when is the first tour de france rest day

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Here’s What the Tour de France Riders Will Do for Fun on the First Rest Day

Netflix, phone calls home, and a trip to the barber are just some activities that Tour de France riders will do on Monday’s rest day

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This article was first published by CyclingTips .

The first rest day of the 2022 Tour de France is upon us. We did have a day off between stage four in Denmark, but that was more of a travel day than a chance to rest.

After an opening week containing cobbles, punchy finishing climbs and La Super Planche des Belles Filles, the peloton will have 24 hours to catch its breath before a few tough days in the Alps.

The order of the day will be lacking in both physical and mental exertion. An easy ride to keep the legs ticking over and a massage. But what else do the riders get up to? Do they allow themselves to have fun? If so, what do they do?

Lotto Soudal’s Florian Vermeersch confirmed as much: “Going to have a good sleep first,” he told CyclingTips . “It’s a bit of a boring day but I kind of enjoy these days. I’ll watch some Netflix, have a good massage. I was watching Peaky Blinders but I finished it so I’ll have to find a new one, maybe some documentaries.”

Chris Hamilton of Team DSM has also recently finished Peaky Blinders and so is on to Seinfeld . With 180 episodes across nine seasons, he admits he may need a few more grand tours to race before he’s finished with it.

Netflix isn’t for everyone, though, BikeExchange-Jayco’s Chris Juul-Jensen says he doesn’t have an account. Instead, “I may read a few pages of a book”. How wholesome.

“I’ll catch up on Love Island …bit embarrassed to say that,” Fred Wright adds, preferring the British reality show that sees young men and women locked in a house for two and a half months, during which they hopefully find the love of their life amongst the two dozen other contestants. “I’ve been hooked on it for the past few days so have the last episode to watch. Davide is my favourite.”

Luckily, the Bahrain-Victorious rider will be balancing that out with something that will keep his brain active, some media duties. “I’ve got to write a diary entry for Cycling Weekly , so better get on that. Not much else really. It’s nice to just do nothing.”

Family members often visit their loved ones during bike races, and the July location of the Tour de France offers a great chance to tack on a summer holiday.

“My girlfriend is coming to watch the finish today so I’m looking forward to spending some time with her tomorrow,” Connor Swift says. “But I reckon I’ll drag her to the barbers with me.”

Does he not get a pre-Tour haircut from his other half like Geraint Thomas or Tom Pidcock?

“Nah I wouldn’t trust Sian with chopping my hair. In fact she did it in COVID and I ended up with a number 1 all over.”

For Chris Hamilton, it’s a bit harder to get his family over from Australia, so some video calls will be in order.

“Then I’ll try and stare at the back of my eyelids for a bit in the afternoon,” Hamilton adds, the one common denominator of every Tour de France rider who has completed 1,500km so far. Sleep. And lots of it.

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Tour de france 2021 schedule: start time, stages, length, dates, how to watch live stream, route, tv coverage, highlights.

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The 2021 Tour de France begins on Saturday, June 26 through Sunday, July 18. This year’s cycling event features 10 new sites and stage cities indicated with an asterisk in the schedule below. Additionally, there will be 2 individual time trials in this year’s Tour. See below to find out more information including how to watch, stages, the complete schedule, and more.

STREAM LIVE: Click here to watch the 2021 Tour de France live on Peacock.

2021 Tour de France Key Information

When is the 2021 tour de france what time does coverage start.

The 2021 Tour de France will take place from June 26 - July 18. Coverage of Stage 20 starts at 7:00 a.m. ET on NBCSN and 6:55 a.m. ET on Peacock . Click here for start times for the rest of the 2020 Tour de France.

RELATED: 2021 Tour de France stage profiles, route, previews

How can I watch the 2021 Tour de France?

Stream all 21 stages of the 2021 Tour de France from start to finish, or watch on-demand on Peacock . Coverage will also be available on NBCSN. Click here for the full broadcast schedule .

• Stage 1 Extended Highlights
• Stage 2 Extended Highlights
• Stage 3 Extended Highlights
• Stage 4 Extended Highlights
• Stage 5 Extended Highlights
• Stage 6 Extended Highlights
• Stage 7 Extended Highlights
• Stage 8 Extended Highlights
• Stage 9 Extended Highlights
• Stage 10 Extended Highlights
• Stage 11 Extended Highlights
• Stage 12 Extended Highlights
• Stage 13 Extended Highlights
• Stage 14 Extended Highlights
• Stage 15 Extended Highlights
• Stage 16 Extended Highlights
• Stage 17 Extended Highlights
• Stage 18 Extended Highlights
• Stage 19 Extended Highlights
• Stage 20 Extended Highlights
• Stage 21 Extended Highlights

How long is the Tour de France 2021 ?

The 2021 Tour de France is 23 days long. There will be one stage contested per day and two rest days. The first rest day is on July 5 (between stages 9 & 10) and the second will be on July 12 (between stages 15 & 16).

How many riders are in the Tour?

There will be a total of 184 riders. There will be 23 teams with 8 riders per team.

How many stages is the Tour de France?

There are 21 stages: 8 flat, 5 hilly, 6 mountain stages, and 2 individual time trials.

What is the 2021 Tour de France schedule and route?

Click here to see the full map.

How many miles is the 2021 Tour de France?

The route is 3,414 km (approximately 2,121 miles) long.

Previous Tour de France Winners

2020 - Tadej Pogacar

2019 - Egan Bernal

2018 - Geraint Thomas

2017 - Chris Froome

2016 - Chris Froome

2015 - Chris Froome

2014 - Vincenzo Nibali

2013 - Chris Froome

2012 - Bradley Wiggins

2011 - Cadel Evans

2010 - Andy Schleck

Tour de France 2024 route

Two time trials, four summit finishes and a novel Nice finale

After the mountainous 2023 Tour de France route that included just a single 22km time trial, race director Christian Prudhomme unveiled a more balanced but intriguing route for 2024 at the official presentation in the Palais des Congrès in Paris.

The inclusion of two individual time trials for a total of 59km, four mountain-top finishes, a series of gravel sections on stage 9, and a final hilly time trial to Nice will surely create a more open race, with Remco Evenepoel, Primož Roglič and others poised to take on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar .

Race organiser ASO also confirmed they plan to award additional time bonuses of eight, five and two seconds during stages, as well as the usual ten, six and four seconds awarded at stage finishes.

The route of the 2024 Tour de France covers a total of 3497.3km with some 52,320 metres of overall elevation. That is 20% more than the 2024 Giro d’Italia and with so many of the climbs coming in the final week, it could make it difficult for Pogačar or anyone else to target a Giro-Tour double in 2024.

ASO claims there are eight flat stages and so eight sprint opportunities but the likes of Mark Cavendish, Jasper Philipsen and their teammates will have to fight hard for each one.

The 111th edition of cycling’s biggest race starts in Florence, Italy on Saturday, June 29 and ends three weeks later in Nice on Sunday, July 21. It is the first time the Tour starts in Italy and the first time it finishes in Nice, to avoid the preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games, which begin just a week later.

What's at stake at the Tour de France? Read more about the jerseys of the Tour de France and the Souvenir Henri Desgranges and Souvenir Jacques-Goddet .

Who is riding the Tour de France? Read the 2024 Tour de France start list and fore more in-depth information about the athletes, find our comprehensive Tour de France team guide and our analysis of the Tour de France favourites and contenders .

Find out how to watch the Tour de France .

Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2024 Tour de France with live coverage, race reports, results, photo galleries, news and race analysis.

Stage 1: Florence - Rimini, 206km - Medium mountains

The Grand Départ of the 2024 Tour de France will celebrate the history, culture and beauty of central and northern Italy with stages in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and then Piedmont. The race will also remember the Italian Tour de France winners on the 100th anniversary of Ottavio Bottecchia’s 1924 triumph.

Florence will host the team presentation and stage 1 rolls out from Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks the city, before visiting Gino Bartali’s birthplace and the museum that remembers him in Ponte a Ema.

2024 Tour de France stage 1 preview

Stage 2: Cesenatico - Bologna, 198.7km, Hilly

Stage 2 will start in Marco Pantani’s hometown of Cesenatico and it will also climb into the rolling hills of Romagna for 200km before the finish in Bologna after two laps of the San Luca climb made famous by the Giro dell’Emilia. The gradients of the San Luca climb make this an important stage for the general classification.

2024 Tour de France stage 2 preview

Stage 3: Piacenza - Turin, 230.5km, Flat

The third stage is a flatter affair and covers 225 km from Piacenza to Turin. After two days of suffering, the sprinters will surely get their chance in the capital of Piedmont.

2024 Tour de France stage 3 preview

Stage 4: Pinerolo - Valloire, 139.6km, High mountains

The 2024 Tour heads into France on stage 4 via the Alps. The stage rolls out of Pinerolo on the plain and climbs high via Sestriere, the Col de Montgenèvre and the Col du Galiber before a fast descent to Valloire.

2024 Tour de France stage 4 preview

Stage 5: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint-Vulbas (Plaine de l'Ain), 177.4km, Flat

2024 Tour de France stage 5 preview

Stage 6: Mâcon - Dijon, 163.5km, Flat

2024 Tour de France stage 6 preview

Stage 7: Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin (ITT), 25.3km

2024 Tour de France stage 7 preview

Stage 8: Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, 183.4km, Hilly

2024 Tour de France stage 8 preview

Stage 9: Troyes - Troyes, 199km, Hilly with gravel

Stage 9 is a far tougher day due to the 14 sectors of gravel that start after just 47km of the 199 km stage. The final six sectors are packed into the final 35km, making for a real test for the overall contenders.

2024 Tour de France stage 9 preview

Stage 10: Orléans - Saint-Amand-Montrond, 187.3km, Flat

Week two of the 2024 Tour starts with a four-day ride south to the Pyrenees via the Massif Central and the rural France Profonde, with stages to Alaphilippe’s hometown of Saint-Amand-Montrond, Le Lioran, Villeneuve-sur-Lot and then Pau.

2024 Tour de France stage 10 preview

Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains - Le Lioran, 211km, Medium mountains

Echelons could be a factor on stage 11 with the 211km ride through the Massif Central to Le Lioran including 4,350 metres of climbing. The final 50km include four categorised climbs, making a day of danger for the GC contenders.

2024 Tour de France stage 11 preview

Stage 12: Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot, 203.6km, Hilly

The sprinters get two chances in Villeneuve-sur-Lot and then Pau before the Tour de France celebrates the Bastille Day holiday weekend in the Pyrenees with consecutive mountain finishes.

2024 Tour de France stage 12 preview

Stage 13: Agen - Pau, 165.3km, Flat

2024 Tour de France stage 13 preview

Stage 13 is another day for the sprinters but perhaps the breakaway, if green jersey Biniam Girmay opts to let a move go and deny his rivals more points. The 165.3km stage has just two classified climbs near the end as the race heads into the Pyrenees.

Stage 13 of the Tour de France is expected to finish around 17:20 CET/11:20 EDT.

Stage 14: Pau - Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla d'Adet), 151.9km, High mountains

Stage 14 finishes in Pla d'Adet after climbing the Col du Tourmalet and the Hourquette d’Ancizan in just 152 km. Raymond Poulidor won at Pla d'Adet 50 years ago, and the stage finish will recall when he dropped Eddy Merckx to triumph there alone.

2024 Tour de France stage 14 preview

Stage 15: Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille, 197.7km, High mountains

Stage 15 to Plateau de Beille is Bastille Day, so expect fireworks from the riders. The 198 km stage includes 4,850 metres of climbing and hits the Col de Peyresourde at the very start. It also climbs the Portet d'Aspet and later the Col d’Agnes, with descents to the valley before the finish up to Plateau de Beille. Joaquim Rodríguez won there when the Tour last visited in 2015, with Britain’s Thomas Gloag winning a stage of the Ronde l’Isard in 2021.

The stage seems ideal for a breakaway to sweep up king of the mountain points but the climb to Plateau de Beille is 15.8km long at an average of 7.9%, with the hardest gradients at the bottom. It will surely be one of the most decisive stages of the 2024 Tour de France.

2024 Tour de France stage 15 preview

Stage 16: Gruissan - Nîmes, 188.6km, Flat

A transition or breakaway stage then takes the peloton across the south of France to Nîmes, with crosswinds a danger near Montpellier just as they were in 2016 and in 2009, when Mark Cavendish won from an echelon.

2024 Tour de France stage 16 preview

Stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Superdévoluy, 177.8km, High mountains

Stage 17 leads into the Alps with a finish at the little-known ski resort of  Super-Dévoluy north of Gap. The final 40km include the three main climbs of the day, with the 8.4% Col du Noyer ending just 12km from the finish.

2024 Tour de France stage 17 preview

Stage 18: Gap - Barcelonnette, 179.6km, Medium mountains

Stage 18 from Gap to Barcelonnette is in the Alps but offers a reprieve from the high mountains, with a continuous series of hills making for a nervous day in the saddle. A breakaway will surely outpower the chasers and any fast finishers, with the gradual climb to the line in Barcelonnette deciding the stage winner.

2024 Tour de France stage 18 preview

Stage 19: Embrun - Isola 2000, 144.6km, High mountains

The final mountain stages start on stage 19, with a high ride in the southern Alps.

The stage is short at just 145 km but includes the Col de Vars after 20km and then the 22.9 km haul up the Cime de la Bonette, the highest road in France at 2,802 metres. A long valley road follows before the climb to Isola 2000 close to the Italian border for a 16.1km climb to the finish. The three long climbs all reach over 2000 metres, making for a day of rarified air and hard racing.

2024 Tour de France stage 19 preview

Stage 20: Nice - Col de la Couillole, 132.8km, High mountains

Stage 20 is short at 133km and so reduces the average stage distance to 166 km. However, it includes four very similar climbs and three testing descents but the final mountain finish atop the Col de la Couillole, a 15.7km climb at 7.1%.

2024 Tour de France stage 20 preview

Stage 21: Monaco - Nice (ITT), 33.7km

The final stage of the 2024 Tour de France is a 34km hilly time trial from Monaco to Nice and is expected to create a tense and demanding finish to three weeks of racing even if there are already time gaps in the general classification.

After the start in Monaco, the time trial climbs the gradual La Turbie (8.1km at 5.6%) and then kicks up to the summit of the Col d'Eze (1.6km at 8.1%) before a long but technical descent to Nice.

Rather than bike changes, the GC contenders will have to perfect their uphill time trialling skills and optimise their road bike aero position and then be ready to take risks on the descent.

It is the first time in history that the Tour de France will end outside of Paris and is the first time that the race concludes with a time trial since Greg LeMond dramatically pipped Laurent Fignon on the Champs-Elysées in 1989.

ASO will be hoping for an equally historic and thrilling finale on July 21.

2024 Tour de France stage 21 preview

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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters , Shift Active Media , and CyclingWeekly , among other publications.

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2022 Tour De France: When Does the Race End, How to Watch

As the 2022 tour de france concludes, here's everything you need to know about the final stages of the event., by julia elbaba • published july 19, 2022 • updated on july 20, 2022 at 6:34 am.

2022 Tour de France: When does the race end, how to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

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The final stages of the 2022 Tour de France are underway and the ongoing competition is heated.

In the 24 days of intense riding, cyclists are set to complete 21 stages that consist of different distances and terrain. Cyclists get three rest days throughout the prestigious event.

As the race comes to a close, here's everything you need to know about the final stages of the 2022 race and what to expect:

When does the 2022 Tour de France end?

The prestigious event ends on Sunday, July 24.

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You can catch the final stages on Peacock , the NBC Sports app and USA Network.

Who is leading the 2022 Tour de France?

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As of July 19, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard is rocking the yellow jersey as the race's leader.

He is up 2:22 on second place's Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia. Pogačar is the two time defending champion.

In third place is England's Geraint Thomas (2018 Tour de France winner), with 2:43 behind first place.

Which riders have a chance of winning?

While the 2022 Tour de France is up for grabs, Vingegaard and Pogačar have pretty much locked in the first two spots of the podium.

The following riders are on the top-five leaderboard:

Overall ( Yellow Jersey )

1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN): 64:28:092. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) : +2:223. Geraint Thomas (GBR): +2:434. Nairo Quintana (COL): +4:155. David Gaudu (FRA): +4:24

What can we expect in the last few stages? 

The last five days of the 2022 Tour de France will feature two mountain stages, two flat stages and one individual time trial (ITT) stage.

We can certainly expect Pogačar to go on the attack at an attempt to steal that first place spot from Vingegaard in the mountain stages.

Stages 17 and 18 will feature some of the race's hardest climbs, giving Pogačar to make up some time.

Stage 19 will highlight a hardcore sprint with a slight uphill drag to the finish line.

The stage 20 time trial will be the longest there has been at the Tour since 2014, giving riders the chance to make some big jumps on the leaderboard.

Stage 21 will be the final stretch and shortest road stage packed with celebration before the 2022 Tour de France concludes.

How much does the Tour de France winner get?

The winning rider in the 2022 Tour de France will earn $528,000.

What are the 2022 Tour de France stages?

The 21 stages of the 2022 Tour de France are as follows:

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What do pro riders do on Tour de France rest days?

First Published Jul 10, 2023

“No such thing as a rest day,” Team Qhubeka NextHash tweeted during a recent Tour de France. That’s right, after suffering over several back-to-back stages the riders might get a well-deserved day off from the racing itself, but you can’t get the pro riders off their bikes.

🇨🇵 #TdF2021 No such thing as a rest day! #BicyclesChangeLives 🖐️ pic.twitter.com/tWFOVcobFa — Team Qhubeka NextHash (@QhubekaAssos) July 5, 2021

There are usually two rest days in a three-week Grand Tour – although last year's Tour de France was a little different because the organisers chucked in an extra one to allow for travel back from the Grand Depart in Denmark. The 2023 Tour de France has rest days today and next Monday (17th July)

Pro riders are packing in active recovery rides to stretch out their legs, but it’s not just that on the rest day to-do list. Refuelling, scouting out the next stage, dealing with journalists, sponsor duties, a lot is going on. Okay, there are lie-ins and massages to enjoy too, but a rest day isn't just a full day of relaxing and lazing about.

That said, there is still a significant reduction in the intensity and the volume of exercise on rest days... because all the other days are even crazier!

Let’s have a look at how much easier the pro riders took on a rest day a couple of years ago, and how much recovery they needed.

The EF Education Nippo team – now EF Education-EasyPost – partnered with Whoop for insights into personalised biometrics including heart rate variability, resting heart rate, respiratory rate and sleep performance, to optimise recovery for each rider in the team.

“We’ve been able to measure training load for years now, but that is only four to five hours of the day. Whoop gives us insight into the other 20 hours of the day. Individually, riders have been able to make changes to their routines and prioritise recovery in a data-driven, actionable manner,” said Kevin Sprouse, the head of medicine at EF Education Nippo.

The graph above shows the data Whoop collection for the EF Education team across the first nine stages of the 2021 Tour and into day 10, the rest day.

Looking at the blue top line first, the day strain was really high – day strain is on a scale from zero to 21, and it measures the total cardiovascular load experienced across the day – hitting over 20 for six of the stages, all of which had over 1,600 metres of climbing, whereas on the recovery day this dropped down significantly to 13.2.

Now taking a look at the recovery percentage, after accumulating 546km with 10,969 metres of climbing in the legs across the three days before the rest day, that red 28% on the day off racing says it all—that recovery day was definitely needed.

To dip to that lower day strain doesn't mean not riding at all though. To spin out the legs, the Jumbo-Visma lads for example headed out for a two-hour ride in Tignes on the first rest day of 2021’s Tour. Wout van Aert clocked an average speed of 33.5km/h (20.8mph) for a 42km (26 mile) spin with 474m of climbing.

Teammate Mike Teunissen uploaded his ride to Strava too but in his case complete with heart rate data and power readings. Across the ride, he had an average heart rate of 82bpm and a max of 118bpm. He averaged 130 watts, with one 20-minute block sitting around the 235-watt mark.

> 8 things you didn’t know about Strava — advanced features for exploring and performance analysis

“What’s the furthest you’ve ridden on a ‘Rest Day’?,” Ineos Grenadiers tweeted, along with pictures of the team heading out for their ride.

What's the furthest you've ridden on a 'Rest Day'? A ride out for the guys this morning in Tignes. Keeping those legs turning #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/iuUiXxsVwo — INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) July 5, 2021

A better question might have been, “what’s the most climbing you’ve packed into on a rest day ride” though, as Dylan van Baarle squeezed around 600 metres into his 24km (15 miles).

At least Geraint Thomas – who isn't racing the Tour in 2023, of course – managed a lie-in first.

Standard #TDF2021 rest day: Lie in 😴 Spin with the boys 😎 Record Watts Occurring with Luke 🎙 Snooze 💤 Dinner 🍚 Bed 🛌 Back at it tomorrow 💪 pic.twitter.com/BWngqeJxaS — Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) July 5, 2021

And he had another snooze after recording his Watts Occurring podcast with teammate Luke Rowe.

The riders are also having fun testing unreleased shiny kit from their sponsors while stretching their legs on the bike.

Michael Woods of Israel Start-Up Nation – now called Israel – Premier Tech – was spotted riding a new solid five-spoke disc brake wheel with shallow rims from Factor Bike’s in-house brand Black Inc.

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Rick Zabel (@rickzabel)

There’s no point trying to look out for these wheels in the Tour de France peloton though as UCI regulations do not permit their use in group competition.

Physical as well as mental recovery is needed though, and food can play a role in both of these areas.

The day before the rest day, the Trek-Segafredo team – now called Lidl-Trek – were treated to burgers and chips, “Tour style, of course” as a rest day tradition.

It’s a rest day tradition: 🍔and🍟Tour style, of course. #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/TY6Rc4Qh9K — Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) July 4, 2021

They nommed a healthy version, consisting of fresh bread, meat with 5% fat, fresh tomatoes, avocado and low-fat cheese, with some salad and roast potato on the side.

Also notably, instead of mayo, ketchup or regular sauce, they had beetroot mousse as studies have shown that beetroot has the potential to reduce muscle pain and inflammation if eaten post-workout.

> How to maximise your recovery and build your fitness

“It’s feeding their body after a hard day and also giving them something for the mind is quite important,” the team’s chef shared in a video on Twitter.

Then there are sponsor shout-out duties to fulfil too, showing you’re putting released sponsored products to good use.

This time Israel Start-Up Nation’s Michael Woods was filmed having SpiderTech's kinesiology tape applied to his legs for aiding recovery.

"To have @SpiderTech as a sponsor is such an advantage for us!" Find out how @rusty_woods is recovering from the last two hard days in the mountains on the first rest day of #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/3saWW11CEt — Israel Start-Up Nation / Israel Cycling Academy (@TeamIsraelSUN) July 5, 2021

In the video posted on Twitter, Wood says: “I wear it quite often, particularly because I have knee issues.

“I call it my five-hour ache; after about five hours of riding I often get a bit of pain in the patellar tendon particularly and so I really find the Spider Tech knee tape really helps for that.

“We’re doing both legs today because it’s a recovery day and I really shocked the system the last two days in the mountains.

“It was really challenging hard racing and it was also challenging conditions with the rain, and I find that this lymphatic stuff really helps with reducing inflammation—it just gets you feeling a bit better.”

As well as stretching the legs on the bike, there are some serious tools for helping out the muscles.

Dorian Godon of AG2R Citroen was having a “little bit of rest”, while the team's physiotherapists worked some magic with EME’s Polyter Evo.

🇫🇷 @LeTour Un peu de repos bien mérité. A little bit of rest. #AG2RCITROËNTEAM #RoulonsAutrement #RideDifferently - © Vincent Curutchet pic.twitter.com/5Bn7OhYsiX — AG2R CITROËN TEAM (@AG2RCITROENTEAM) July 5, 2021

AG2R says the portable device is mainly used for recovery sessions.

Last but not least, there are journalists like us, ruining the relaxation by pestering the riders for answers to questions.

Enric Mas and Miguel Ángel López carried out this duty for Team Movistar in a live-streamed press conference as part of their rest day.

What are your plans for today’s “rest day” as you recover from watching the thrilling racing?

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10 comments.

The kinesiology tape is hilarious. There's no plausible physiological mechanism behind it, and - consistent with that - never any scientific result to show any difference to it (besides placebo effects).

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That's what I said to the physio when she taped me up and yet my pain was reduced in my trip home.

The placebo effect is quite real. Your head will perceive differences/benefits when it wants to, or expects it should.

This stuff is "placebo tape".

I don't understand your point. You seem to be disparaging the tape for being physiologically pointless. But if the placebo effect is quite real, then it is still beneficial, no? From a non-scientist.   

quiff wrote: I don't understand your point. You seem to be disparaging the tape for being physiologically pointless. But if the placebo effect is quite real, then it is still beneficial, no? From a non-scientist.   

Fair observation. Here's the problem:

1. There are cheaper placebos out there.

2. The riders and/or the team and/or the team "physiologist" may well be getting sponsored to have the rider out with these things visible on global television. So, it's not that they're getting a placebo benefit that bothers me, but that they may be getting a financial benefit out of helping to legitimise and sell rubbish to the public.

Fair enough. But if there's a benefit (even if only placebo), then they're not selling rubbish to the public.

My understanding is that the placebo effect is observable even when people know they've been given a placebo. Given that premise, I wonder if anyone has ever (successfully) transparently marketed a commercial product as placebo, e.g. " there is no evidence this tape produces physiological benefits, but 9/10 customers said it made them feel better "  

You can explain what went on then. My mindset was this was not going to do anything being a basic sceptic and expecting the worst, yet it had a positive outcome.

I think it also depends on the problem and the physio's knowledge and ability.

Hirsute wrote: You can explain what went on then. My mindset was this was not going to do anything being a basic sceptic and expecting the worst, yet it had a positive outcome. I think it also depends on the problem and the physio's knowledge and ability.

Yes. I have had injuries where I have had muscles or joints want to move in way they should not. Alongside physiotherapy, using kinesiology tape has help keep everything in place allowing freedom of movement where I otherwise could not rebuild strength. My wife also suffers from chronic illness which affects her musculoskeletal system leaving her very susceptible to repeated injury and joint weakness. She has used it many times and has given her the ability to just function and get through the day when otherwise she would be bedridden. 

I am also lucky to have a mother-in-law who has worked with (amongst others) GB Archery and Equestrian Teams (both human and equine patients) Including at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, and the Oxford Rowing Team. Her knowledge of biomechanics is absolutely mind blowing.

It's not a magic performance pill. It is there to prevent the worsening, and allowing the healing, of certain injuries whilst allowing you to remain active. 

Pogacar is wearing it on the wrist he broke, because if he didn't, he would be in one hall of a lot of pain where the pressure is applied to the healing fracture, and the surrounding muscles which may have weakened in that time.

It's witchcraft.  I know it's witchcraft.  I have shonky knees (two lots of cartillage removed from one, plus a fight with a car) and when it hurts  (it's always 'when' rather than 'if') I stick some tape on and forget about it - it stays on for about 5 days at a time - it stops hurting fairly quickly. 

I've done a lot of 'keep it until it gets better' and it doesn't.  I got to the point when I was sure I was going to have to go and see a man with a knife again, but thought I'd give it another go - that was about a year ago.  It's good and bad - when I have a relapse, I put some tape on for a couple of weeks and it sorts itself out.  The pain goes fairly quickly and it stabilises over those few weeks.

About 10 weeks without at the moment, but it's grumbling again....

I have no idea how or why it works, especially with a knee.  I don't even bother with the full KT tape knee construction any more - just a strip under my knee cap with a curl upwards on the inside...

> There's no plausible physiological mechanism behind it

sometimes it's "No plausible physiological mechanism found so far"

> besides placebo effects

and alone placebo effect is better than NO placebo effect because it's not a doping

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How Many Rest Days in the 2023 Tour de France?

The Tour de France is a three-week long race comprising 21 stages with a total distance of around 3,500km (2,188 miles). Racing for three weeks takes a heavy toll on the body, even for professional cyclists.

Hence, the need for rest days. The rest day is the day where there is no racing at the Tour de France.

Rest days at the 2023 Tour de France

In 2023, there will be two rest days. The first rest day is after Stage 9 on 10 July , and the second is after Stage 15 on 17 July . Both rest days are on a Monday.

Since 1999, there have been two rest days on Mondays in week two and week three. The rest days are preceded by a hard mountain stage on the prior day (Sunday) to allow the riders to rest and recover. In 2022, there are two rest days and a transfer day for the teams to transfer between Sønderborg, Denmark, and Dunkirk, France.

The rest days of the Tour de France started in 1934 with three days. The most number of rest days is 6 in 1936, 1937 and 1938. The last time the Tour de France didn’t have a rest day was in 1970. Since 1970, there have been either one or two rest days.

Fun fact : All three Grand Tours in 2022 will have two rest days and a transfer day as the race starts from outside the home country.

What do the riders do on a rest day?

Although the is no racing, the riders still go out for an easy, recovery ride . After the ride, the riders will get their daily massage, refuel and relax for the rest of the day. For those nursing an injury, it’s also a time to recover and visit a doctor if needed.

Depending on their fatigue levels, the recovery ride can be anywhere between one to two hours long under very low intensity. One of the main reasons to do the ride is for recovery and to keep the body going.

In recent years, the stages following the rest days are usually ridden at a harder pace, and riders who haven’t ridden on the rest day would usually struggle to keep up.

Rest days at Tour de France, 1933 to present

Tour de france past winners.

Tour de France Climber’s Classification Winners, 1933-2022

Tour de France Team Classification Winners, 1930-2022

Tour de France Young Rider Classification Winners, 1975-2022

Who Has the Most Tour de France Stage Wins?

Who is the Tour de France Lanterne Rouge?

Who Won the Tour de France Green Jersey?

Who won the Tour de France Yellow Jersey?

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Tour de France

Get caught up on the first week of the tour de france | velo podcast, the first nine stages of the tour de france have been non-stop excitement. catch up on all the story lines from the first week..

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Any pre-race fears of a boring Tour de France have been put to bed in the first week. We’ve reached the first rest day of the 2024 Tour, and it’s been non-stop excitement for nine stages.

We discuss it all in this rest day episode of the Velo Podcast . Velo social media manager Hannah Knapp hosts the discussion with Velo European correspondent Andrew Hood , who’s following the race on the ground in France, and Velo contributor and former pro cyclist Bobby Julich , who raced the Tour nine times.

We kick things off with a discussion of the much talked about gravel stage, stage 9. Does this parcours have a place in grand tour racing? Then we discuss the GC standings. Pogačar is in first, but doesn’t have the margin he would hope after a week of attacking .

Then we shift to Mark Cavendish’s record setting 35th stage win , and Biniam Girmay ’s excellent Tour, with two stage wins and the green jersey. On the flip side, Jasper Philipsen is having a frustrating Tour with second places and a relegation.

The show also covers the incredible Tour that small teams and French teams and riders have been having, and then looks ahead to the second week of racing and what everyone is excited to watch.

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What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view.

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Tour de France Stage 10: Relaxed Pace Turns Fierce as Philipsen Secures First Tour Stage Win

After a leisurely ride through the French countryside, a powerful sprint sees Philipsen take the win in Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond.

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) GC Leader: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

After a brutal first week and a much-needed rest day, the Tour de France eased into its second week with an almost wholly flat tenth stage.

Stretching from Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond, the stage gained just 925 meters in elevation over its 187.3 kilometers and featured just one sprint segment, fifty-seven kilometers into the day.

And with a mighty mountain stage looming tomorrow, the peloton spent much of the early part of the day on what looked more like a Saturday café ride than the biggest race on Earth, chatting, smiling, and maintaining an almost wholly human pace around twenty miles per hour.

The pace finally picked up on the last 5 km of the relaxed stage. In a sprint led out by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), his teammate Jasper Philipsen came off his wheel and sprinted to take his first win in this Tour, closely followed by Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) in second place, and Pascal Ackerman (Premier Tech) securing third.

Asked if the long-awaited win brought a sense of relief, Philipsen said, “I think you can say it like that. Last week was not a great week. It was an endless week for us. But I’m happy and relieved we can show our strength with our leadout train. It was what we came for.”

“By stage ten, it had been five sprints without a win,” he added. “But I’m happy we could play to our strengths, and everybody got a deserved win.”

How Stage 10 Unfolded

Finally, after the peloton neared the 5-kilometer mark, a trio of riders—Harm Vanhoucke and Maxim Van Gils of Lotto-Dstny and Kobe Goossens of Intermarché-Wanty—attacked in an effort to set up their sprinters, Arnaud de Lie and Biniam Girmay, respectively, for the day’s intermediate sprint.

Shortly after, van Gils sat up, joining a two-man chase group between the leaders the peloton, leaving Vanhoucke and Goossens off the front, where their lead quickly increased to well over a minute on the peloton.

Goossens crossed under the green banner first, collecting the maximum of twenty points. Vanhocuke was directly on his wheel. A minute and twenty seconds later, Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Jasper Philipsen outsprinted the group, netting third in the intermediate sprint. For a moment, it appeared as though Philipsen deviated from his line—a move he’s become infamous for—blocking Girmay. But replay showed that it may have been a case of narrowing barriers blocking Girmay’s move.

Straight out of the sprint, Vanhoucke sat up and waited for the peloton to catch him, leaving Goossens as the lone leader for a short time. A few short kilometers later, Goossens did the same, constantly peeking over his shoulder to see when the peloton might swallow him back up.

With some sixty kilometers to go, as the race finally faced strong winds blowing across the open French countryside, the day’s pace ticked up noticeably. What was a day of relative leisure suddenly became something of a bike race again.

But even as the kilometers ticked down, the race showed an unusual lack of urgency until the final few miles. With less than ten miles to go, the pace was still well under thirty miles an hour, with no sign of teams organizing for the final sprint.

It wasn’t until five miles remained that the day’s fireworks, at long last, started to go off as teammates found each other, and the peloton’s speed shot up to the high thirties, the forties, and even the low fifties.

Tensions were especially high between the Alpecin-Deceuninck and Intermarché-Wanty teams, as both knew this was a prime stage for Jasper Philipsen to close the gap in the green jersey competition or for Biniam Girmay to put more of a stranglehold on it.

Around the day’s sweeping final turn, Alpecin’s leadout train—highlighted by current World Champion Mathieu van der Poel—was lined up perfectly, delivering Philipsen to the final few hundred meters and toward his first stage win of this year’s Tour with relative ease.

Girmay mitigated the damage, however, nipping Premier Tech’s Pascal Ackerman and Visma-Lease a Bike’s Wout van Aert at the line to capture second-place points.

Michael Venutolo-Mantovani is a writer and musician based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He loves road and track cycling, likes gravel riding, and can often be found trying to avoid crashing his mountain bike. 

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Tour de France cyclist rode 136.6-kilometres on a 'rest day'

Most riders head out for a short spin on the rest day, but not Chris Harper

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Jayco–AlUla rider Chris Harper logged a 136.6 kilometre ride on the Tour de France rest day, covering over twice the distance of most of the peloton, after nine days of racing.

The Australian rider casually left the automatic " Morning Ride " title on the activity, in which he covered the distance in a little under four hours, at 36 kilometres per hour/22 miles per hour.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly's Adam Becket ahead of Tuesday's stage 10, Harper said: "It's pretty normal for me, pre-race or rest day, I probably do a little more than other guys. It's an individual thing, some guys like to chill out and I feel better if I go out and spin the legs for a little bit."

Highlighting the psychological benefits of going longer, he added: "when you tell yourself you don't have to ride, then you get a bit tired."

Monday's rest day came after nine days of racing, during which the peloton has covered 1513km. 

Nearly all riders racing the Grand Tour will head out to log some miles on the rest day, to keep their legs spinning, with most heading to a cafe as the destination of choice.

However, the vast majority cap this at a distance in the region of 40 to 50km.

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The result is that Harper spends his rest days riding solo, but whilst noting that this was "unfortunate", he added "[when] you spend three weeks in a bunch of 180 guys, it's not bad."

Behind the 29-year-old Harper, the next longest rest day ride posted on Strava by a Tour rider was King of the Mountains leader, Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), who covered 73.4km. DSM's Bram Welten was next, riding 54.9km.

Harper is at the Tour to play a domestique role for team leader, Simon Yates, who sits at 27th on the GC, 15 minutes 57 behind leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). Harper is in 33rd, at 21-11.

Perhaps the most creatively titled ride was Wout van Aert's " Defensive strategy, even on the restday ", the Visma–Lease a Bike rider poking fun at criticism which was levelled at the team following its protective style of racing during stage nine.

Visma's leader, Vingegaard, marked attacks from Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step), as opposed to taking a pull or launching his own assault, prompting the best young rider Evenopoel to state " sometimes you need balls to race ".

The race resumes on Tuesday, with a 187km flat stage, the next rest day coming on Monday 15th July. 

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Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.

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