The fact that this year’s Tour de France (TdF) would guarantee a spectacle of a special quality was foreseeable right from the start with the presentation of the route and the extremely difficult mountain stages. The usual roll-in in the first week of the tour with prologue, flat stages and sprint finishes was replaced for the first time by a dramaturgy of direct confrontation between the overall classification riders (GC) from day one. This posed a completely unusual challenge, especially for the training planning of the top GC favorites. On the one hand, you had to start the tour at top level and then maintain it at a consistently high level over 3 weeks, especially with reserves for the last three brutal stage profiles the southern French Alps. This training method paradox, which fundamentally contradicts all textbook content on systematic form building, actually provokes the manipulation of performance-physiological capacities with unfair measures. And so the performance data of the protagonists on the 4th stage on the high Alpine Galibier climb provide incredible characteristics in the truest sense of the word. Not only will the previous records for ascent times from the epochs of the past over the Col du Lautaret be broken with an additional strong headwind to the Col du Galibier [1], the new values will also reach dimensions that were previously considered unattainable. For example, Pogacar sprints uphill in the upper steep part of the Col du Galibier at almost 2400hm/h (VAM), mind you at 2600m above sea level, where the aerobic human physiology should actually be extremely limited due to the altitude-related hypoxia. At this altitude, the top GC riders mobilize relative power peaks of 6.28W/kg body weight (KG=body weight, Pogacar), 6.24W/kg body weight (Vingegaard) and 6.2W/kg body weight (Evenepoel) over 20 minutes [2]. It is also impressive how the teamwork at the Col du Lautaret is reflected in the energy balance for the GC captains. While the Edeldomestike are working from the front in the wind, Team Visma Edeldomestike Joergensen, for example, consumes 3653kcal, the Lotto-Soudal captain Evenepoel still consumes 2807kcal, while UAE captain Pogacar only consumes an incredible 1630kcal over the course of the stage [1]. The latter, however, burns out his UAE team helpers considerably on the stage, which could possibly take bitter revenge in the 3rd TdF week. In addition, Pogacar races the Galibier descent in a kamikaze style at an average speed of 66km/h towards the destination Valloire [2], a life-threatening willingness to take risks in every respect, which, given the conditioning of the bike gladiators, could also provide conclusions about their performance-manipulating mentality.
The 5th stage delivers another highlight with the record victory of Sir Mark Cavendish, whom King Charles had already knighted in advance [3]. This 35th stage success at the TdF is extraordinary in every respect. Not only was the legendary Eddy Merckx’s record broken, but Cavendish’s consistent performance over a whopping 16-year professional cycling career – he celebrated his first TdF success in 2008 – deserved the highest respect. While he is duly celebrated by the entire peloton and the cycling community, only his German competitor Phil Bauhaus shows an arrogant, egomaniacal statement in a completely inappropriate manner [4], which is rightly met with a corresponding sanction [5]. The candidate had also revealed his character deficiencies in the past [6] and would have had every reason to honor the gentleman Cavendish, who until recently was his teammate and from whom he was able to learn [7]. How hard Cavendish worked for this record victory is also shown by the fact that after the unfortunate fall during last year’s TdF with a broken collarbone, he persistently pursued his comeback and struggled enormously in the heat and the mountains during the first stages at the edge of his performance [8] . The tactical cleverness with which Cavendish found his route to victory in the chaotic sprint is another stroke of genius from the old master [9]. Chapeau Sir Cavendish!
The battle of the Big Four in the GC (Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Roglic) reached its next climax in the stage 7 time trial. The performances that are delivered there once again raise eyebrows among long-time observers of the scene. The analysis of the wheel technology is already providing the first indications of a quantum leap in the gear ratios (ÜV), which were previously only known from stayer racing on the track, where the racing drivers drive behind motorcycle teams in the slipstream [10]. Recently, “shooters” have been appearing with 60 and 62 chainrings, which suggest an exorbitant increase in the strength (endurance) abilities of athletes.
