Cycling
An important reset: Inside a Tour de France rest day
Think the Tour de France takes a day off? Think again. Here's what riders and teams really do when the racing pauses.
After nine days of racing and more than 1,400km of riding from Barcelona to Ussel via the mountains of the Pyrenees, the Tour de France paused for its first rest day in the region of Cantal.
One of two rest days in the three-week Grand Tour, it provides the riders with a chance to rest and recuperate before racing resumes on Stage 10 from Aurillac to Le Lioran.
But like with other aspects of the Tour, the rest day is far from restful, and the whole team – from the athletes to the mechanics to the chefs – have a full day of activities planned and optimised with military precision to ensure they’re ready for the resumption of racing.
01
Active recovery
While the riders will take it easy compared to the nine days of racing that they’ve already undertaken, they will still go for an active recovery ride to keep the legs turning.
The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe team embarked on a 50.8k spin around Cantal and GC hope Remco Evenepoel shared the ride on his Strava, showing how the eight-strong group averaged 33.5kph despite the course including 756m of elevation gain, while his top speed maxed out at 77.4kph.
Remco Evenepoel reached a top speed of 77.4kph during his recovery ride
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
The team used the recovery ride as an opportunity to show off their Lucky 13 kit – a one-off set of jersey and bib shorts where everything was flipped upside down to reference the team’s 13th Tour de France and how race number 13 has always been worn inverted in the peloton as superstition for good luck.
Evenepoel also completed the spin on the team’s Specialized S-Works Shiv TT prototype, giving the reigning UCI Individual Time Trial World Champion more time in the saddle on the bike ahead of Stage 16’s Individual Time Trial on July 21.
02
Rest, refuel and recover
Outside of the active recovery ride, the riders will focus heavily on resting and refuelling. After a lie-in to start the day, they will have a relaxed breakfast of omelettes, bread or cereals, rather than the rice-heavy start to a race day.
For the various jersey contenders, a rest day will involve interviews with the press covering the racing so far and hopes for the remaining stages, while there will also be obligations such as meeting sponsors.
Following the recovery ride, the team focused on rest and refuelling
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
The ride will be scheduled for late morning, during which riders will be fuelling throughout to keep glycogen stores topped up and replenished ahead of the return of racing the following day.
Post-ride, they will have another carb-heavy lunch, with Tom Pidcock sharing in his Tour de France diary from 2023 that he would try to have a sleep in the afternoon, but that can be easier said than done.
The afternoon is also a chance to have a massage and physio sessions with the soigneurs, while any injuries will be treated by the team doctor. After a relaxing afternoon, there will be a briefing about the upcoming stages with the sports directors, dinner and an early night to help maximise sleep and recovery.
03
Business as usual for support team
While riders have a chance to take things slightly easier on a rest day, it’s far busier for the wider team who are there to support their efforts.
A day off from racing provides the mechanics with an opportunity to strip and rebuild every bike, ensuring everything is like brand new ahead of the start of the second week.
Carers will have their daily load of washing to undertake, although with the team staying at the same hotel for two nights, they won’t have to spend time moving mattresses and preparing rooms as on a stage day.
The hard work doesn't stop for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe support team
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
In addition to providing riders with massage and physio, the soigneurs will spend their mornings preparing bidons and mid-ride snacks for the riders ahead of their recovery spins, as well as joining them in the team car during the ride to ensure they have anything they need.
For the chefs, the day’s focus is providing the riders with recovery-boosting nutrition, while also planning specific requirements for the days ahead, including making mid-ride food like rice cakes that will be included in the musettes.
Finally, the sports directors spend the rest day reviewing the previous block of racing and looking ahead to where the second week is won or lost.
With two sprint-focused days to come, there’s potentially an opportunity for yellow jersey-focused Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe to take things slightly easier on Stages 11 and 12 before a mountainous finish to the week. However, if this year’s Tour de France is anything to go by, the racing will be full gas, and there will be no let-up until the second rest day.
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