This Saturday, the 97th edition of the Tour de France starts in Rotterdam, kicking off three weeks of bicycle racing. Twenty-one teams of nine riders each will have to endure 3,600 kilometers of racing and 25 mountain passes to reach the finish line on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. It is an event full of incredible human achievement and endurance. But it’s also full of geeky goodness. I decided to update last year’s post encouraging you to enjoy the race.
Here are my top ten reasons why geeks should love the Tour de France:
Cheat the wind
10. Aerodynamics. During the three weeks of the Tour, the teams and their riders battle one another. But they also battle against air resistance. In a group of cyclists riding closely together, the rider in front is expending as much as 30% more energy than those behind him or her. That means that a rider doesn’t want to be out in front for long. Bicycling tactics call for a rider to let someone else lead for most of the race day, then come from behind to grab the win. The peloton forms as a way for the riders to share the work of cutting through the wind. A single cyclist out in front riding ahead of the peleton stands little chance of victory, faced with battling the wind alone. This is why breakaways rarely survive.
Follow me on Twitter
9. Twittering Cyclists. Many of the stars of the event are avid users of Twitter. Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) even announced the birth of his son, Max, on Twitter and announced his upcoming (second) retirement on Twitter. Other Tour de France participants using Twitter include: Levi Leipheimer of Team Radio Shack (@Levi_Leipheimer), Cadel Evans of BMC Racing (@cadelofficial), Dave Zabriskie of Team Garmin (@dzabriskie), Christian Vande Velde of Team Garmin (@ChristianVDV), George Hincapie of BMC Racing (@ghincapie) [Mrs. GeekDoug's favorite], Johan Bruyneel, Manager of Team Radio Shack (@JohanBruyneel), and last year’s champion Alberto Contador (@albertocontador).
image by Fanny Schertzer (CC by sa 2.5)
8. The Team. Like any geek adventure, it’s not just about individual achievement. Sure the team leader gets the fame and glory, but it requires team work for victory. The domestiques help keep the leader safe, lead him in the wind so he can conserve his energy, ferry water bottles from the team car, and even sacrifice their bikes. Each team also has a large group of mechanics who keep everything moving smoothly, including quick wheel changes for flat tires and bike changes after a crash.
Unfortunately, there is no team time trial in the 2010 edition of the race after its brief return last year. The team time trial is the ultimate combination of teamwork, aerodynamics, and outfits. The team suits up in aero helmets, skinsuits, and special time trial bikes to minimize wind resistance. (Remember, its all about aerodynamics.) In true team fashion, it is not the time of the first cyclist across, but the time of the fifth man across the finish line that applies to all members of the team.
![image by renschmensch [with permission]](http://www.wired.com/geekdad/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/didi-258x300.jpg "didi")
image by renschmensch
7. The Fans. There are plenty of fans lining the race course, especially as the race cuts through cities and towns. Since the race cuts the town in half, its hard to do much except watch the race. For years it was just fans from each country supporting their countrymen and waiving their flags along the course. Then fans started lining the mountain courses, where the riders have to slow down to deal with the steep inclines. With increased television coverage, fans realized that a crazy costume might get you on worldwide coverage for a few seconds. Didi Senft, who dresses up in a red devil costume, was one of the first costumed spectators. You will see him often. The “Schlugs” line the race course, camping for days in prime locations. There are also the “Schmenges,” Belgian or Dutch cycling fans who end up rather intoxicated at the top of mountain passes.
image from bicycle.com
6. Wind Tunnels. Since aerodynamics play a key role in the Tour, many professional cyclists spend time in a wind tunnel to hone their position for maximum efficiency. The wind is as much the opponent as the other cyclists. Positioning is extremely important for a cyclist to be able to maintain a low drag while still producing sufficient power. Since bicycle aerodynamics are very specific to each different rider’s body size and type, a position that works well for one may not work well for another. Its not just the rider and bicycle frame. They test the water bottles, wheels, helmets, handlebars, and clothing. They even designed a special pocket on the back of the jersey to hold the racing number instead of clipping it on. Watch Lance Armstrong in the Wind Tunnel.
image from Versus
5. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. These two Brits have been the voice of professional cycling for years. Expect each day to be full of wonderful quips like “He’s really having to dig deeply into the suitcase of courage,” “Carnage is the only way to describe this ascent,” “The devil has joined in and that’s never a good sign”, and “He’s dancing on his pedals.” The Liggett-isms do tend to carry over from year to year. You might want to play Phil and Paul Bingo to help follow along with commentary. Kidding aside, I think they are the best announcing team in all of professional sports. They offer an encyclopedic knowledge of the race, the riders and the course.
4. The Clothing. Anyone who has seen an amateur cyclist cruising down the street knows that cyclists wear special clothes. During a race, there are special jerseys which denote a rider’s status. The leader in the time competition wears the yellow jersey, the leader in the sprint competition wears a green jersey, the king of the mountains wears a polka dot jersey, and the best young rider gets a white jersey. There are also special purpose outfits, such as the time trial kit. In the time trial, racers compete against the clock (either as an individual as a team) and clothe themselves in the most aerodynamic way they can, with special helmets to cut through the wind. (Remember, its all about aerodynamics.)
image by Jarrett Campbell (CC BY 2.0)
3. The Countryside. Over its three weeks, the race winds its way across the French countryside and into neighboring countries. Race coverage is full of helicopter shots, highlighting the racers, farms, castles, rivers and panoramas. Many of the race days are visually stunning. The mountains often loom above, some still speckled with snow. Even in the heat of the summer, French farmers build elaborate monuments to the race as it passes by their farms. Some displays are simple collections of hay bales. Others are elaborate moving displays of bicycle action. There will also be plenty of helicopter shots of medieval castles, cathedrals, and Roman ruins. Part of the Tour’s magic lies in the changing backdrops to the action, with villages competing to devise the most elaborate welcome signs.
image by Trek
2. The Equipment. The Tour de France bicycles are some of the most high-tech equipment used in any human powered sport. Titanium, carbon fiber, and high tensile steel alloys are routinely used for bicycle parts and frames. Lance Armstrong proclaimed in the title of one his books that It’s Not About the Bike. The bikes are still very cool, being the product of intensive development. Many bicycles are wind tunnel tested to maximize aerodynamics. (Remember that it’s all about aerodynamics.) The bikes for the time trial days of the race, where the cyclists rides against the clock (either alone or with their teams), are especially odd looking. This bike bears little resemblance to the geeklets’ boulevard cruisers.
Photo courtesy of CSE Cycling
1. Lance Armstrong. He is back this year, looking for another victory after “retiring” in 2005. What could be a geekier team than one sponsored by Radio Shack. Clearly he is a tremendous athlete, which would place him in the jock category. But Lance has geek credentials. I already mentioned his avid use of Twitter. The silicone cause bracelet phenomenon started when Lance convinced Nike to sell the bright yellow LiveStrong bracelets to raise money to cure cancer. The original target was 25 million; to date, Nike and LiveStrong have sold over 70 million. During the Tour of California last year, his first race after un-retiring, he had two special numbers on the frame of his bike: 1247 and 27.5. The first is the number of days that he had been retired and the second, shocking number represented the 27.5 million people who had died of cancer during his retirement. Lance, after all, is a man who cheated his own death, having survived testicular cancer.
The Kids. I don’t want to forget the kids, since GeekDad is the parenting blog of Wired. My geeklets like watching bike racing. The bright colors, incredible action and great scenery keep their attention. They should be entranced by the vivid images and dulcet tones of Phil and Paul.
Watch. There is live and delayed coverage of the Tour de France on the Versus TV network.
View full post on GeekDad
Recent Comments