A cyclist needs speed, strength and an unbelievable amount of stamina to win the Tour de France. He also needs the help of his eight riding partners, elite racers who sacrifice personal glory for the good of the team.
Riders’ roles
1. Team leader: The top cyclist on the team, he’s the one best suited to sprint to victory after riding more than 100 miles in a day.
2. Flat-landers: Ride out front for the flat parts of a stage; their job is to get the leader to the mountains ahead of the competition.
3. All-arounders: Not as strong as the leader, but still steady in the flat areas, powerful in the mountains and fast in time trials.
4. Climbers: Once the team reaches the mountain, these riders take over and help guide the leader to the summit.
5. Sprinters: Capable of speeds in excess of 40 m.p.h., but not a factor in the final standings of the three-week event.
Typical lineups
How a team sets its roster depends on its goal for the race.
Yellow jersey
Teams trying to claim the overall title have to be well-rounded.
3 flat-landers
3 climbers
2 all-arounders
1 leader
Green jersey
Teams gunning for the sprinting crown are loaded with speed.
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4 flat-landers
2 sprinters
2 all-arounders
1 leader
Trying to win one stage
If a team isn’t strong enough to win the Tour, it may focus on taking an early flat stage.
6 flat-landers
2 all-arounders
1 leader
BREAKING DOWN STAGE 14
How a mountain stage is won
Frankie Andreu, a nine-time Tour finisher and former teammate of defending champion Lance Armstrong, discusses how a team would take on Mt. Ventoux, one of the most famous climbs in all of cycling. “Mt. Ventoux is the most difficult climb there is,” Andreu says. “It just keeps going and going and going.” Except for an early climb, the stage winds over mostly flat land for more than 120 miles before reaching the base of the mountain.
KEY:
Time of day (local)
Miles ridden
(Time, average speed based on official Tour estimates)
START (607 ft.)
Note: Vertical scale of stage profile is exaggerated to show change in elevation.
FINISH (6,271 ft.)
Base of mountain: 951 feet
1. IN THE PACK
Riding order: 4 4 4 3 1 3 2 2 2 2
At the start the team leader stays behind his teammates as the group rides near the front of the peleton, the main pack of cyclists. This allows him to draft other riders and steer clear of accidents.
Paving the way: By blocking the wind, the lead cyclists cut the other riders’ workloads by about 30 percent. Riders will draft one another throughout the race.
2. BONUS SPRINTS
Riding order: 2 5 2 2
All stages, except for the time trials, have at least one sprinting area where riders compete for points and time bonuses. Teams going for the yellow jersey, however, rarely waste energy here.
Getting into position: About a mile before the sprint, teams begin pulling away from the peleton. Flat-landers take turns out front until the final 200 meters, when the team’s sprinter goes for the finish.
FEED ZONE
Cyclists begin a stage with two water bottles and enough food to last about three hours. Just before the half-way point, riders grab food and drinks from support staff in a designated area. On long stages, pairs of riders drop back to the team cars and pick up water for the others, lugging eight or nine bottles each to give to the group.
3. AT THE MOUNTAIN
Riding order: 1 4 4 4
Flat-landers and all-arounders give up their lead positions and return to the main pack. Climbers, who had been hanging back to conserve energy, now ride out front.
Pulling away: By setting a fast tempo, the climbers pace the leader up the mountain. Each climber rides out front as hard as he can for a few miles. When he tires, the next man takes over.
4. NEAR THE PEAK
Riding order: 1 4
The leader stays with a teammate until the final three or four miles, when he breaks away and goes for the summit. At that point, Andreu says, “it’s team leader against team leader. Mano a mano.”
Maximizing power: During steep climbs, riders stand up and rock from side to side as they pedal. This provides more power, but it is more tiring.
The race route
The 2002 Tour de France begins Saturday in Luxembourg. It ends three weeks later in Paris after 20 stages and more than 2,000 miles.
Putting the climb into perspective
During the 14-mile ascent, riders gain more than 1 mile of altitude. A similar ride in Chicago would start at sea level in Evanston and end in the Loop at a height equal to three-and-a-half Sears Towers.
U.S. Postal Service
1. TEAM LEADER
Lance Armstrong
Austin, Texas
Age: 30
Pro since: 1992
2001 Tour: Finished 1st overall
2. FLAT-LANDERS
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George Hincapie
Greenville, S.C.
Age: 29
Pro since: 1994
2001 Tour: Finished 71st overall
Benoit Joachim
Luxembourg
Age: 26
Pro since: 1999
2001 Tour: Did not ride
Pavel Padrnos
Czech Republic
Age: 31
Pro since: 1996
2001 Tour: Did not ride
3. ALL-AROUNDERS
Viatcheslav Ekimov
Russia
Age: 36
Pro since: 1990
2001 Tour: Finished 82nd overall
Victor Hugo Pena
Columbia
Age: 27
Pro since: 1994
2001 Tour: Finished 79th overall
4. CLIMBERS
Roberto Heras
Spain
Age: 28
Pro since: 1995
2001 Tour: Finished 15th overall
Floyd Landis
San Diego
Age: 26
Pro since: 1999
2001 Tour: Did not ride
Jose Luis Rubiera
Spain
Age: 29
Pro since: 1994
2001 Tour: Finished 38th overall
Sources: Frankie Andreu, U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, LeTour.com, “Sports: The Complete Visual Reference”
– See microfilm for complete graphic.