A look at Team Columbia’s schedule on Friday, the day of the 99-mile seventh stage at the Tour de France. Riders were given the schedule before going to bed. Often, before breakfast, medical teams show up unannounced to test the riders’ blood or urine for drugs or anomalies.
- 8:55 A.M. Wake up.
- 9 Breakfast is coffee, bread, croissants, eggs and cereal.
- 10 A carbohydrate-rich meal of pasta is served about three hours before the start.
- 10:45 Riders pack their bags, which are loaded onto a truck and sent to the next hotel.
- 11:15 The team bus leaves so that it arrives at the start an hour before the stage begins. On the bus, the team directors meet with the riders to plan tactics.
- 1:10 P.M. The stage starts.
AFTER THE RACE Riders return to the bus, where they clean up, change, eat and relax on the way to their hotel.
- 6 P.M. Each rider has an hour of therapeutic massage. It is also time to chat with friends and family on the phone.
- 8 Dinner.
- 10-11 Bedtime. Some riders watch TV, others read or go online. This is a time to forget about the race.
Source: The New York Times - Other Sport - by Michael Barry
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