Cyclists find ways to relieve themselves during Tour de France Femmes races; Marley Blonsky queries Veronica Ewers of Education-Oatly about the curious questions concerning this issue that you've been pondering.
In the world of high-speed cycling, even the most basic needs can present a challenge. This is particularly true for female riders during long races like the Tour de France Femmes.
During the race, riders wear speed suits that require them to remove the top and pull everything down to use the bathroom, leaving them exposed on the side of the road. To manage this, female cyclists have developed a system to coordinate bathroom breaks.
Using team radios, riders announce when they need a break and ask if others do too, creating group stops that are safer and more efficient. A common practice is for riders to call out "pee stop" in the peloton, with about half the bunch pulling over together for privacy and convenience. They typically choose spots outside towns for decency reasons.
Unlike men, who can urinate quickly while riding, women's specific bib shorts and anatomical considerations require dismounting or at least stopping to handle their needs. Bib shorts tailored for women include design features such as drop-tail designs and lower-cut fronts to help make bathroom breaks easier, but the process is still more involved than for male riders.
After the race, riders are given a cherry juice recovery drink, a carb- and protein-dense recovery drink, and have massages with the soigneurs. The team's post-race meal is also carb- and protein-dense to prepare for the next day.
The Tour de France Femmes is a nine-day race for the iconic yellow jersey. It's shorter than the men's Tour, possibly due to logistical reasons and historical misconceptions about women's capabilities in longer races.
Pro cyclist Veronica Ewers offers insights about the race, while Marley Blonsky is currently at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, marking her first ever in-person experience at a WorldTour road race.
Chatting among riders is dependent on the situation, but it can occur during neutral sections, calm moments in the race, or even during strategy discussions with teammates. The sprint jersey is awarded to the rider with the most points from intermediate sprints within each stage, and the queen of the mountain classification is about collecting points on climbs, with more points awarded for being the first to cross the line on designated climbs.
The team uses Amacx Nutrition for energy during the race, with a general rule of consuming at least 80 grams of carbs per hour. Riders typically have a large breakfast before a mid-morning race start, and rice and eggs before an afternoon race start. Riders may need to stop mid-race to use the bathroom, and they communicate this need to their team via radio.
The Tour de France Femmes is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of female cyclists, who navigate challenges both on and off the bike with grace and determination.
- Despite the challenges in high-speed cycling, female riders during long races like the Tour de France Femmes have developed a system to coordinate bathroom breaks, allowing them to pull over together for privacy and convenience.
- Unlike male riders, women's specific bib shorts and anatomical considerations require female cyclists to dismount or at least stop to handle their needs during the race, making the process more involved than for male riders.
