COLD WARS
Cycling Weekly|July 20, 2023
As the Tour de France winds its way through sweltering central France, Chris Marshall-Bell explores the new frontiers of pro-level performance Are
Chris Marshall-Bell
COLD WARS

It was during a scorching hot stage 10 of the Tour de France last week that Jasper Stuyven noticed that his legs were sapped, his energy depleted.

“I looked at my computer and it said my temperature was 41°C. I had never seen that before,” the Lidl-Trek man tells Cycling Weekly. “I had just completely blown up after twice trying to follow attacks and I felt really quite overheated but I didn’t expect my temperature to be so high. Normally on hot days you stay around 38 to 38.5°C. I didn’t feel so good, to be honest.”

Combating heat has become cycling’s new frontier, with cooling strategies taking on as much importance as finely tuned preparation, stage recons and riding on the rollers before and after the stage.

“I immediately drank water and poured it on myself, grabbed a lot of ice, ate an ice gel and hoped for the best,” Stuyven adds. In the end, he survived the day, recovering well enough to win the peloton’s sprint for 11th place.

In the past few years, particularly post-pandemic, cycling has ramped up its focus on keeping riders cool in the hot summer months, specifically at the Tour de France, where it’s not uncommon for the mercury to be in the mid-30s on successive days.

Sophie Roullois is a soigneur at EF Education-EasyPost. “It’s all about ice,” she says. “Ice is the new fashion in cycling.” Why? “Because it’s hotter now than it ever has been – the climate has changed a little bit. But also we now have science telling us in more precise detail that we have to cool the body down if we want to make sure we can perform, and especially at the Tour, where riders are racing for 21 days and need to maximise everything.”

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 20, 2023-Ausgabe von Cycling Weekly.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 20, 2023-Ausgabe von Cycling Weekly.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS CYCLING WEEKLYAlle anzeigen
CLASSIC BIKE - JOHNNY BERRY
Cycling Weekly

CLASSIC BIKE - JOHNNY BERRY

Johnny be good at making beautiful lightweight bikes

time-read
1 min  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
UK SCENE - WUNDERKIND HUDSON WINS YORKSHIRE CX
Cycling Weekly

UK SCENE - WUNDERKIND HUDSON WINS YORKSHIRE CX

Newly crowned junior hill-climb champ shows his versatility by winning round seven on the mud

time-read
1 min  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
WATT WORKS FOR ME TADEJ POGAČAR
Cycling Weekly

WATT WORKS FOR ME TADEJ POGAČAR

The man himself - subject of this special issue - explains the key performance changes behind his record-breaking year

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
11 WAYS TO POG-UP YOUR PLAN
Cycling Weekly

11 WAYS TO POG-UP YOUR PLAN

Tadej Pocačar's performance is out of reach but you can adapt his training to raise your game. Chris Marshall-Bell consults the experts to find out how

time-read
9 Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
Why do modern aero bikes look less aero?
Cycling Weekly

Why do modern aero bikes look less aero?

Are today's aero bikes really faster, or is marketing just getting better? Joe Baker investigates...

time-read
6 Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
Cycling Weekly

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

An Olympic year is always special and the cycling season once again delivered a year of highs and lows, from Pogi's triple to Katie Archibald's pre-Olympic trip

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
MEET THE PARENTS
Cycling Weekly

MEET THE PARENTS

What made Tadej Pogačar the phenomenon he is today? Chris Marshall-Bell went to Slovenia to meet his mum and dad, Mirko and Marjeta

time-read
10 Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
HALF MAN HALF GOAT
Cycling Weekly

HALF MAN HALF GOAT

Tadej Pogačar may have had a phenomenal season, but has he done enough to cement his status as the greatest of all time? Chris Marshall-Bell weighs the arguments for and against

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
Lefevere cashes in his chips and leaves cycling management
Cycling Weekly

Lefevere cashes in his chips and leaves cycling management

The news that Patrick Lefevere will step down as Quick Step boss marks the end of an era, after 22 years in charge

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)
Mathieu van der Poel weighs up skipping Tour de France
Cycling Weekly

Mathieu van der Poel weighs up skipping Tour de France

Dutchman hints at missing Tour in favour of mtb Worlds bid, reports Tom Thewlis from Dénia, Spain

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 19 - 26, 2024 (Double Issue)