodynamics, but that's BS. It's really just cleansiness. Once in a while, people will take down their arms, they've got really hairy arms. And again, same thing, you know, if you're out there on the road, five, six hours, and you don't really realize how much brake dust is on there from the Peloton, dirt, grime, that kind of stuff, so it just makes it easier to stay clean. But yeah, that's pretty much it, man. Shave your legs, don't let anyone tell you it's because of aerodynamics.

Cyclists shave their legs mostly for cleanliness reasons, such as preventing infections from dirt and grime as well as making massage easier. Aerodynamics is not considered to be a major factor.

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When it comes to body hair, we don't shave our entire bodies like swimmers do. However, we do shave our legs when we compete. The main reason for this is cleanliness. If we crash during a race and have hair in our wounds, it can lead to infections. Additionally, when we receive massages after races or during training, having hair on our legs can make the massage less effective. Some people may also choose to shave their arms for similar reasons, as it helps with cleanliness and removing dirt and grime. While some may claim aerodynamics as a reason for shaving, it's mostly about maintaining cleanliness and practicality. So, shave your legs if you want, but don't let anyone tell you it's for aerodynamics.

Is it better to stand up while climbing hills or change gears and stay seated?

Efficiency and Aerodynamics: Climbing Hills Seated or Standing?

Yeah. Brett. Is it better to stand up while climbing Hills or change gears and stay seated? Great question when you're watching the Tour de France, for example, the reason why they're seated as much as they are is just because of efficiency when you stand up you're using your entire upper body, obviously and that elevates your heart rate that elevates your respiration rate and you're not as efficient and you can't sustain that for as long. So when you see these guys racing up, the Alps and the Pyrenees, 30 minutes, 45 minutes in length per Klein there. 80% 90% of times. In the cell is not as easy to generate that kind of power. But that's what they're paid to do. I like to get a sale and I actually used to train that quite a bit to be as efficient as possible out of the cell. I will also say that it's aerodynamic as well. So it's less aerodynamic to be standing up. So even at slower speeds, when you're going up a climb, whether it be 10, 12, 15 miles per hour, you still catching all that win on your front side into a lot easier to be in the sale room. Better are dynamically, at least. East. But at home these days. I'm not as efficient the so I love to get a self. Yeah, it's whatever you do to feel comfortable these days. But if you want to be and in the Tour de France, you have to be very efficient in the saddle.

It is more efficient to stay seated while climbing hills, as it elevates your heart rate and respiration rate less. It is also more aerodynamic to be in the saddle.

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When it comes to climbing hills, the question is whether it's better to stand up or change gears and stay seated. In professional cycling, you'll often see riders staying seated for efficiency. Standing up engages the upper body, elevating heart rate and respiration rate, making it less sustainable for longer periods. During intense climbs in races like the Tour de France, riders spend the majority of the time seated to generate power efficiently.

From an aerodynamic standpoint, being seated is also more advantageous. Even at slower speeds during climbs, being in the saddle reduces wind resistance on the front side of the body.

However, personal preference and comfort play a role. Some cyclists may choose to stand or find a balance between standing and staying seated. Ultimately, if you aim to compete at the highest level, efficiency in the saddle is crucial.

How do you recover between stages of the Tour de France? 

Tour de France Recovery: Clearing lactic acid, nutrition, and sleep- the secrets behind competitive cycling.

Brett, good question. How do you recover in between stages in the Tour de France? So we've got 21 stages in the Tour de France, so you have to recover at least 20 times. 21st really doesn't count-- you're recovering, usually, from a hangover in Paris. So it's changed a lot over the last, I would say, 10 years or so. Whereas riders now, ironically, get back on their bikes after finishing on a stationary trainer and get their heart rate back up and clear all that lactic acid yet again, just like you always grew up knowing that you need to warm up and cool down, we really didn't do that before. We just go ride from the finish line and max heart rate to the bus, take a shower, and hope for the best the next day. So now they do at least 10 to 15 minutes trying to clear that back out. After that, nutrition, of course. On the bus you're already eating something-- some rice, some eggs, whatever that may be-- some protein. And of course, hydration. Get back to the hotel, massage, chiropractic care, whatever you need. If you crashed, get some bandages. Catch up with family and friends, and then it's dinner usually around 8:30, 9 o'clock, depending how long it took the transfer from the finish line to the hotel. And then you try to sleep after dinner. on mean, ironically, it's really hard to sleep a lot of times in the tour, where your body is always uncomfortable. It's hot. Sometimes you don't have air conditioning over in France. You're not in a nice hotel, contrary to popular belief. And yeah, then you go and do it all over again the next day. So it's not really recovery. It's recovering as best as you possibly can. It's recovering better than the next guy. I don't know if sometimes you don't really recover, but you know, everyone's in the same boat, and that's what makes the tour a special, special race.

Riders now recover differently in the Tour de France than before. After a stage, riders get back on their bikes on a stationary trainer to warm up and cool down, and then eat and hydrate. Then they get massage and chiropractic care if needed, catch up with family and friends, have dinner, and try to sleep. Recovery is not always complete, but everyone is in the same boat, which makes it a special race.

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Recovering between stages of the Tour de France is a crucial aspect of the race. Over the years, the recovery process has evolved. After finishing a stage, riders now get back on their bikes on a stationary trainer to get their heart rate up and clear lactic acid. This warm-up and cool-down routine has become a standard practice.

Nutrition and hydration are essential during the recovery process. Riders consume food like rice and eggs on the bus immediately after finishing a stage. Hydration is also a priority.

Once at the hotel, riders receive massages, chiropractic care, and any necessary medical attention, such as bandages for injuries resulting from crashes. They take the opportunity to catch up with family and friends. Dinner is usually around 8:30 or 9:00 PM, depending on the duration of the transfer from the finish line to the hotel.

Sleeping can be challenging during the Tour de France due to discomfort, heat, and sometimes the lack of air conditioning. However, riders try to rest as much as possible after dinner.

Recovery in the Tour de France is about doing the best you can to recover, often aiming to recover better than the competition. It's a demanding race, and while complete recovery may not always be possible, all riders face the same challenges, making the Tour a uniquely special race.

What do you have in your water bottle during races? Is it different from training?

Pro cyclist spills secrets on race-day hydration

Yo, Brett. Great question. What do you have in your water bottle during races? And is it different from training? Yes, definitely different from training for myself. At least when I was racing because a lot of times or almost every time we were at the mercy of whatever our sponsor was. So if it wasn't a good drink mix that we had a lot of times we could just go buy our own. What worked with us? Better for training. And ironically we go back to the race. It would have some, that didn't work before us. We didn't like that much for One race, and that's what you're getting paid to do. So that didn't That was completely messed up. We've evolved over the years and to the point of in 2009, LMR sports physiologist at the time actually made his own drink, mix to make it better for us or more palatable. Some of that we're looking to like to have is going to work with us and help us during the race. That was called secret drink, mix of the time and then teeth word, got out and different teams were starting to buy our secret drink bakes and that became Skratch Labs eventually. It's what we see. Now Evolution has been massive throughout the years. And one thing that I never agreed with and definitely don't in hindsight is, there's not a one fits all for every athlete. Everyone's going to react differently to different kinds of nutrition. And that's sometimes why you see an athlete go from one team to the next and not react. Well that next year and doesn't have as good of results, as a lot of times. Funny, enough is just the intuition and their their way of going about things. As far as food goes in that set of Team. It might have been great from the last year in a different team, but this year not so much. But used to be one water, one mix now, it's always mixed because you just need so many calories to be able to keep fueled up during the course of a 5 to 6. Sometimes 7 our bike race. Great question, dude.

When racing, I typically rely on whatever drink mix my sponsor provides. However, in 2009, we created our own mix called Secret Drink Mix that later became Skratch Labs. Nutrition can vary from athlete to athlete and team to team, so it's important for athletes to find what works best for them.

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During races, what I have in my water bottle is often different from what I use during training. As a professional athlete, I usually relied on the drink mix provided by our sponsor. Sometimes it worked well for us during training, but then we would go to a race and find that it didn't suit our needs. It was frustrating because we were getting paid to perform, but we had to use what was given to us.

Over the years, we evolved and in 2009, our team's sports physiologist created a custom drink mix that was more palatable and effective for us during races. It was initially known as the secret drink mix but eventually became Skratch Labs as other teams started buying it.

The evolution of nutrition in racing has been significant, but one thing I've learned is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every athlete. Different individuals react differently to various types of nutrition. Sometimes, an athlete may switch teams and not perform as well because the nutrition that worked for them before no longer suits them in the new team.

In the past, I used to have one water bottle and one mix, but now it's always mixed because I need a higher calorie intake to stay fueled during longer races that can last 5 to 7 hours.

It's a great question, and it highlights the importance of finding the right nutrition strategy for optimal performance during races.

What if any "dirty tricks" of racing did you experience while on tour? 

Unwritten Rules: Dirty Tricks and Changing Dynamics in Bike Racing

Brad, you got the best questions. What dirty tricks has I've seen throughout the tour and Tour de France? Giro d'Italia. Honestly. I haven't seen too many things. I would say. The biggest ones are the unwritten rules. The gray rules, the rules that are written by the riders in the Peloton themselves. For example, you don't attack during the feed Zone. The feed zone is a place that's in the middle of the race. Usually where you get your bag of food and drinks. You don't attack during that or if the leader Is a mechanical or stops to relieve themselves. Flat tire crash. You always wait for the leader, but I will say over the last five or six years, that is starting to change a little bit because of the rules, or the unwritten rules are all written for the leaders, but nobody cares about second, third, and fourth, and fifth place. So how is that fair? So if the leader has mechanical you wait for them, but what about second place? So, no one's waiting for that. So I would say that people are starting to take advantage that a little bit more than they have in the past and it just wide open racing. Of course, no one wants to win because someone has a problem that's out of their control. Whether it be a flat tire or mechanical things like that. But the margins are so small. It's not minutes anymore seconds. And it's crazy to say that that over 21 days. It is that slim of margin, but that is the truth of the matter. And so, like I said that all those rules. Vaughn's, unsaid rules, always are for the leader and I think those are starting to change. Have I seen people take their hands off the bars and sling themselves off of riders and In some, some, maybe some punches float thrown every once in a while, but these days with a cameras. I mean, you have 4K cameras on helicopters on the motorcycles, fixed cameras in the Sprints. You're not going to get away with it. And if you do do something like that, most likely you are going to get relegated from first or second or whatever on the podium all the way to the back. So it's just not worth it honestly, but if you are going to see some of the things that are bit dirty, it's usually in the Sprint and the last 200 meters and you being a sprinter, you would have been doing. That or being around that and seeing those kind of things. But really the dirty tricks, they don't happen. And you know what to do? Those kind of things. The things that are a little bit gray and pushing the boundaries Riders. Don't don't forget about those kind of things. And if you're going to want to have a long career within the Peloton, you don't want to do that too many times because it's going to come back to bite you.

The biggest dirty tricks I've seen in the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia are the unwritten rules that favor the leader of the race. There are also some tricks used by riders in the last 200 meters of a sprint, but cameras make it difficult to get away with them. If a rider wants to have a long career in cycling, they need to be careful about pushing the boundaries too far.

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Brad, you always ask the best questions. When it comes to dirty tricks in racing, I haven't personally witnessed too many. The biggest ones are the unwritten rules, the gray areas that riders establish among themselves in the Peloton. For example, it's generally understood that you don't attack during the feed zone, which is where riders get their food and drinks in the middle of the race. Another unwritten rule is to wait for the leader if they have a mechanical issue or need to stop for any reason.

However, in recent years, these rules have started to change. The focus has primarily been on the leader, but what about the riders in second, third, or fourth place? They don't receive the same consideration. As a result, some riders are taking advantage of these situations more than before, leading to more open racing. While nobody wants to win because of someone else's misfortune, the margins in racing are incredibly slim, often measured in seconds rather than minutes over a 21-day race.

As for actual dirty tricks, they are less common nowadays due to the extensive camera coverage. With 4K cameras on helicopters, motorcycles, and fixed cameras in sprints, it's challenging to get away with any unsportsmanlike behavior. If someone does engage in such actions, they are likely to be penalized and relegated to the back of the pack.

If there are any dirty tricks, they tend to occur in the final 200 meters of a sprint. As a sprinter, you would have been more familiar with these situations. However, it's important to remember that engaging in these gray areas and pushing boundaries can have consequences. It's not worth jeopardizing your career within the Peloton.

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Ex Professional Cyclist 2x Olympian. Now analyst at NBC sports, guest Peloton Instructor 

Christian Vande Velde