Mailbag #1: Weather, Queen stages and the Tour de France's hidden heroes
Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt answer your questions about weather, Queen stages and who really makes the Tour de France run!
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Transcript
Hello
everyone, and welcome to the Odd Tandem
2
:special bonus features
that we're including now.
3
:We took on board a lot of your feedback
after our old podcast,
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:and you guys wanted to hear us
answer some questions, some questions,
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:and talk a little bit
more between ourselves.
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:So Jensie, we got the mailbag feature.
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:You ready for it?
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:I am can't wait to actually see
what you know, our listeners
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:and our fans and folks out there
presenting us for questions.
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:So for the first time ever on camera,
we have our producer, Mark Payne,
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:who is going to do the honors
of reading the questions
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:and then maybe drift
a little bit into the background and let,
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:Jens and I answer them as best we can.
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:So hopefully these are good questions.
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:We have not pre-read them.
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:Mark has, put them on some little note
cards and hasn't shared them with us.
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:So it'll be open and honest
and totally fun, right?
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:Jensie absolutely. I'm ready.
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:Okay, so yep.
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:remember this will be a regular feature.
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:So if you want to get a message,
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:just drop us a message on
any of the Odd Tandem social media pages.
23
:which is something that John Richers did.
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:he asks,
Mads Pedersen doesn't do altitude camp,
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:but he kicks ass in sprints
and is solid in the mountains.
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:Is his approach
viable for other top riders?
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:Oh, I'll take that one.
28
:I mean, altitude training is not for
for everyone, no doubt.
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:And I would say for sprinters,
even less so.
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:But you know, Mads is just
a freak of nature, to tell you the truth.
31
:You know, I mean, you know, he trains well
and then he can get into the mountains
32
:and he does his work,
and then he pulls the pin and tries
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:to recover
as much as is possible for the next stage.
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:But I've read where he doesn't like doing
altitude training.
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:Altitude training
is kind of a lonely existence.
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:you're up on top of a mountain.
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:You know,
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:you're spending 2 or 3 weeks up there,
which is the equivalent of a grand tour.
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:And it's tough to focus.
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:And for a guy that doesn't really feel
that that's been benefiting him,
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:he's going to have a hard time mentally.
42
:Yancey, I know that you came up with me
and stayed with me in Lake Tahoe.
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:a couple times for altitude training.
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:what's your take on on altitude training?
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:Did you feel a benefit from it?
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:We did
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:a series of altitude training camps
with, German national team
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:back in the days as an amateur, actually,
one we stayed in Colorado Springs
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:and we had breakfast and lunch at the OTC
at Olympic Training Center.
50
:We had a Holiday Inn hotel,
I believe, and we.
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:But we had, dinner and breakfast
at the OTC.
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:It I didn't feel
it had the biggest benefit on me,
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:but we had other gym riders like, Michael
Reich and Uwe Peschel both, I think
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:at least one once a silver or bronze medal
in the individual time trial.
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:And they won the Olympics
in the hudred kilometer team
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:time trial in Barcelona
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:they loved it
they felt the benefit from it.
58
:For me, not so much.
59
:And from my non-science
amateur on understanding
60
:the air is thinner in altitude.
61
:That's why you rolling faster
with the same power output
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:and you lose muscle mass
because your body goes,
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:I don't need all his muscles anymore.
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:Because I move faster,
because the air thinner and muscle
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:mass loss is the last thing you want.
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:If you are a sprinter.
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:So I maybe that might be a reason
why he doesn't like or he doesn't feel
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:they help him so much
because he's he might losing muscle mass
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:and therefore losing the explosive power
for the sprint.
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:Yeah there's there's no doubt
I think altitude training has become
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:a little bit more scientific
where you sleep high, train low
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:so you can still sleep at high altitudes
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:and then go down and train
basically at sea level, like in Tenerife.
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:Sierra Nevada is at like 2000m
because yes, you're right.
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:I'm not going to get into the total weeds
here,
76
:but it's actually the partial pressure
in your lungs that change.
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:So you're actually,
you know, you are losing muscle mass
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:and you are more dependent
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:on carbohydrates when you're living
and training hard at altitude.
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:So, yeah,
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:staying at Colorado Springs,
that's one set of,
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:you know, one type of altitude training,
but, you know, staying on the top
83
:of a volcano or a mountain
or one of those hyperbaric,
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:hotel rooms gives you a little bit
different, more specific.
85
:training adaptations
where you can still work
86
:those different altitude bands up high,
but then you can get your really hard
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:work, your your, your FRC work,
your VO2 work down at, at, at sea level
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:where you have more oxygen
and then just ride back up
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:and recover at altitude
to get that overall adaptation.
90
:But, I loved altitude.
91
:I was from altitude.
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:I, I've done a lot of camps,
and really felt, a benefit,
93
:but it was always hard
once you came down from altitude,
94
:you needed, you know, 3 to 5 days
to really feel like you weren't
95
:stuck in the proverbial mud
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:because you did lose some muscle mass.
97
:And then when you got down to, to sea
level, was pushing more, more resistance,
98
:it definitely felt like, you know,
you needed to build that muscle back up.
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:And it it comes back
pretty quickly, actually.
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:Okay.
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:So next question.
This is sort of something
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:that came up briefly in our conversation
with Sean Quinn.
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:what are the top three things that can be
done to improve safety in the peloton?
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:That's from Ken Stein.
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:Oh, I'll let you take this one
here, Jensie.
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:Alrighty.
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:less vehicles on the road,
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:more technology, more roads,
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:you know, have have a drone instead of,
like, motorbikes.
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:so there's more space for the riders.
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:it might be unpopular,
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:but I think circuit racers would be safer.
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:It is easier and cheaper to remove
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:every traffic island on that circuit.
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:It's cheaper for TV to produce pictures
from a closed circuit.
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:You could even have a double fence
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:and charge a little bit of an entrance
fee on a closed circuit,
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:and the riders would know the road
because you do it several times.
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:So that would be another way
to improve, security.
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:But cycling in our tradition is from point
A or city to city B,
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:so I'm not sure if as an option, but in
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:theory it could work.
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:maybe
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:tell the riders has to show more respect
for each other,
125
:you know, give a little bit of space
and don't have this attitude.
126
:Hey, either we both crash or you going
to break because I'm not going to break.
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:So change that, attitude for the right s
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:maybe sometimes, have
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:let's see, have the peloton do
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:an useless extra little lap
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:like a circle.
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:And when they are out on a little circle,
the entire caravan can pass
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:so they don't have to pass the peloton.
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:They pass the empty road
because the peloton is on a little extra
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:loop next to the road,
so then they don't get on the same road,
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:and that makes it easier and safer
for to police motorbikes.
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:for the to cars of the teams
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:soigneurs they pass after the feed zone
for example, mechanics
139
:they might want to pass, a VIP guest
they want to pass.
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:So that's 50 cars can pass through
without even seeing or touching a rider.
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:That would be another way.
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:apart from that,
it is a very difficult question to answer.
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:Yeah, let's face it.
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:You know, cycling is is a dangerous sport.
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:road furniture is popping up more
and more
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:for for traffic control
because we are on, on open roads.
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:I know
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:that the sport is doing
as much as they can, but the one thing
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:that I would really like to see change
150
:is the run ins to to the finish line
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:and especially the final,
at least the final 500m.
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:You know, we're seeing some sprints,
like around a corner
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:and then, you know,
you can't even see the finish line.
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:And then right after the finish line,
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:you know, it's a t a t intersection
and riders have to go left and right.
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:And then there's, you know, photographers
and so on.
157
:You're standing there,
you know, it's been like this for forever.
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:And I think the attitude of the rider.
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:Yeah,
I have to totally agree with what you said
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:is, you know, the respecting
the peloton has to come back.
161
:you know, it's it's
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:it's not all or nothing
to, to get to that turn first.
163
:But you know, it's it's some of the,
you know, it's the social media,
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:it's the streaming, you know,
everybody's sees what that rider did
165
:or did not do much more
than when you and I were racing.
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:So they feel obligated, like,
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:I don't want this video to show
that I didn't do my job.
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:So I'm going to do
whatever it takes to get there.
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:And, you know, like Sean said,
you have 25 teams
170
:listening to the same instructions
and it's just not safe.
171
:I definitely agree.
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:We need to limit the amount of,
motorcycles
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:and, and cars in the peloton.
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:I don't know if you ever had to do it,
you know, but when when I retired
175
:and became a race coach in kind of seconds
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:passing, that peloton was terrible.
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:I don't think, you know, we go to the UCI,
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:we take the UCI course,
we learn how to pass the peloton.
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:But these days,
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:I mean, with the roads so narrow,
so many people on the side of the road,
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:you know, the riders five, six, ten
abreast, sometimes it's super dangerous.
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:So if we can limit the amount of traffic
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:of, of excess vehicles,
I think that would help.
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:But, overall, we just have to realize
that, you know, the road infrastructure
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:is probably going to get more
and more rather than less and less.
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:And yes, our,
our sport is from point A to point
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:B, that's why they call it
the tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the
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:the Vuelta a Espana is
you want to see the whole country.
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:The country wants to show off,
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:you know, all, all of its little different
provinces and stuff like that,
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:you know, doing, doing circuit races
all the time or criterium or laps,
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:I think is great for TV, but
it takes a little bit away from the sport.
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:So unfortunately I don't think there's
any really easy answer out there.
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:And if there was,
I think we would have found it already.
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:Well, here's
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:one easy one, which it's
going to make you smile.
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:The race should only happen
if the race organizer,
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:the UCI comes here and the main sponsor
would send their own child down that road.
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:If you go.
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:Yeah, I would send my daughter,
my son down there in the peloton,
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:then we can do it if they would go,
no, I don't want my child
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:to race on this road,
then we shouldn't race on it.
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:Pretty simple.
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:I know it's been never happened,
but I like to separate solutions.
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:But, you know,
we want to see shorter races.
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:We want to see more action.
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:You know, those days of,
you know, 5 or 6 days a row in a row
208
:in the tour de France, ending in
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:bunch sprints, you know, riding at 30
K an hour into the last hour.
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:that's over.
211
:so I think
the riders need to be able to adapt and,
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:and give a little bit
more space to each other,
213
:you know, not so cutthroat and,
and have these finishes,
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:especially the finishes be a little bit
more straightforward.
215
:But, you know, they always want to finish
in the middle of the town or,
216
:you know, in front of,
a sponsor building.
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:And that's difficult.
218
:But, you know, taking out
some of that road furniture,
219
:you know, for the Grand Tours,
they they do a pretty good job of that.
220
:But for the smaller tours,
you see guys, you know,
221
:having to dodge, you know, road
furniture in the last kilometer.
222
:And that's just, unfortunately,
I don't see that that changing.
223
:It has to come from from the riders
and the respect they have for each other.
224
:Okay.
225
:another question here.
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:sort of following on again from Sean,
Elly Avila on Facebook said,
227
:there seems to be
228
:a lot more American pros,
at the moment more than in recent memory.
229
:Is there any specific reason for this?
230
:I love the international aspect
of the sport, but it's also nice to see
231
:more talented American riders as well.
232
:Yeah, I mean, it's true,
233
:we're seeing a real,
234
:a real rejuvenation of American riders
in the pro peloton,
235
:and they all have their different way
of getting there.
236
:I think one of the common denominators
are these development teams,
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:like, action, like the old Lux team.
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:It's giving riders a little bit
more of a practice couple of years,
239
:you know, in that under 23 category
so that they can go over there.
240
:You know, they've been in Europe.
241
:They maybe learn the language already.
242
:it's unfortunately not coming
243
:from the race calendar
over here in America.
244
:you know, we have a lot of gravel events,
245
:quite a few criterium and very,
very few stage races.
246
:So I think the riders
in the American riders
247
:in the peloton right now are, are,
248
:are spoiling
249
:us with the amazing results
that they're having.
250
:But when you look
251
:at the population of our country,
we should actually have even, even more.
252
:I know that USA cycling is doing
253
:as good as they can, but, you know,
254
:the budget just isn't there
to get these kids over to Europe.
255
:school comes into, count these
256
:a lot of these riders are being forced
to go online to, to finish their schooling
257
:so that they can get over
and exposed to, to European racing.
258
:But we are definitely in a purple
patch with, so many Americans,
259
:you know, fighting for, for wins,
not only in Grand Tours
260
:but classics and, and,
you know, one week stage races.
261
:So for me as a fan, especially of American
262
:cycling, it's been it's been fun to watch.
263
:It I believe it comes and goes in waves.
264
:For a while.
265
:It felt like
half of the peloton are Australians.
266
:They still there?
267
:They still good.
268
:But we have,
not only quite a few Americans,
269
:but also really good ones like Bobby
talked about it already, really good ones.
270
:So they make it easy to see them,
to notice them.
271
:And we had times where it felt like
telling
272
:for us to only left over American cyclist
for 1 or 2 years.
273
:There were not so many
for certain periods of time.
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:But now, yeah, it is good and we hope
it keeps going like that for a while.
275
:But yeah, it just comes and goes in waves.
276
:Okay.
277
:here's one that you might have answered
in the past, but it's an interesting one.
278
:James Holloway asks
what was the hardest day
279
:on the bike in your professional career
related to the weather?
280
:Hot or cold? Rain, sleet or snow?
281
:for me, that's easy.
282
:You can you can think about it
for a minute, Bobby.
283
:For me, it's easy.
284
:It's got to be Tour of California.
285
:But it was still in February,
and we had a 220 kilometer stage
286
:that is 160 miles, maybe on a 665
287
:miles, down the Pacific Coast Highway.
288
:it finished in San Luis Obispo, I believe
289
:220 comes straight down
south, straight, full on headwind.
290
:My team back in the days, team CSC,
we were chasing the front group
291
:in the small chain ring 16-17.
292
:So we were doing basically 23
293
:miles an hour
chasing full gas to breakaway.
294
:That much headwind.
295
:And it was raining all the time,
about four degrees, whatever that is.
296
:In the funny
Fahrenheit, sinks you do over there.
297
:it took me 2 or 3 days to actually feel
298
:my fingertips again, duper numb
for at least two days.
299
:And funny enough,
300
:I know for a fact that Cadel Evans
was there.
301
:He would mention that day as well.
302
:There's a few of us.
303
:He would mention
exactly this day two of California.
304
:that long
stage in the hat went in the rain.
305
:It was just horrible.
306
:I was there with you as well.
307
:I remember that stage very well.
308
:So I'm not going to say the same,
even though.
309
:Yes, that's one of them.
310
:one of the most miserable stages for me
that I remember
311
:was, in the tour de France,
I believe it was in:
312
:it was the day that it was very,
very cold.
313
:That was the day the breakaway with Kiwi
left went up the road
314
:and got like 20 minutes or so
and we were freezing
315
:and I had a battle kit bag,
316
:you know, in my rain bag
I had like this Pearl Izumi rain jacket,
317
:which I only pulled out
if I absolutely needed it to survive.
318
:And remember, we're in the tour de France,
319
:and this Pearl Izumi
rain jacket was yellow.
320
:So I went back and put it on and I'm like,
okay, this is this is good.
321
:I'm going to be able to survive.
I'm going to be able to get through this.
322
:And then I got pulled back by our team
car saying,
323
:you cannot wear that color rain jacket
because it's yellow.
324
:And I told him,
I said, I am not taking this thing off.
325
:And we were on credit Agricole
at that time.
326
:So we had green.
327
:So I took a green vest
and put it over that yellow rain jacket
328
:and actually made it worse
329
:because when,
when you're, when you're cold
330
:and then you put too many layers
on, you get frozen
331
:from the inside out,
not only the outside in.
332
:And I remember trying to finish that stage
and it seemed like we had
333
:50 K to go, and everyone is freezing.
334
:And the break away was yet
didn't they finish 20
335
:or 25 minutes ahead of us that year?
336
:It was it was it was insane.
337
:So there was no impetus.
338
:There was no mental motivation.
339
:On top of that, all you could think about
was how cold you were.
340
:So yeah, it
341
:definitely number right up there
with one of the worst days on the bike,
342
:not only physically
but but but mentally having to struggle,
343
:struggle through the cold.
344
:I have a little short add on
345
:what state in a Basque country,
and it was so cold
346
:that I stopped in defeat zone
and my one year I came running.
347
:And what happened? You want to beat them?
348
:Like like like, you know, my teeth are,
like, shaking, like, no, I can't move.
349
:You got to put that rain jacket,
my gloves on me, I can't move.
350
:So I had two people putting a rain jacket
on me and my gloves over my fingers.
351
:And then I kept writing.
352
:They said, hey, you want to bet?
353
:And I'm like, no, but I cannot move.
354
:Help me get my clothes. It was just awful.
355
:Next question please.
356
:This is a message from Jay Kinsman.
357
:He says,
I would love to hear some specifics
358
:about how a stage is prepared
for a Grand Tour race,
359
:how many people are involved
in going over the lengthy course.
360
:So for a given day,
who decides what barriers are put up?
361
:Is there a vehicle that goes out an hour
in advance to look for new safety issues
362
:that might have arisen,
such as debris on the road, etc.? A
363
:street sweeping
machines used to clear a good
364
:path of the stage.
365
:I have no idea.
366
:we kind of take that for granted,
don't we?
367
:Jensie you don't think about,
368
:you know, all the work that goes into
setting up the stage of the Grand Tour.
369
:We just complain when when one barrier is
at a place or one, one turn isn't marked.
370
:I can't imagine the armada of people
that it would take
371
:not only to design the course,
but then go out and preview the course.
372
:Sign the course, barricade the course.
373
:Then you have to put in, take into account
the com banners,
374
:the sprint banners, the finish banners.
375
:I think it's a small city that
376
:that it would take to prepare
a stage of the Grand Tour.
377
:But as far as the specifics,
that's way out of my wheelhouse.
378
:I, I believe, the tour de France
being the biggest race.
379
:They ask for 3500 beds per night,
380
:so they move about 3500 people each day.
381
:Only 1500 roughly of them are journalist.
382
:From the little blogger to whatever,
383
:you know, GCN, NBC or Eurosport.
384
:So 1500 journalist, print media, radio,
385
:and I believe there's got to be
386
:an easy 200 people in the public caravan,
you know, start an hour before the bike
387
:race to try out little cookies
and little Haribos to the fans,
388
:sometimes to put up barriers
on a last climb, like five kilometers.
389
:The last five kilometers on each side.
390
:That's ten climbers of barriers.
391
:There's a special troop of that.
392
:They have these, I wouldn't
call them busses, kind of like trucks
393
:and they have in three layers
aboce each other.
394
:Little sleeping.
395
:basically it's it's like,
the size of a refrigerator
396
:where they sleep in,
and then you have two little small,
397
:tiny window, three on top of each other
and like ten lines deep.
398
:So it's like whatever, some 30 people
sleeping in that truck all day long,
399
:like vampires to come out in the afternoon
to break down the barriers,
400
:drive over night to the next finish,
and start at midnight at 2 a.m.
401
:at 1 a.m.
402
:to rebuild the city,
the finish structure.
403
:And then about six, seven,
eight and finish.
404
:They go to sleep in their little truck,
sleep all day again,
405
:and do that for three weeks.
406
:These guys are heroes.
407
:So there's a lot of people,
a lot of different jobs.
408
:I believe as the big boss in the morning,
you just call your little lieutenants
409
:Did you do your job?
410
:Did you do your job? Did you do your job?
411
:And they call their little sergeants
and the sergeants call the soldiers.
412
:If they did the job.
413
:So I think it's like a pyramid,
but it's impossible for one person
414
:to control all of it.
415
:I guess you got to have a bunch
of competent people around you
416
:to make everything happen.
417
:But yeah, it is the biggest circus
in the world, in other words.
418
:And one group of people
that we almost forgot about
419
:were all the gendarmes,
you know, the guys on the motorcycles,
420
:I mean, the fleet of gendarmes
that protect the riders.
421
:I mean, those guys travel for
for most of the tour as well.
422
:I mean, it, it
it is an absolute logistical nightmare.
423
:And, yeah, we should probably
take this time to thank those people
424
:for doing all that because they probably
never get thanked or rewarded.
425
:They only get yelled at
when when something goes wrong.
426
:Yeah.
427
:Following on from that, you said
the gendarmes, the tour de France,
428
:for example,
there are 28,000, gendarmes at that race.
429
:Just that race to follow it
all the way through.
430
:and you didn't mention
431
:my favorite group of people,
which are the people who, go along
432
:and make sure that the graffiti
on the road is, TV safe.
433
:So there are literally a team of people
that go along with a little graffiti gun,
434
:and they alter all the cocks
that they people draw on the road
435
:and turn them into flowers
and butterflies. It's amazing.
436
:Yeah.
437
:Anyway, they do have a team that controls
what is written on the roads.
438
:If it's too rough,
just painted over or changed the words
439
:a little bit so it wouldn't be that harsh.
440
:See, I've never I've never heard of that.
441
:So, how far ahead of the race are they?
442
:Because you can imagine, you know, if
if it's if the race caravan goes through
443
:and somebody sees it,
they can paint over it.
444
:But like, what's to keep them
from painting over it like ten minutes?
445
:You know, painting something,
446
:you know, defamatory five minutes
before the peloton gets there, like,
447
:where are these masked,
graffiti specialists?
448
:Whereabouts are they?
449
:I believe they are, as close
as they can to the head of the race,
450
:because what they want
is to hear the helicopter.
451
:do you know if the helicopter comes?
452
:The TV helicopter with the camera.
453
:They need to have everything repainted
before the helicopters there.
454
:So he just.
455
:Do you never go further then
he probably could hear the helicopter.
456
:So then there's very little time
between them safely over
457
:painting and the helicopter,
showing the perfect view
458
:of whatever's written on the streets.
459
:I learned something every day.
460
:I had no idea that there was
somebody whose job that was,
461
:amazing.
462
:This will be the last question, I think,
today, is from David Burkett via Twitter.
463
:And he said, I'd love to know
464
:what Bobby and Jens felt like
after riding a tour de France Queen stage.
465
:I've done long rides in the mountains
that leave with a headache.
466
:being so tired I can't sleep.
467
:Is it like that?
How do they ride the next day?
468
:Do you guys still feel the,
feelings and sensations of the same?
469
:in these days of shorter races?
470
:Oh, I mean, that's
two different scenarios.
471
:You know, when you're at the pointy end
of the race, you get done with the race
472
:and you're just rip roaring, ready to go
the next day.
473
:There's other days
that you finish in the grupetto ,
474
:and you hobble back to your room and,
475
:you know, just fall into your bed and and,
you know,
476
:hope that you don't have to wake up, but,
that that's,
477
:you know,
the sensations of finishing a queen stage,
478
:depend totally on your results,
on your team's results.
479
:You know,
if you did your job and your leader
480
:did well, the morale is great.
481
:But if everybody if your leader failed
482
:or if your whole team finished in the
483
:in the in the group with yourself,
484
:it's a pretty dreary moment.
485
:I remember one year,
specifically finishing,
486
:when I was racing for Team Telecom.
487
:I think we finished up in
Courchevel, and I was just,
488
:you know,
489
:finishing the group to,
get to the finish line.
490
:There's not much.
491
:I think there was one soigneur there,
and he's just like,
492
:yeah, you go down the road a little bit
and you'll see our hotel, which is,
493
:as you know, Jensie and you remember,
those were the worst directions ever.
494
:Like, you can't miss it.
495
:Like, yes,
I'm totally hypoglycemic right now.
496
:I cannot wait to get off this bicycle.
497
:You know, I'm gonna miss it.
498
:And of course I did.
499
:But, he gave me a hat and a water bottle.
500
:And when I got to the turn of the
what I thought was my hotel,
501
:I saw one of those, sausage stands,
502
:sausage and frit, vendor.
503
:And I stopped there, and I said, man,
504
:I just need to move down
one of these greasy sausages.
505
:Something for my morale,
because I'm so just over this
506
:race, and, I asked him for a sausage and,
507
:couldn't really communicate with him
very well at that time.
508
:So I took off my cap and my water bottle
509
:and kind of signed him,
you know, two sausages for this.
510
:And he said one, and that was fine.
511
:And I tell you, that was the best
sausage I ever ate in my life.
512
:like you
513
:just said, Bobby,
experiences are so different, right?
514
:If that us where, you know,
whatever it takes to take the jersey off
515
:stage when you're happy
and things seem to be easier.
516
:I remember one day I was on a break.
517
:I had to work so hard.
518
:And then, on the last climb
up to the, plateau to be,
519
:my team boss youngest came up, said,
hey, look, he isn't feeling well.
520
:He crashed.
521
:He is out.
522
:You're our third guy for the team. GC.
523
:You got to go full gas.
524
:But I had nothing left, so I worked
as hard as I could to get up there.
525
:And I remember
I just collapsed into the team car
526
:and said, okay, make it happen,
but I'm not moving from here.
527
:I sit here until I see the hotel.
528
:Whatever you need to do, do it.
529
:But I'm not moving any
where at all out of this car anymore.
530
:And I had my recovery drink
and I said, there's a
531
:whatever,
you know, sell my bike or whatever,
532
:but I'm not getting out of his car
533
:and, well, yet he drove me to the hotel
because I was so empty.
534
:But there's always light
at the end of the tunnel, right?
535
:And that's something you have to remember
when you're in a race.
536
:In the big race,
everybody hits the wall at least once.
537
:In a grand tour, you got to have teammates
to help you out of that hole.
538
:And there's always tomorrow.
539
:You somehow always can go again
the next day.
540
:Never lose face. It's never over.
541
:but yeah,
we had some hot moments as well.
542
:Right.
543
:Yeah.
544
:And I don't, I, you know,
we were teammates for a long time.
545
:I had a lot of other teammates
over my career, but
546
:man, I never saw anyone
that would be glued to their bed.
547
:Absolutely.
548
:Just shattered
because I would wake up and go down
549
:and have breakfast
550
:a little bit earlier, and I'd look over
and you would just be a mess,
551
:and I would be coming up from breakfast
and you'd just be going down
552
:kind of in a panic,
you know, the last person to eat.
553
:And then somehow
you went from being that comatose
554
:cadaver
on the bed to becoming all of a sudden,
555
:you know, when the bell rang,
you were just right back on it.
556
:It blew me away.
557
:There was so many times where I was like,
guys, Jens, Jens is dead.
558
:Like he's done.
559
:And then you were
560
:the first one in the breakaway every day
that you used to use to crack me.
561
:How could somebody be that tired?
562
:And that just bloodshot
eyes, sweaty, puffy face
563
:and then get getting into the race
and be the first in the breakaway.
564
:So, I do not miss those days.
565
:Jensie.
566
:Not one more one.
567
:No. Yep.
568
:Not at all. Hahahahaha.
569
:All right, my folks.
570
:That's it for our first episode.
571
:Mailbag episode. Right?
572
:Yeah. Keep them coming.
573
:We're going to try this out.
574
:You know, we're, we're a new, podcast
575
:funded by our listeners and sponsors.
576
:So, you know, we're going to roll
with this and see how it goes.
577
:And I hope you guys enjoy it.
578
:And, please don't hesitate
to subscribe to our Patreon page.
579
:And if you do have any sponsorship
ideas out there, please send them our way.
580
:And thank you for
listening to the Odd tandem.