Backstage Tour: 2004 Tour de France

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Outside Magazine, July 2004

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2004 Tour de France: The Ultimate Guide
Backstage Tour


	(Olivier Kugler)

Once and for all, why do pro cyclists shave their legs?
Despite what your silky-smooth cycling pals might tell you, there's no evidence that shaving enhances aerodynamics—at least any more than zipping your jersey does. The pros say it makes road-rash care easier and massage more comfortable: Knotted leg hairs turn nightly rubdowns into misery sessions.
More than anything, going bare is a tradition, as with bodybuilders (and most women).
—Eric Hansen



	(Olivier Kugler)

Off the bikes, is the Tour just one long party?
Despite the occasional rumor about a cyclist sleeping with a podium girl, when they're not racing, riders are focused on recovery. After settling in at a local hotel, they turn in their uniforms for laundering, take a short nap, then enjoy a 90-minute massage. Dinner, prepared by the hotel chef, is typically light—maybe a small steak and a bowl of pasta. And that's about it for nightlife: The USPS riders are in bed by ten o'clock.
—E.H.



	(Olivier Kugler)

How do riders pee during those six-hour stages?
When nature calls (and it does—these guys are drinking an average of one liter of water every hour), the peloton agrees to stop, and riders, sometimes 50 of them at a time, waddle off into the woods. On fast days, they creatively—and carefully!—rearrange their spandex and let it fly. "You hope you don't hit your shoes," says Kevin Livingston, who rode as one of Lance's mountain lieutenants in 1999 and 2000, "or another rider."
—E.H.

Tour de France 2004
CLICK HERE for Outside's Guide to the 2004 Tour de France, and follow the race July 3-25 with our SPECIAL ONLINE COVERAGE.

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