Legend Chris Froome Takes You Behind the Scenes of the Tour de France

Physical Demands as a Draw 

“It’s an incredibly grueling race, both mentally and physically. Every day, you’re completely exhausted. You literally end up on your hands and knees after some stages and just climbing the steps to the team bus is an incredible effort at that moment,” Froome recalls of the race’s intensity, adding: “Mentally, you then have to come to terms with the fact that the same thing awaits you the next day. And the day after that. And the next. And on and on.” 

That’s also why in his view, any success—even a small one such as a stage victory—is a huge source of satisfaction. As he says, the brutality of the competition is actually what he ended up enjoying about it and he’s certainly not alone in this; even today, riders love it specifically because of its difficulty. “During my most successful years, I almost wished it were even tougher,” Froome reveals, surprisingly. 
 
According to him, the reason is simple. Although the challenging climbs and descents are physically exhausting, for a top-tier racer they’re a sort of safe zone. “The flat stages, where a lot of cyclists were at the front, were the scariest for me. Riding in the peloton can be treacherous; the risk of a crash is high but in the mountains on tough terrain, I knew that only a handful of guys would keep up and I had the race under control. So when the race was tougher, I was somehow more at ease,” says the four-time champion.

Careful preparation helps 

Sophisticated tactics often played a key role in his triumphs. “I often planned out the course of a stage,” he explains. “Because I was familiar with some of the stages, I was able to visualize the route during training and figure out what I needed to do at each stage. During the race, I often operated sort of on an autopilot; my body did what I’d planned in my head, regardless of how my legs felt,” recalls Froomey, as he’s nicknamed in Tour circles.

However, the Tour isn’t just about the rider’s preparation, physical condition and tactics. The bike itself is, of course, also important—it has to be in perfect condition so the mechanics give the bike the care it needs every day and the riders are constantly fine-tuning various details. “I think my mechanic must have hated me. I changed something every day. I had the saddle raised by a millimeter or lowered by a millimeter or its angle adjusted slightly, depending on what lay ahead and how my legs felt. Sometimes, we fine-tuned it right before the start,” says the champion.

Eating and Relaxation as Obligations 

According to him, even such details are more important in a rider’s mind than eating, sleeping, and relaxing—which are in a sense, “mandatory” components of the Tour. “You treat eating as a duty. You try to maintain a positive energy balance at all costs,” explains Froome, adding that it’s essential to consume as many carbohydrates and proteins as possible. This is ensured by a hearty serving of rice, supplemented as needed throughout the day with chicken, fish for dinner, and oatmeal or an egg omelet for breakfast. The riders avoid vegetables. “They don’t give you enough energy,” explains the famous cyclist. 
 
During the stages, a “soigneur” (by French “soigneur”) is responsible for supplying food as well as water bottles. He is the cyclist’s closest collaborator, providing mental support, taking care of the equipment and giving a recovery massage after a grueling day. “He knows where it hurts the most and can relieve that pain; he can tell when there’s a bigger problem and knows how to focus more intensely on that area. It’s an incredibly important role,” says Froome.