from Bruce Hildenbrand

It seems fitting that the rider who launched the biggest attack on the biggest climb of the biggest stage should win the 2008 Tour de France. And it is also appropriate for his team CSC Saxo Bank which put on a veritable bike racing 101 clinic in both the Pyrenees and the Alps to launch their squad into a winning position. Riders like Fabian Cancellara and Jens Voigt, who should be riding in the grupetto, were at the front setting the tempo on the huge, race-defining climbs. More than one noted climber was dropped by the pacesetting by these two big men.

Dr. Lim discusses the his strategy for the fastest time trial.

My older brother and his wife are going to have a baby in three weeks. It will be their first child -- the first of our family’s next generation. Between baby showers and trips to ‘Babies R Us,’ I’ve been taking every opportunity to make fun of him, razing him that he’s not going to have enough time to make it to ‘Bed Bath and Beyond’ before he has to convert his “man office” into the new “baby room,” pulling down in the process all the plaques, awards, and pictures that have marked his well -traveled career as a military helicopter pilot.

Hi Dr. Lim
I've been reading on the internet about TDF champions of the past having the magic power to weight ratio of 6.7 watts per kilo at threshold and vo2max's in the 85 to 90ml range. My question is are these numbers for real or have they been tweaked a little for the press and where do the average tour guys like Danny Pate, Trent Lowe, Will Frischkorn stack up against those numbers?
Also I hear you also do Nutella rice - any chance of posting the recipe?
Sam
Australia

from Bruce Hildenbrand

The Alps were supposed to be about how well the favorites climbed. Unfortunately, it seemed, for some of the contenders, it was also how well they could descend. To be sure, the stages to Prato Nevoso and l'Alpe d'Huez were battle royales by the uphill specialists providing some of the best excitement the Tour has seen in years. Team CSC Saxo Bank put on a bike racing clinic on all three Alpine stages and continued to impress, not only with their bonafide mountain goats, but also how they got such gravitationally-challenged riders as Jens Voigt and Fabian Cancellara over the big climbs and in a position to evoke damage.

Dear Dr. Lim,
I've been reading a lot of the nutritional guidelines and stories that you've posted online. Since riders have to consume so many calories and hydrate enough, I was wondering if there are points where riders just feel way too full to continue eating the calories they need. How do they know they are eating enough, or eating too much, that might pack on unwanted kilos? I'm a regular racer, and sometimes I just don't have the time or the stomach to eat all the calories I burn. I would sometimes go on for a few days with 700-1000 calorie deficits each day.
Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.
Aylwin

from Bruce Hildenbrand

There is a saying in cycling that the mountains always produce a true winner, which will certainly be the case with the 2008 Tour de France. As the race enters the Alps, Dr. Allen Lim notes that 70% of the critical mountain kilometers will be ridden there. That's a pretty tall order for a Tour that has already seen a major selection in the Pyrenees. But, in a three-week grand tour, it is all about the third week, and it is no coincidence that big mountains always play a role.

from CycleOps Power
Team Garmin-Chipotle's Danny Pate had an incredible ride in Sunday's Stage 15 of the Tour de France, getting into the race-winning break within the first 12 kilometers of the 183 kilometer stage.

In order to stay away from the field, he and his 3 breakaway companions had to keep their pace high and steady over the entire race distance, which included two major climbs - the Hors Categorie Col Agnel and the Categorie 1 Prato Nevoso.

Dear Dr. Lim-
I am a loyal PT owner and user. When I do interval sessions, I find it “easier” to maintain target wattage when going uphill as opposed to trying to maintain the same target when on the flats (“easier” really just means “less painful” in this context; believe me, it ain't easy). Why is this true, and is this just my perception, or is this generally true for the majority of riders (i.e. do some believe the opposite to be true)? Is it because going uphill, a rider is fighting all of the different components of resistance – wind, rolling resistance, and gravity – while when on the flats, only two components come into play?
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Dan
Columbus, OH

from Dr. Allen Lim

As soon as the riders get back to the bus after a stage the recovery process begins. Waiting for each rider on the bus is 1.5 liters of Cliff electrolyte solution (Apple Cider is their favorite), a liter of Cliff recovery drink, and a small buffet of white rice, eggs, fruit, and seasonings. Upon entering the bus, the guys are reminded to weigh themselves with a precision scale in their cycling shoes, shorts, and jersey (empty pockets). They’re asked to weigh themselves the same way before they leave the bus just before race start. The weight difference gives them an idea of how much fluid they need to replace immediately after each stage.

from Bruce Hildenbrand

Tour sprinters are an interesting lot. For the most part, they are good for only one thing and that is going fast at the finish of a race. Their teammates are charged with the task of babysitting them on the flat stages, keeping them out of the wind so that they can conserve their strength and power for the final dash to the line. If the sprinter wins, he is the one on the podium with the flowers, champagne and kisses from the pretty girls while the long-suffering support riders or domestiques are back in the team bus exhausted from being on the front of the peloton for hours on end.

Dr. Lim,

My question is about the heart rate vs. power? I’ve noticed that after a series of hard workouts that it becomes more difficult to raise heart rate in the various zones, however, power output (while difficult) is generally maintained. Is this a typical physiological response? If so, it seems counter intuitive; as I would expect heart rate to rise above various zones after a series of hard workouts. Given this situation, is heart rate a valid measurement for training (or racing)?

Thanks,
Bruce

from Allen Lim, PhD

Yesterday when Christian moved into third place, he and the rest of the team were happy, but no one really seemed to make a big deal out of it. It was definitely a hard day, but we were all trying to stay focused on today. In our minds, the Tourmalet and the Hautacam were going to be the real first test of the Tour. At the same time, the performance Rico put in to solo win was just incredible. So much so, that it can screw with your head as a rider, and I sensed that Christian was a bit reticent to really believe how astounding his form is right now.

from Bruce Hildenbrand

The first weekend of the Tour welcomes the big mountains of the Pyrenees. While there were a few smaller hills on the way south, the long, race-defining climbs had yet to test the cyclists. The first day in the mountains is tough for the Tour riders, especially the contenders for the yellow jersey. With all the pre-Tour responsibilities the week before the start and the usually flat route in the first week of the race, it can be 10-14 days since they have ridden up a major hill. With fitness always a prime concern, the riders just do not know how they will perform in this most crucial of the Tour's challenges.

from Dr. Allen Lim

It’s day 8 of the Tour and I’ve reached the point where I am deep in the minutia of the daily grind. Wake up, cook, pack, clean, transfer, traffic, mayhem, set up tech, transfer, analyze, cook, transfer, more mayhem, clean, unpack, analyze some more, write, and then prepare to do it all again. It is seriously cracking me.

from CycleOps Power

from CycleOps Power

As the terrain begins to go upward, as it did in Stage 6's uphill finsh, it is important for the riders to be able to maintain a high watts-per-kg or power-to-weight ratio. Watts per kilogram is power output normalized to body weight. The reason we like to normalize power to body weight is that going up a hill, two people might be going the exact same speed, but if they aren't the same size, they won't be putting out the same power.

My question is about coasting. Naturally coasting downhill makes the most sense, but in the end putting more power into the course, pedaling all the time should yield a better time trial result. So what is the most efficient thing to do? Keep pedaling all the time, practice and train this too. Or coast as much as possible in an aero position and apply those saved KiloJoules on the uphill's, naturally you need to practice and train this also.

What do the pros do?

Cheers Ryan
Colorado

Allen,

During the Stage 4 time trial, I was surprised to see a number of riders, including some of the top time trialists, ride with water bottles and cages. No doubt hydration is important. But in a sub 40 minute ride, wouldn't it have been better from a power standpoint to cope with modest dehydration and ditch the extra weight of the water bottle and cage?

Thanks,
Jonathan
Seattle, WA

from Bruce Hildenbrand
Wednesday's stage from Cholet to Chateauroux was the longest of the Tour at 144 miles(233km). Thanks heavens it was pretty flat, but that still translates to about six hours in the saddle. For some riders, the 18-mile time trial the day before was a bit of a rest, the time cut is the winner's time plus 25% so those not in contention for the overall win can take it a bit easy. But, even after five days of racing there is still a lot of nervous energy in the peloton. Also, it seems like every French rider in the Tour is trying to restore some pride to a race the host country hasn't won for the past 23 years.

Why proper nutrition is important ~ The Panini ~ The Boiled Potato ~ Rice Cakes ~ Wrap Up

Why proper nutrition is important ~ The Panini ~ The Boiled Potato ~ Rice Cakes ~ Wrap Up

Why proper nutrition is important ~ The Panini ~ The Boiled Potato ~ Rice Cakes ~ Wrap Up

Why proper nutrition is important ~ The Panini ~ The Boiled Potato ~ Rice Cakes ~ Wrap Up

Allen Lim, PhD is wears many hats on Team Garmin/Chipotle, but they all fall under one main goal: make sure the guys in argyle are performing at their best. One of the ways a rider performs at his best is by being properly fueled. For last year's Tour de France, we filmed a series of videos with Dr. Lim showing a few recipes for goodies that can be found in the team's musette bags. What better day to bring these videos out of the archive than on the longest day of the 2008 Tour, where being properly fueled is of utmost importance - not only to get through the 230 KM stage, but to stay topped off for the racing to come.

Why proper nutrition is important ~ The Panini ~ The Boiled Potato ~ Rice Cakes ~ Wrap Up

CycleOps Power didn’t spare any effort or expense when it came to supporting the Argyle Armada on the roads of the Tour de France. In fact not only did we provide a series of ANT+ Sport PowerTaps to the team but also a collection of Pro Series Trainers for the team to warm up on for the key time trials. In development for the past 18 months, the JetFluid Pro and SuperMagneto Pro represent a revolution in trainer technology for CycleOps Power, and the Tour would be a key proving ground for these innovations.

For this year's Tour, each Team Garmin- Chipotle PowerTap- equipped Zipp wheel is displaying a limited edition gold hub cap. The gold hub on the team's wheels is not the only thing unique about their Zipp PowerTap wheels--they are also ANT+ Sport-compatible.

from Allen Lim, PhD
We slept them, we fed them, we warmed them up, we cooled them down, we fed them again, we compressed them, we drove them, we dressed them, we fed them some more, we warmed them up, we iced them down, we made them drink, and in the end, they went really fast. Best team of the day and some world-class performances by Millar, VandeVelde, and the Pate. All I can say is congrats and bravo to all of the athletes, staff, and sponsors who helped make all of this happen.

from Allen Lim, PhD
When Will finished today, he was tired, but he wasn’t blown. At 5020 Kilojoules, an average power of 274 Watts (303 when pedaling), and less than 30 minutes of zero time, the day was about as good as it gets for a 5 hr day. But, when I went over Will’s numbers with Danny Pate, I was surprised by Danny’s reaction -- a quick, “is that all?”

The numbers are in from Stage 1. Check out the stats from some of the key riders on the team.

from Allen Lim, PhD
"Arrive Alive." That's been the tag line for the first two days here at the Tour – arrive alive. Despite Julian Dean getting caught up in a crash with a few kilometers to go today, everyone has been keeping that line in their heads, staying out of trouble, and finishing the last two stages feeling fit and relaxed.

from Bruce Hildenbrand
The Tour has finally begun with a 120-mile stage from Brest to Plumelec in the Brittany region of western France. The traditional prologue start has been replaced by this road stage, but unlike the normal road stages in the first week of the Tour, this one is pretty darn hilly. The course profile looks like a set of teeth, the peloton will be going uphill and downhill all day including a 1.5 mile, 5% climb right before the finish.

Listen in as Versus commentator and Vision Quest head coach Robbie Ventura talks about the upcoming 2008 Tour de France. What are the riders doing that you don't see on TV? What happens to the riders' bikes after each stage? Which riders will be good to watch? Which stages will be the most exciting? Robbie weighs in on all these topics plus gives us a preview of some of the topics that he'll discuss during this year's Tour.

Listen now.

from Allen Lim, PhD
It’s done. All the training, planning, preparation, running around like a crazy person, thinking, and talking is done. All we have left is staying cool, having some fun, banking some extra sleep, checking out the individual time trial course in Cholet, driving to Brest, dealing with the media, getting two short rides in, and making sure we’ve got all our new equipment and clothing in order before kitting up for the big start on Saturday. Okay, maybe there’s still a lot to be done in this final week before the Tour. The important thing, however, is that the guys are all wicked fit right now, morale is great, and we are all ready to go.

from Bruce Hildenbrand
The 2008 Tour de France begins this Saturday, July 5th in Brest. With no clear favorite for the yellow jersey, this could be the most exciting Tour in years. Americans will be well-represented by Jonathan Vaughter's Garmin-Chipotle team which recently dropped the 'Slipstream' moniker when it signed GPS-maker Garmin as its title sponsor.

The boys in argyle will be utilizing a whole host of CycleOps Power products most notably PowerTap hubs and Pro Series trainers. CycleOps Power will be following our favorite team from the start of the Tour through the Pyrenees mountains, the Alps and finally to Paris as we chronicle the ups and downs of the world's greatest bike race.

from CycleOps Power
The guys in argyle wrapped up their final preparations for the Tour with a week in Girona, Spain. Magnus Backstedt, Julian Dean, Will Frischkorn, Ryder Hesjedal, Trent Lowe, Martijn Maaskant, David Millar, Danny Pate, and Christian Vande Velde were all present with a full support staff of 18 people in Girona to make sure everyone was ready.

from Dr. Allen Lim
Today was our last day of our Pyrenees or “Pre-Tour” training camp. For the last ten days, David Millar, Christian VandeVelde, Ryder Hesjedal, and Danny Pate have been finding their form in the mountains just outside of a little ski town called La Molina. At about 6,000 feet in elevation, the town sits just above the beautiful Cerdanya Valley that separates Spain from France. It was the perfect location for what turned out to be a truly productive training camp.

from Allen Lim, PhD

It began today. Well actually, it began a long time ago when these guys first got addicted to cycling and started down a very long road to the Tour. But that road got a little shorter today here in La Molina Spain smack in the middle of the Pyrenees on Day one of our final training camp before the Tour de France.