Ride, Sleep and Repeat

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

Le Mond vs Fignon 1989

One of the most interesting duel in the Tour is between the American Greg Le Mond and the homeboy favourite Laurent Fignon in the 1989 Tour de France. Le Mond managed to beat Fignon by 58 sec to take the Yellow Jersey in the last Time Trial stage before they went to Paris. He eventually won the Tour by 8 sec.

I guess it was the first time that we ever seen the aerobars, aero helmet and of course, oakley specs being used and worn in the Tour de France. Technology has actually helped Le Mond to win the stage and the Tour!! Same thing that Nike, Giro & Trek did for Lance in the last few years, . Ah....those Americans!!

I just love the 80's Tour with the 7-11, Super-U, PDM, Carrera, Cafe de Columbia, Fagor team etc. competing for the Tour. And these LeMond-Fignon & Roche-Delgado duel were the most memorable 'dog fights' that I ever seen on the Tour! Its the stuff of legends!

Source: YouTube

Roche vs Delgado 1987

I remember watching this on TV back in 1987! One of the greatest duel in the history of Tour de France between the great Irish Stephen Roche (2nd best after Sean Kelly , of course) and the Spaniard Pedro Delgado on to La Plagne stage. Back then, Tour de France was not covered on daily basis but only shown on ABC Wide World of Sport every week. The 1987 Tour was eventually won by Roche because he is a better time trialist than Delgado who failed to gain more time during this stage. Delgado later won the tour in 1988.

I was inspired to take up cycling after watching this!

Source: YouTube