Le Tour de France

Pedal power The 99th Tour de France begins today at Liege in Belgium with Briton Bradley Wiggins the favourite to take the title. The gruelling 20-stage course pits riders against mountains, urban roads and flat plains, covering 3,497 kilometres in just three weeks. 24 hours on the tour The route Types of race -Wakes up 7am Breakfast Individual time trials BELGIUM Visé Meets team in the morning to prepare for the stage -Packs racing kit and belongings -Moves from hotel to start zone 8am Tournai O P Prologue Liege Boulogne-sur-Mer 9am Seraing Orchies 10am Adjusts bike P'Abbeville -Warm ups 1lam -Instructions from team director Signs in for stage -Starts the stage Saint-Quentin 12pm Rouen Metz Paris Épernay The cyclist competes individually against the clock. He uses an aerodynamic bike and gear. This year there are three individual time trials - one is the prologue Ipm Champs-Élysées O Tomblaine 2pm -Stage 20 Rambouillet o O Chartres o 19 Зрт Bonneval Flat and rolling stages 4pm Finishes the stage -(exact time depends on speed) La Planche des Belles Filles Belfort o 5pm Porrentruy Besançon (Day of rest) Goes to bus, rehydrates and eats. Travels to the next hotel брт Settles in room 7pm -Massage -Nap 8pm -Dinner with the team Arc-et-Senans O FRANCE SWITZERLAND Macon Bellegarde sur Vaiserine Usually high-speed sections across the French countryside in the first week. Teams try to get their sprinters in position for a quick and explosive finish Key 9pm - Free time and rest in hotel O start of stage 10pm 11O Albertville • Finish stage La Toussuire Osint-Jean-de-Maurienne llpm O Finish and start of stage Brive-la-Gaillarde Annonay Davézieux 2. Mountain stages - Route . Individual time trial 12am lam 18 X Stage number O Saint-Paul Trois-Châteaux -Sleep 2am » Transfer between cities 13 3am 15 Blagnac 4am Samatan (Day of rest) Pau Le Cap d'Agde This tour has five mountain stages with two summit finishes - the hardest part of the tour where heart rate can reach 200 beats per minute Sam Foix Limoux 6am Peyragudes Bagnères de-Luchon Race profile stage by stage O Individual time trial HO Steepest mountains (rated "hors categorie" by tour) Col de la HO HO Col de la Col d'Aubisque HO Col du HO Port de Tourmalet Bales Altitude (m) 2,000 - Madelaine Croix de Fer Col du HC Grand Colombier 1,500 - 1,000 - 500 Km 6,4 198 207.5 197 214.5 196.5 2075 199 1575 41.5 194.5 148 226 217 191 158.5 197 143.5 225.5 53.5 120 Stage P 2 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Jun 30 Jul 1 Jul 2 Jul 3 Jul 4 Jul5 Jul 6 Jul 7 Jul 8 Jul 9 Jul 11 Jul 12 Jul 13 Jul 14 Jul 15 Jul 16 Jul 18 Jul 19 Jul 20 Jul 21 Jul 22 3,497km Eating On the road Hazards As riders use a great amount of energy. they must eat at all hours, and may consume up to 7,000 calories per day. while losing 4,000-8,000 per stage Three back pockets to hold food Overexertion Vehicles 200 beats/min Many cars and motorcycles around cyclists Jersey Soft material, breathable, keeps moisture away from the body Heart rate can reach dangerous levelson climbing stages can cause accidents Fat 15% Rider sometimes has to urinate without getting off the bike to avoid losing time Proteins Intake Carbohydrates 70% 15% Bike minimum weight Groups Most falls occur when riders hit other riders 6.8kg Shorts Are made of spandex for flexibility and comfort Manufactured from light materials such as steel, aluminium, titanium and carbon fibre Breakfast Includes cereals, milk, pasta, bread rolls, eggs, yogurt, ham, pl honey, juices, fruit, water Shaved legs Skin abrasions easier to heal without hair Pressure and friction on joints can cause arthritis Mountain descents During a descent, riders can reach 80km/h. Any wrong move or slip can end in a dangerous fll Lunch during stages In the food zone a cyclist is handed a bag called musette with high-carbohydrate packed foods such as energy bars, small fruits, little sandwiches, sweet cakes, pastries, water and energy drinks Weather After stage They need to recover energy with energyY drinks and high- carbohydrate snacks Rain, hail and even snow in the mountains can mean a bad day for cyclists. Falls are more likely and they can catch a cold Dinner Always prepared by the team chef. Meals from hotel never eaten to prevent food poisoning Spectators Water supply Some try to get too dlose to cyclists Pedal revolutions 80-100/minute 2 bottles/hour But some 15 per cent of the stage may be without pedalling To prevent hypoglycaemia More than just bikes Publicity caravans (12 km of procession)- 10 emergency doctors, 1 anaesthetist nurse, 7ambulances, 2 medical cars, 1 motorbike 23,000 officers from various police divisions mobilised Broadcasting media 198 riders (22 teams of 9 riders) 16 million giveaways Team cars (2 per team). Each car maximum 4 passengers 12 million spectators at roadside Organisation cars/motorbikes 160 colourful and decorated vehicles 47 police motorcyclists 600 staff Sources: Le Tour, Tour de France for Dummies SCMP Graphic Adolfo Arranz