Why the Tour de France is exclusively for insane people

[@joowsty]

whats also a fun fact to know about Roglic is that he came from ski jumping and that in the first few years in the professional peloton he used to think he was the only one who was suffering and having this much pain. when he realized everyone in the peloton was having the same pain he started to understand his possibilities.

[@martinbogadomartinesi5135]

I've been racing for 2 years now, and I used to think up until a couple of months I was the only one suffering too lol, once I started to think the others are suffering just as much as me my mind changed completely, that's when I started to take training and racing more seriously. But yeah it's just as how much pain you can endure, especially if your competition is stacked.

[@florianjunghans8087]

"If it hurts you, then you can make a difference." - E. Merckx

[@zogworth]

It never gets easier you just get faster is definitely true

[@kokonanana1]

It will never hurt any more than it does right now!

[@indonesiaamerica7050]

@@martinbogadomartinesi5135 Suffering changes moment to moment and day to day. I'm talking about the internal characteristics in terms of physical sensations and how you respond emotionally to it. You can't assume anyone is "suffering like you" more or less. You have to decide what you can endure and how your workload changes after training periods and then after getting wiped out in competition only to come back in stronger and have days when you don't feel any "suffering" at all or at least that you can remember. Only going through all of this do you understand such a sport and what top athletes endure. It's not insane in any sense at all.

[@skwb1973]

As a person cycling to work 20km a day, I can attest to the emotions, pain and uncertainties of going to work every day.

[@LAJAP]

I used to get the same feelings, and it was just a 5 min. walk away for me!

[@thepjup4507]

i used to commute cycling, work each way was 15 miles (24km), 30 miles (48km) total commute, in traffic in the city, and my weekend job was as a pedicab driver. I fuckin feel you brother. my son was a baby at the time, i HAD to go, no matter what, for his sake. i got frostbite on my fingertips riding in a blizzard at night. many a time i ran out of flat repair kits, and had to carry my bike and run the rest of the way. Then having to be energetic and chipper at work and put on a face, when maybe 30 minutes earlier I got tagged by a car and my pants are soaked in blood from road rash. Cudos to you man. cycling as your main commute is not easy, but never let it slip your mind that you are being healthy and strong, probably in better shape than most people you know, and still getting the bag. Keep goin, try to make it fun when it can be. Your bike is your trusty steed, and it loves you as much as you love it. I only make this comment so that you know there is at least one person out there who understands what getting on that bike every day really means in that situation.

[@SofaKingShit]

Have you tried doping?

[@skwb1973]

@@SofaKingShit wats the point? I only turn up to work earlier and get home with 1 ball

[@marshall1137]

@@skwb1973is this sustainable just curious complete amateur here so maybe I’m overestimating it but 20k a day (assuming that’s there and back) is insane right?

[@wysrthvnu]

also, when roglic crashed he dislocated his shoulder, put it back into place himself and rode on for 100+ km like a true madman

[@dtibor5903]

While on adrenaline I don't really feel pain. I did 40km in the mountains with injured shoulder. When I finished riding and the adrenaline went away, it was terrible.

[@Tibovl]

He rode it on cobbles... pretty important detail

[@LAJAP]

If I keep reading further down this thread, I'm sure at some point I'll read a comment where Roglic actually died and resuscitated three days later.

[@murphychris9811]

thats called really good drugs

[@dtibor5903]

@@murphychris9811 so you do drugs, not sports

[@skexy]

It wasn't just the dislocated shoulder slowing Roglic down in the tour; a few days after he abandoned it was discovered he had also fractured two vertebras, on which he rode that stage 11.

[@lesflynn4455]

The tour is full of stories like that. It's hard to understand. Idon't know how they do it.

[@funnytortoise]

He then used those recently healed vertebrae (or not even fully healed yet) to compete in La Vuelta Espana. A race in which he was in contention of winning until yet another crash took him out. After all that, a normal human would be sad, frustrated, hurt, exhausted and probably be scared of riding again. Primož Roglič responded by winning every race he competed in in 2023.

[@4bidn1]

@@lesflynn4455 PED's

[@rykehuss3435]

@@funnytortoise thats the grindset you need on top of insane genetics

[@yawzyawz]

Drugs, a lot of Doping , just watch the sport history

[@stavrosk.2868]

On one of my car vacations in France we were on the Mont Ventoux. I watched amateur cyclists creeping up these slopes . Then I saw a professional cyclist on a training passing them by a such speed that the (trained) amateurs seemed to be standing still. The power and endurance of professional cyclists really is quite incredible.

[@gregkosinski2303]

It’s insane. They average about 15mph on really steep mountain roads, which is faster than most cyclists go on flat ground.

[@gregkosinski2303]

It’s insane. They average about 15mph on really steep mountain roads, which is faster than most cyclists go on flat ground.

[@stavrosk.2868]

Oh I forgot, another insanity is when these pro cyclists go down the mountain at truly insane speeds up to 60mph or 100kmh. You cannot follow them in a car. Absolutely crazy and awesome.

[@vividesiles3763]

​@@stavrosk.2868are you kidding that's insanely fast. I'm french and didn't even know that. But I don't live in the mountains

[@pythor2117]

Depends on the gradient obviously. Once it gets up above 7/8% they ain’t going 15 mph... maybe 15 kph.

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

One of my favourite stories is from a French foriegn exchange girl I met. Her grandad rode in the Tour De France back in the day when it was acceptable for riders to just raid cafes and shops for food and sustenance along the trip. He left his number with a girl he bumped into at a wine store, promising to pay her back for the two bottles of expensive wine he just grabbed and then proceeded to down while riding with his friends. Couple days after the end, he gets a call and the girl thinks he wanted to date her. They end up going out and within a few years are happily married and thats how her grandparents met :)

[@moctezumita]

Amazing 🥰. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@frv84]

Bullshit, no personnal phones at that time in France

[@frv84]

@@odjsjaks yep 😀 And pigeon fits perfectly here, in France people who believe anything they're told and who are fooled easily are called pigeons..

[@stellviahohenheim]

This is a copied comment

[@LAJAP]

The amount of BS people are able to come up with, and for no good reason! Maybe for the likes?

[@MrDominicharrison]

To clarify ‘bonking’ aka ‘hitting the wall’ is the metabolic phenomenon when endurance athletes run out or carb stores, the muscles can then only fire using fatty acids for fuel which takes twice as long to process as carbs hence the feeling like u can’t move There is a lot of experimental physiology surrounding this phenomenon and lots of mystery such as why the day after bonking an athlete can be much stronger … this latter point has long been exploited by pros before a big one day race by making themselves bonk on purpose

[@luisdelpozo9674]

Huh, that’s super interesting! Do you have any more data about the post-bonk strength? Haven’t heard of it before

[@jarnold1789]

Huh that’s interesting, haven’t heard of or experienced an increase in performance the day after a bonk. For Anyone that hasn’t experienced it though, it’s absolutely crushing when It happens and takes a lot of discipline and practice to learn how to avoid it

[@XX-is7ps]

Depletion prior to carb loading has been debunked.

[@XX-is7ps]

Depletion prior to carb loading has been debunked.

[@MrDominicharrison]

@@XX-is7ps nothing gets ‘debunked’ in professional cycling, there r too many confounding factors in the race environment to enable proper research I’m quoting paolo Bettini in an interview when he retired 20yrs ago speaking of how Mapei riders prepared for Milan san remo and other one day races like the world champs I’ve just done another research trawl from this thread, first on this subject in about 10yrs for me, and there just isn’t good data…u wud never get consent from pro riders for muscle biopsies in these circumstances Carb depletion is only one of many performance enhancing techniques used by pros in ‘secret squirrel clubs’ If u can quote the research u make reference to please do, I’d be very happy to critique it (I’m an emergency medicine dr and also have a physiology degree and raced to a high amateur standard)

[@alessandrot8313]

When comparing TDF distance to South Carolina -> Los Angeles, you forgot to mention you'd also been riding up Mt. Everest 5 times on the way hahaha. Awesome video man!

[@simmojosh71]

​@@w花bI think most people know it's fucking tall which is enough.

[@arroe8386]

​@@w花bat least broadly know how high Mount Everest is, is pretty much general knowledge in my opinion

[@bigchilling420]

​@@w花bahh yes because us Americans don't use the metric system and have no object permanence, Mt Everest and its size simply does not exist! Only things in 'Merica are real! 😠

[@TehStormOG]

well going from south carolina to la means crossing the rocky mountains so I think it probably is still accurate

[@brauljo]

3:18 He said "throw in a couple of the biggest mountain ranges in Europe".

[@billybud9557]

I used to laugh at cyclists as wusses for a lightweight sport....until I seriously watched the Tour de France.......this sport is the real deal...these guys endure pain at a level higher than most other pro athletes even imagine....only a few sports can equal this ordeal. I salute them all. Combat sports, distance running, and real wrestling are among its only equals. Wout and Jonas are animals.

[@SH-kt3nk]

“These guys endure pain at a level higher than most other pro athletes even imagine” …. For three weeks straight. No other sport has this level of prolonged suffering.

[@mauryeetss3561]

And that isn’t even taking into account the safety risks of participation, In the first 4 stages of this years tour, 4 riders have already suffered broken bones and abandoned the race. You’re risking your physical well-being and safety. In the history of the Tour de France, riders have died both from crashing on a descent and from collapsing on an ascent. The last death was many years ago in 1995 when a rider hit a concrete barrier. Rider safety has increased since then but there is still an ever present risk of death because they are physically unprecedented aside from their helmet and can hit speeds greater than 70mph on descents.

[@TheSlowoldman]

@@mauryeetss3561 Unfortunately Gino Mader (26 years old) died in a crash in the Tour de Suisse earlier this year......

[@theundead1600]

Most people get out and ride 25 miles and are like eh. Then 50 to 100 then the have that look. They crack. Then when people see they pros do the tour and it 100 miles plus daily plus multi miles up bike in the mountains. Sprints mid and end for points king of the mountain points. It’s great stuff. I love big hills . Where I live it’s maybe a 20 min climb at 14 mph. So a hour or two climbing is wild and humbling.

[@USC9210]

You also have to consider injury pain. Background, there are enough crashes that a team of doctors are in cars for every mile of the race. Falling off your bike, at race speed (25-34 mph) on a flat stretch of road will result in broken bones (scapulars, collar bones, wrists, tib-fib fractures in the legs), overexertion/overuse tendonitis in the knees; really painful sports injuries (injuries, not "discomfort" mind you.. Aleve does not calm down cycling injuries). Saddle sores can also arise (although teams and riders try to avoid that through padding in shorts and scientifically measured "bike fit" and saddle). Crashes when going down a mountain (45 to 55 mph on tires 23 to 25 millimeters wide) can result in multiple compound fractures, concussions or death (a rider died in June during a race in Switzerland). Then there is the scrapping of the skin and bruising that comes with "hitting the deck" and sliding on the asphalt at speed which is called "road rash." Road rash disrupts the rider's ability to access the best tool for recovery: SLEEP. Pro cyclists, like pro hockey players, more often than not try to compete with these injuries, because cycling is a team sport (although it looks like an individual psychosis) and they feel deep commitment and obligation to being a good teammate. They are the toughest men and women athletes in the world.

[@rolopolo66]

As Greg Lemond said, “it never gets any easier, you just get faster.”

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... you are* just going* faster. Still a great quote, up to the point where you age, the pain stays, but you stop going faster and have to give up competing. Don't miss the pain, dont miss competition but I do miss the times when going slow was easy😉.

[@nightcorerj6024]

I saw one of the riders eat shite and then get up and start riding again for another 175 km

[@nightcorerj6024]

I saw one of the riders eat a fat dumpling and then get up and ride again for another 270 km

[@darrylperry6029]

If you’re an amateur cyclist training really hard five to six days a week but don’t have a VO2 max of 92, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt just the same as a pro-you just don’t go as fast. If your max H.R. is 190 and you’re time trialing at 180+ for 40 minutes you’re in hurt locker. What I’m trying to say is regardless if you’re a pro or not you still have to deal with all facets of the sport: the pain, the suffering, and particularly your mental state.

[@martinbogadomartinesi5135]

The old saying is "It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster". Not all training has to be painful tho. Once I started the polarized approach of training, I ride way more, rest accordingly and got way faster.

[@thedownunderverse]

@@martinbogadomartinesi5135Zone 2 or Zone 4! Zone 3 is the Devil!!

[@tomascanevaro4292]

I don't cycle but i run. My 5k pb is 21:32, which is way slower than the 13-14 min range pro runners generally take. Still, my average HR on that was 177, and i had to hit 180 HR from km 2 and hold on to that pain barrier. i'm not that fast, but my all out efforts definately require me to put myself trough pain.

[@larsisgood]

​@@tomascanevaro4292I've read so many comments where people say 190 is a high heartrate im now starting to get worried a bit. My heartrate reaches 205 easily on tough runs, my max is 215. 195bpm is still a relatively easy run and

[@flongs3993]

@@larsisgoodyeah you’re watch is probably fucked if 195bpm is an easy run for you

[@BrookeOsment]

I'm sitting here watching this video while recovering from a knee replacement at age 28. So remember: pushing through pain can win you greatness as an endurance athlete, but there's little bit of info that got glossed over in the video, that there's a big difference between exertion pain and injury pain. If you learn to push through pain but you don't learn to differentiate, you'll end up like me.

[@zachchristiansen]

Apologies for the personal question, but what caused you to need a knee replacement?

[@BrookeOsment]

@zachchristiansen In middle school and high school I used to run 100 miles a week, and would also go alpine skiing all winter and whitewater canoeing all summer. Ran through a few too many injuries, and now I have osteoarthritis in most of my load-bearing joints.

[@zachchristiansen]

​@@BrookeOsment Damn, that's too bad. I hope you're able to manage the arthritis.

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

Abusing your body, then? Moderation is the key...@@BrookeOsment

[@Xarx42]

I think with running that's insanely difficult to differentiate. My girlfriend is an ultra trail runner and she dragged me a bit into the sport. I did long distance sports before, a bit with cycling but especially swimming (hour events). And oh boy, barely anything fucks me up the same way like a whole day of running through forests and mountains... Anyway, I made a similar mistake, trying to push through an injury there I should have taken a longer break, resulting eventually in a running/cycling break for 1,5 years now in total. But it's apparently nothing really serious and I'll slowly(!) start again in November. I am sorry about your knee and I hope you'll be able to find somehow a solution for yourself.

[@tylerm231]

Loved the guest, the difference he pointed out between non-elite athletes vs elite in how they deal with pain is fascinating. Your production value continues to get better and better

[@medleyshift1325]

I'm a former College XC athlete, and you can tell who has been a serious runner before, because they just don't put music in on race day. I used to take off my watch because I didn't want to know my splits. It was me, my teammates, everyone else, and the mile markers.

[@PenguinCrayon269]

elite footballers are trained to fake pain 🤣

[@m2rql]

hahaha, outstanding comment.

[@rodolfodoce]

Elite athletes destroy their bodies and minds to push the limits.

[@zgSH4DOW]

I am quite mentally weak and weak-willed overall, but cycling has really brought out strength and toughness I never expected to have. Discovering my love for road bike riding is one of the best things to happen to me

[@TeKeyaKrystal]

aw , this comment is precious

[@baguettegott3409]

I kind of consider myself mentally weak in that sense too. I usually fail at the first hurdle - to even get into a situation where you have to overpower your pain with willpower, you have to want something. But I've never wanted to exceed my body's natural range. I've tried, sort of (I've done sports all my life and obviously I've tried to "give it my all" as the coaches always yell at you), but I have never seen anything positive result from it. Not even a sense of accomplishment. Just the pain. And man, I'm just not a masochist where I would seek that experience out I guess. Maybe discovering the right kind of sport, like you with cycling, could change that. But it definitely isn't cycling, I used to cycle to school every day and I despise it.

[@anitamaes5031]

Weak willed just means you are not motivated. And It's only logical that not everythiing tickles your fancy. "Weak willed" means you won't lie to yourself and that is a good thing.

[@Warmpangolin22]

Well said and I agree thoroughly. Good luck to ya

[@tonynorris9139]

Very germane to this fascinating video is the fourth rider pictured in the central story, Geraint Thomas. In 2022 he was 36 years old, an Olympic gold medallist, former TdF winner and had over the years broken pretty much every bone in his body. He'd supported Froome in his 4 wins, guided Bernal for his win and as Pogacar and Vinegaard tried to neautralise each other, he quietly rode in to third spot. He used experience and techniques he'd learned over decade of racing, rode at his pace and was always just behind the other two - watch the highlights.

[@Major_Nuance]

as an ultramarathoner this was a fun watch for me. We call the hurt locker the pain cave in our sport. The breakdown of mentality was a little eye opening to me. Never heard that explained before

[@amosbatalden5871]

Yeah it's the pain cave in climbing too

[@USC9210]

I have been seriously watching pro bicycle racing for a decade and a half. I watch KZbin videos of stages and behind the scenes doc (The people of Belgium take their annual spring series of races as seriously as Americans follow and watch the Super Bowl and NBA Finals combined). I also use Spin Bikes for my cardio and have tapped into the edges of the challenges of what pro bike racers encounter. The average non-elite athlete on a Peloton usually want to end after 45 to 50 minutes. A TdF stage lasts 3 to 4.5 hours. The guest sports psychologist was great explaining that pro bike riders are not "riding" their bike, but are "racing" against other competitors from the first pedal stroke and the mental exertion required to keep going at that great intensity (24 to 27 MPH average on flat stages)... the whole endeavor is just insane for one day. Then think that they do this 21 out of 23 days in the middle of summer in the heat of the day. It is completely nuts, and mesmerizing to watch. The rider who comes last in the TdF, or any other three week stage bike race, is a total gangster worthy of the utmost respect.

[@minilub3572]

The rider coming last is usually celebrated in France, and known as the « red lantern », because just finish the Tour de France is an achievement and is recognized as such.

[@williamcovey9703]

@@minilub3572 I would love to be able to finish dead last (maybe I shouldn't say 'dead') in the Tour du France. The last guy is a helluva bike rider!

[@Mrwhomeyou]

@@williamcovey9703 the catch is there is a cut-off time calculated from when the 1st rider finished, so anyone after the cut-off time did not finish the stage/day. The last person who finished within the cut-off time gets the award

[@jessederooij2247]

nice to see an analysis from a non cyclist, as a performance cyclist myself we always like to discuss how the sports looks and feels like for people who don’t understand the sport and maybe never even tried to pursue their physical boundaries. Interesting stuff

[@justsomedude7556]

As an endurance rider, when I was younger, it did not take much for me to call it a day, being older, I now have the mental ability to over ride my brain telling me to stop.

[@USC9210]

Yet, when you are older you lose the "explosive" muscle strength to attack. This is why riders like Pogacar, and Vinogaar and others are having success in the peloton are younger (early to mid 20s). We are witnessing a true revolution in cycling by this new generation of riders.

[@1tubax]

@@USC9210 that's not true at all. There's nearly no difference in physical ability from 20-40 assuming you eat well and have no injuries. 40 is when testosterone starts to drop. younger people just have less things on their mind so they can give their full attention to their dreams.

[@average_engineer628]

​@@1tubax this is not true, just look at the ages world records where set in different disciplines

[@th63500]

I love Tour de France. Even during early 2000s, when massive Doping was disclosed. The Tour is much bigger than each single rider and cycling itself is unbelievable fascinating.

[@xXSgtJackXx]

The regenartive aspect and the pain tolerance of those guys are actually insane, they are almost like real life wolverines the way they can just get up from terrible crashes and injuries to riding again and enduring all the pain It is so inspiring to watch

[@geovaniraffaelli4508]

They have the ability to experience pain without suffering, which is the resistance to the pain. By experiencing pain with a purpouse and an inquisitive mind the resistance aspect drops dramatically and the experience of pain becomes less problematic.

[@runswithraptors]

We could all strive to be more like them 🤷‍♂️ they are only human after all

[@EricDMMiller]

I love how they can keep cycling while covered with their own shit.

[@mysticsoulz638]

and drugs

[@guiguito5505]

@@EricDMMiller bruh

[@samcross5350]

Cool video. Worth noting that the Tour de France takes place in July when it can be brutally hot, particularly in the South of France. Just another layer of exhaustion the riders have to work through.

[@MrDominicharrison]

Having been a time trial racer I’d have to describe what is referred to here as ‘pain’ or ‘the hurt locker’ as … not pain at all but rather a higher state of consciousness where u can feel ur body at its limits but when ‘in form’ u can ‘turn the screw’ and incrementally increase the effort level and the body responds Sometimes u can go very very deep after which it can take a day or two for the muscle soreness to settle…being able to push deep is what separates the good riders from the fast ones and is largely psychological, some riders can push hard and even good riders some pros too never can time trial coz they simply cannot push deep, their brains don’t have that ability, it’s like a switch that u can flick on when u r well prepared We know from research however that perceived effort doesn’t correlate well with power output, pro teams have tonnes of real world data on this and it’s all kept top secret (it’s far more motivating riding a national event so u can go deeper)

[@farcydebop]

I remember I was following that cobbled stage when Roglic crashed because of some random hay bale left on the road. Upon realizing he had dislocated shoulder, he literally banged it back a la Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon, to go on and later attack Pog to help Vingegaard win the Tour.

[@sail5820]

Not to mention the RACING part where they are all day extremely close to each other often at 50kph+, crazy people indeed

[@Starminator14]

You mixed up some of the clips around the 2021-2022 tours. 12:40 Plan B was about the 2021 tour, not the 2022 tour, as Jonas was unproven before 2021, but managed, as the only rider, to drop Pogacar, and even on Mont Ventoux! And sidebar, moreover than the dislocated shoulder, Roglic had broken his back, which makes his stage 11 output in 2022, absolutely insane!

[@blue-pi2kt]

One of the gutsiest pulls I've ever seen in pro cycling. Up there with will Cadel Evans finishing second with the broken collarbone.

[@LionMister]

Oh wow, that spectator! So terrible, so embarrassing! The sign basically said "Go on Grandpa and Grandma." She was trying to send a message to her grandparents who were really big fans of the tour. She later turned herself in and said it was "really just so unintended." She ended up getting fined 1200 euros (not sure by who), and then paying 1 symbolic euro to the French cycling association. Fines aside, that just has to be one of the most humiliating things ever. I'm sure she learned her lesson.

[@noural-mawaldi364]

i usually do not watch any tour de France content but this video was really interesting , great video!!!!

[@adamjb21]

I know absolutely nothing about Tour De France except the "Live Strong" bracelets, but you did an excellent job with this video and earned another follower.

[@jpolchlopek]

This. Is. Amazing. As a terrible low-class cyclist, it's amazing to be able to make use of someone coming in with fresh eyes and really get to the soul (no pun intended) of what makes a person push on or back off. Kudos!

[@thecellulontriptometer4166]

Last year's TDF was a great example of team riding by Jumbo Visma. Yes, Vingegaard won the Individual Classification, but there was no doubt that the best individual rider was Pogacar. It was not just stage 11, but all of the mountain stages had Vingegaard, Roglic and Wout Van Aert able to push Pogacar at the front. UAE just didn't have that level of support riders. So, stage after stage Pogacar would get worn down while Vingegaard was protected by teammates. Great win for Jumbo Visma, but this year UAE has a better team making it really interesting.

[@LarsPallesen]

It would seem that "the best individual rider" was beaten by 1:38 minutes in today's time trial. You know, an individuel race. The guy who beat him by 2:38 minutes? Jonas Vingegaard. You still want to chalk that up to being protected by teammates?

[@mojo2679]

Today beaten by 6 mins ish!! Go Jonas

[@jakethesnake9340]

As a cyclist, training feels dumb and crazy but I love it. Climbed up Alpe du Zwift for the first time last Friday almost threw up and was dying as I blew up early by going too fast..... I'm thinking about doing it again some time this week now....

[@robertdiez3091]

Do Vent Top even more fun

[@jakethesnake9340]

@@robertdiez3091 added to the list! Zwift just added all the Tour de France climbs so I plan on doing all of them….. if my legs allow me 😂

[@robertdiez3091]

@@jakethesnake9340 last I checked the zwift avg time 1:45 just make sure to get a rythem at the base of the climb. The middle section is the hard once you hit Hotel turn on the climb just keep the power down until the line. It will be a long slow climb really you got to be mentally ready for it.

[@jakethesnake9340]

@@robertdiez3091 thanks for the tips! Once I get into my rhythm I feel good around a certain watts and HR. Climbed 1200 ft up Mount Ventoux on accident and felt good. I want to do Mt. Washington in my home state of NH next year so I am preparing on the virtual climbs

[@RichardHennigan]

​@@jakethesnake9340I'm in the same boat. I got addicted to climbing in Zwift and now I'm registered for Mt Washington this year (why do I do this to myself?). Earlier this year I finally got AdZ under an hour after many tries. I probably could have done it much sooner, but I never used to take recovery needs seriously. My advice would be to wait a bit longer between your PR attempts and give yourself at least a few days of recovery beforehand. As a side note, there are no climbs in Zwift that come even close to the challenge of Mt Washington. If you want to properly prepare for that, you might want to look into getting a smart trainer that can simulate a GPX route. I ended up building a custom bike to handle that gradient. Depending on your fitness, regular road bikes probably just won't have the gearing for it (unless you're fine with mashing at 40 RPM for over an hour).

[@dontknowdocare]

Great video as usual! Integrating expert interviews really sets you apart from others sports essay videos. I love getting a glimpse into sports I usually don't follow.

[@MasteringGrappling]

The mindset of elite competition is different. The mind can take away some of the pain and strategy can help you think in terms of the long game. Good video.

[@lincolnlu9869]

Welcome to cycling. You've picked a good time to be a fan.

[@jacksonbahm9731]

Great video, this helped me understand my own psychology a lot more. I find it's best for me to focus on pain and use it as information for the vast majority of race however dissociation has its place too. If you need to sprint the finish I think it's impossible to do while focusing on anything, just full gas and ignore your body screaming at you for just a short amount of time.

[@markdwelchforcongress4456]

During the last week of the TDF, I was researching a trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway. On this particular stage of the Tour, they were climbing just over 5000 meters total. That is more climbing than there is in the entire 500 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway - in one day - in less than 125 miles of riding - at race speeds.

[@MylesAD]

Im a die hard boxing fan, and casual NFL & MMA fan. But the Tour de France is my favourite sporting event. I look forward to it every year. Gonna hop on to the Eurostar next summer to watch the final stage on the Champs-Elysees 🤞🏼

[@jamespinderphotoman]

Great video. Just to emphasize - the pace of modern multi stage racing is insane. I don't think non-cyclists can comprehend the effort required to just keep up, never mind race day after day - it's absolutely relentless. For sure, one of the toughest sports/races on the planet.

[@-esox-3714]

Interesting and informative video. Having started running recently and thinking about the mental strength it already requires to push yourself in a 5k race when attempting a decent result, it really is mind boggling how those riders push on and on for days.

[@SupercarAlex150]

As a cyclist myself, you nailed all the points. Great job!

[@petresko1041]

I'm no athlete, I'm a small digital artist, but mood absolutely dictates my performance - brush stroke accuracy, energy in my arms, clear understanding of what I'm trying to do and how quickly I get it done or tire out. It's close to impossible for me to produce something good when I am angry /frustrated and often find myself realizing what i need to do when I pick up a work in progress with a clear head, where I had dumped it when I was in a foul mood.

[@fran2911]

I do sports, I'm not in your field, but emotions and stress 100% determine how fast and accurately I can provide solutions

[@davidleonard37]

As a decent marathon runner.. 2.50's I can concur with this. Your mind will tell you to stop but you have to acknowledge the pain and accept it. It's what you train for, I don't dissociate but use it as a measure of where I am. Most of the time it will pass. You will go through every emotion possible in a race, it never goes away but you can learn to control it. If you let it take you over it drains your body.

[@koreystephens]

3:47 Stage 17 of this year’s tour is 17,700ft of climbing.

[@abuckeye26]

Ya anything around 1k-2k meters of climbing or less are generally considered sprinters staged

[@tubbyidk1474]

Just gotta say i discovered your channel a few hours ago and i cant believe you only have 4.3k subs, keep it up you'll be real big with this quality of content.

[@twowheelsandcroissant]

the emotional challenge is what got me into cycling too!! amazing coverage!!

[@krisr3868]

Got this video randomly recommended, and I gotta say I liked it. I think I'll need to check out your channel some more. Also, a look into the battle between two top tier individual athletes (Pogacar and Vingegaard are in a tight battle this year, being only 17 seconds apart 9 days into the Tour by the way) could be interesting

[@sandgroper1970]

I remember a former rider Tom Dumolan for General Classification and he did ride for the team Jumbo Visma. He took a break from pro cycling then came back to the racing / game . But he rode for another year and he then announced he was retiring from professional cycling/racing. In an interview he said he no longer had the desire to to go to the hurt locker on a consistent basis in training, which is needed to be able to to perform at a high level in a race.

[@nanthilrodriguez]

"Pain is a struggle for normal people that stops them from doing what they want to do." This is profound. I have figured this out on my own, but doubt it often times, and sometimes pain does stop me from what I want to do. This needs to be taught, drilled into children at a young age. This is what we all ought to understand to live a better life.

[@m.bird.]

Nothing needs to be drilled. Just let kids be physical and play and they teach themselves.

[@gracie1312]

What bs. Many 'normal' people live with chronic pain

[@nightfighter7452]

Yeah, let's not act like that statement doesn't have a large amount of nuance😂

[@olivergroning6421]

Many years ago, when I was a ‘non-initiated’ cyclist, I was climbing the Susten (one of the main Swiss alpine passes with 5’400 feet of climbing) with cycling club I just joined. When the legs were really hurting, still not even into the first half of the climb, I ask my mate, “Why are we enduring this pain?”. His answer sums up all there is to know about cycling, he said: “The pain makes up for the pain.” Many years later, all the flat riding is just a necessary mean to get to the climb…

[@lukeconleyluke]

I never expected tony hawk to know so much about endurance sports.

[@petef15]

Opi Omi has become an unforgettable moment.

[@91hrs]

Good shit you've got Jim Taylor in the boat right here, love the effort! Keep it up (:

[@daku911]

Endurance pain training should begin with flying on ultra low-cost carriers like frontier and spirit airlines

[@eloutcrasborn7149]

Really liked the video! Another great sport where pain management is essential is rowing(or 'Crew' in the USA), few endurance sports produce as much lactic acid for such long periods of time(Imagine a final sprint in the Tour, but having to maintain it for 6 minutes). You should look into it! the USA has some of the best collegiate rowing programs in the world. Mentality plays a big role in rowing, especially during the 'off season' which lasts for about 9 of the 12 months of the year, where you still have to train twice daily. I would love to see your take on my favorite sport!

[@Retr0Static]

I was dumbstruck when I saw the subscriber count. You are making some fantastic analysis videos with a fantastic production value. I am definitely a fan

[@ethan3038]

It’s insane to me that this channel is this small. Keep putting out work like this and you’ll go far man.

[@derickcastillo9083]

Super interesting video! The problem with many cyclist is they get too accustomed to the pain and are in danger of over training, which is just as bad under training. Elite level cycling is about balancing everything on a razors edge. GREAT VIDEO. Wonderful insight.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

I’ve actually ridden rides with people who have gone to pro world tour levels, one of the things that is interesting is they usually know when to leave the ego home and do zone 2 training and when to drop everyone in zone 7.

[@binger700]

12:40 the 'Plan B' documentary is about the 2021 tour, when Vingegaard came 2nd behind Pogi, although I fully get the mix-up because in that race the scenario was very simmilar - Roglic crashed out and Vingegaard became the sole leader. Nonetheless, really interesting video! :)

[@setscet]

The thing about associating with pain is so real! I suck at cycling lol but some people have thought this was crazy when I told them I do this when planking and stuff. I forget where I heard it, I think it was in more of an emotional context (acknowledge how you feel) and I randomly decided to try it with physical pain one day. Once you focus on the pain, your mind can think "maybe this isn't too bad"

[@willsorrell4541]

Great vid. The part on pain was so interesting.

[@researchherpetology]

I live right above SC in the TN Appalachians, and hearing him say that this race is the equivalent of *biking from here to L.A. through MOUNTAIN RANGES* is absolutely BONKERS...these people are GODS...

[@seanmcdevitt6073]

Love this video. I have raced seven 24 solos [mtb] [open pro category], run eight ultra marathons. At least for me, mindset and pain does not limit me. Cramping from over exertion of the muscles does. Mindset and pain threshold does not conquer severe cramping. Mindset and will power can get you through the dark times, while you recover. I have soft pedaled sections of trails numerous times to not cause additional cramping... Sometimes cramping is from over exertion, not lack of fluids, potassium, magnesium..... Would love to hear other comments about what works for you to go further, farther, faster....

[@Red-ju4mi]

also muscle fatigue. I wish it was just pain. If you have no muscle strength you can only go so far until the legs or arms go numb

[@morosis82]

I've always found that allowing myself a brief 'rest' is good for being able to back up a strong effort. A short period of collecting my mental strength while i soft pedal or whatever and I can crack on for a while longer. Never done ultras but have done half Ironman which is bad enough as a 100kg+ athlete even in good shape.

[@ShadowWizard123]

How good is Jumbo Visma that they left Roglic at home this year, yet still have the strongest team. Hard to imagine.

[@johanfredriksvendsen8482]

The Vingegaard pronounciation wasnt all that bad. A little too much emphasis on the first G and also a little too much on the final D, but certainly not so bad that the disclaimer was warranted.

[@studentofthegame]

this is the only comment that matters. I was so nervous 😅

[@05xpeter]

@@studentofthegame Another Dane here in my ears; defacto flawless pronunciation.

[@krisr3868]

@@studentofthegame I have to agree with my countrymen on this one. Your pronunciation was damned near spot on. Better than I'd ever expect from someone who isn't Scandinavian.

[@nikolajbjersing4179]

@@studentofthegamei say the same thing, great pronounciation.

[@ozzysideika7840]

Amazing video, very technical and puts forward and explains these concepts in a very easily understandable format.

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

Love this video! The TdF is like a rolling chess match. The more you know, the more you appreciate how high a level these guys ride. For example, lead riders exert about 30% more effort pushing through the air than the guy right behind him. 👍🏼 Mainly here to share another video that this vid of yours made me remember. You include Emotions in your list. As a former endurance, single-track mountain bike racer, I have said and shouted things I’m too embarrassed here to admit. These amateur riders from New Zealand, or Aotearoa (?🤷🏻‍♂️), wanted to ride the TdF route. They made it!! But by the end, there were all very **emotional**. 👍🏼 kzbin.info/www/bejne/an2XpIWbgpucp9E Edit: weren’t Australians! Changed to NZ because I’ve heard NZ’ers don’t like being given an Australian identity! 😂👍🏼

[@MrMonkeyBoomBoom]

One of the best descriptions of professional cycling I’ve ever heard

[@phodaOG]

as any other top sport. top athletes are just combination of everything right, training, pain threshold, mental strength, genetics, everything has to be right to be at the level of pogacar, vingegard, van aert

[@therealsirdj5934]

I wasn't really into cycling as a sport to spectate, but last year's Tour showed me how insane the event is... absolute mad lads and a very fascinating sport

[@kingzmo442]

Amazing Video. Its noticeable how much effort went into making this. Thank you and keep up the good work :D

[@mikeclips8723]

This is a superb video, really excellent.

[@redluke8119]

Baffling to me your channel isnt at a few million subs. This is incredible quality keep it up

[@MrSimfel]

Captivating video ! Being a psychologist myself, i was not expecting such quality in concept elaboration and explaination, keep up with this good work !

[@phlufff_fxd]

I love hearing about all of this from a psychological point of view, and even more in awe of the athletes who do these grueling events

[@breathestrongcycling3672]

Trust me...there are fans of the sport that need shit explained to them like they were 5 so you're not alone! 😆

[@tintintin070]

please make more videos about insane endurance events (MOAB 240, Ultramarine, etc.

[@stevenleslie8557]

This video explains the psychology of Lance Armstrong. He was the furthest thing from a typical human being. His obsession with winning drove his almost sociopathic behavior as he tried to defend himself. He didn't care about any lie he told, any rule he broke, or any person he hurt. He was hard wired to push through ANY obstacle to triumph.

[@robertturner1308]

I like your comment but would remove that “almost” to make it more accurate.

[@jimj2683]

Nah. He just cheated. He is a loser.

[@a1b9c2]

In a nutshell...Armstrong's a POS. You have to be to treat people the way he has. Great athlete but a poor human being.

[@RankinMsP]

Nah, he was just a cheat and a liar. Others won who were nowhere near as bad. Still drug cheats though

[@LAK_770]

@@RankinMsPevery single racer was undergoing the same doping protocols. The “controversy” was a media circus and a farce and it was bullshit that he was singled out and forced to explain himself as if this was some grave sin. Promoters and audiences demand the kinds of performances that only drugs can produce and then act shocked when the obvious comes to light

[@welbz2330]

Top quality video 👏 your channel deserves way more views and subscribers, also shoutout SC I’m in Charleston

[@USC9210]

This is the best doc explaining the challenges of the TdF I have ever seen, and I have watched a lot.

[@antoine2571]

2:17 I saw the castle and it felt familiar. I remembered I literally spent a week in a house 500 meters away from this castle like a year ago.

[@honestreviewer3283]

Road cycling is the toughest sport there is, PERIOD. It is grueling and unforgiving. Yes, there are some single and multi-day events that are tougher (e.g., cross-country skiing, triathlon, MMA), but nothing combines endurance and danger like road racing does.

[@sopeonarope6646]

The sarcasm here is next level

[@timboslice45]

​@@sopeonarope6646 Go grab a bike and try to maintain their average speed (27 mph) for an hour and tell me how grueling it is. I bet you can't even maintain half their speed (13.5 mph) for an hour, dead serious.

[@JohnDough-yr2zt]

I’m one of those guys. I’m a “casual” amongst many elite cyclists. One of my friends has like, 10 top ten finishes in the TdF. Another just signed with Quick Step. Yes I’ve watched the elites pedal away from me so fast, I could never duplicate that. What I try to do is listen to them as much as I can and pay attention to them and try to understand what it is that makes them who they are.

[@offthefront7537]

I started racing when I was 37, always at the back of the pack or dropped. Fast forward 10 years and I was always at the front ans sometimes winning. Makes me wonder how much was mental and how much was physical. Never thought of the mental part.

[@morosis82]

Interesting. I've done a bit of triathlon racing but was looking at trying some road racing, just turned 40.

[@offthefront7537]

@@morosis82 do it. Very hard but very gratifying. Good luck

[@offthefront7537]

Do it. Teaches you your limits.

[@marc423]

Great video man, super well done and researched!

[@dkvikingkd233]

All you really need is a freakish genetic, an outstanding ability to regenerate and an unimaginable pain tolerance, and you'll be ready for the Tour😉

[@tychoMX]

And - relevant to this video - the ability to focus and concentrate in challenging conditions -risk/benefit analysis at 45 kph. That's the reason some of very physically talented riders seem to hover on the margins of great wins, and how others seem to "avoid" most of bad luck or bad days. It's really fascinating.

[@jpvdw1961]

​@@tychoMX45kph is slow.... the peloton can cruise along at 60+kph

[@777NCM]

You also need superb bike handling skills and your body needs to be aerodynamic.

[@SH-kt3nk]

Being in an optimal aero position is very uncomfortable if not straight up painful and requires a lot of flexibility.

[@ricf9592]

I have the genetics. VO2 Max of 84.0 at 62 years of age. However, I couldn't have been a pro cyclist. Too much of a coward. Not the pain or discomfort, but fear of crashing on a descent.

[@christianmbong]

First video of yours that I've seen. Just had to let you know it's an absolute banger.

[@denbot.cycling]

Don't forget the supplements 🤣

[@DiamanteJonray]

This guy is super underrated for the quality you’re putting out! Subbed

[@MrChippinator]

I stagnated on my cardio in the gym and running so I started doing more cycling. Honestly, for a sport practised by so many people, it is amazing how seriously hard it is. Much harder than running for example. So many good cyclists make it look so easy too. For example, I ride with a group at my local bike shop sometimes and I am one of the slower guys in the B group (I might last 10 minutes with the A group). I am pretty fit, scored well above average on one of those beep tests. Nonetheless, cycling is just a whole other level. There's no comparison between it and any other sport. The mental aspect of it is just so intense, listening to what that sports psychologist was saying about how the pros utilize pain is super interesting. Although I have gotten better, I don't think I could ever get to that level mentally.

[@morosis82]

I've always thought they were similar in difficulty, cycling and running, especially if you are training at the same level (like triathlon racing for example). You just go a lot faster on a bike :)

[@Robutube1]

Very good, straightforward explanation of some key factors affecting elite endurance (and perhaps other types too?) cyclists and what makes them stand apart. Thanks.

[@Zahrul3]

Both the Vuelta de Espana and Giro d'Italia have, in fact, harder stages overall (proven by the dearth of sprinters that survive to the end, the litany of crashes and the many riders that simply do not make the time cut!). However, the Tour de France is the most prestigious of the three and teams send their absolute best riders to compete, which is what makes the race brutal (the shenanigans!)

[@HkFinn83]

The tour is harder because it’s raced harder. Every stage is the most important thing in a lot of the riders seasons. There are still a lot of meandering stages in the giro and vuelta.

[@lars1588]

As a young, amateur cyclist, I can attest to the pain, but on a _significantly_ smaller level. I've had rides that broke me. Rides that felt like everything was against me-- headwind, insane climbs, bitter cold, bad roads... but I had to get home. I have never quit a ride yet, and for that I've become stronger. I don't know why I do it lol. I just keep going out there and pedaling.

[@praysuguitan779]

If you can endure tooth pain without painkillers - you can be a pro cyclist

[@somekek6734]

If you ever cycled at your top speed (20-30kmh) you'll realize after 20 seconds how crazy this is considering this is slow for them

[@sirbonobo3907]

WE call this the Tour de dope

[@jaysee6320]

Subbed in the first like 10 seconds of the vid. Could tell the quality already 👌

[@SMenkveld]

I think Greg LeMond said it best: "It never gets easier... you just go faster." --Shannon

[@mahdisultan3546]

BY GETTING FASTER ,IT BECOMES EASIER....

[@TomerDlv]

@@mahdisultan3546 Naa mate, the pain is still there at any level, you can just endure it longer

[@carlosdumbratzen6332]

In the Men's Marathon of the 2004 olympic games the brasilian runner got tackled by a fan. He was way ahead of his chasers, even after the tackle, but slowly he lost his footing and only came in 3rd. I remember watching this live with my grandpa (I was 4 or 5), for one being angry because of this unfair act, but also not understanding why he lost. This video sheds a bit of liight on that

[@LaitoChen]

Number 4. Steroids

[@jameswise845]

😂

[@richardmorgan1624]

And the rest.