Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 4, 1994 TAG: 9405040039
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
America's premiere cycling event - starts today in Wilmington, Del., and will roll through the Roanoke Valley on Monday.
What's that? You haven't had time to learn all there is to know about the sport of cycling?
Well, not to worry. You'll find answers here to some commonly asked questions about cycling and the Tour DuPont, semi-guaranteed to turn a rookie spectator into an ace.
Cycling experts - the U.S. Cycling Federation and Medalist Sports, Inc. - graciously provided the answers to these pertinent and probing questions:
Q: Why do cyclists shave their body hair?
A: Cyclists often shave their legs for comfort and to reduce wind resistence.
Q: What happens if a cyclist breaks down or has a flat?
A: In major races such as the Tour DuPont, team vehicles form a caravan to follow the competitors. These cars carry everything from spare wheels to complete bikes for competitors. Also, one of a team's "domestiques" may give up his bike to another member of his team if a breakdown occurs at a crucial point in the race.
Q: What's a domestique?
A: A domestique is a workhorse who often sacrifices his ambitions for those of the team leader. The domestique will help in any way he can, from carrying food and water to letting the leader rest in his draft, to giving up a wheel or an entire bike.
Q: Why do the cyclists ride so closely together?
A: The intimacy of the pack relates directly to maintaining stamina, the main factor in road racing. When riders are in a group, they can take turns "pulling" from the front and "drafting" in the pack's pace line to conserve energy. A rider drafts when he allows another cyclist to set the pace (pull) and rides within six inches of the pacesetter's rear wheel to reduce wind resistence. Drafting behind another cyclist can save 25 percent or more of the energy expended by a lone rider. The team's leader or top sprinter needs to conserve energy to have enough left at the end of a stage to break away toward the finish line.
Q: What is "blocking" and how does it work?
A: After a rider or group of riders attempts a breakaway, remaining teammates often try to "block" by riding in front of the pack, attempting to keep its pace slow and preventing it from chasing the break.
Q: How do cyclists take care of basic bodily functions?
A: While spending hours on a bike and constantly replenishing fluids, nature is bound to call. Quite often, if it's a convenient time in the race, a cyclist will jump off his bike and quickly find a secluded place. In a remote area, it is not uncommon for a cyclist to just pull down his shorts and relieve himself (preferably on a decline) without slowing. When a more serious problem arises, cyclists are at the mercy of the peloton (main pack of riders). It usually takes only a wave of white tissue for the pack to let a cyclist ride off to the front and gain a few minutes before finding a place to take care of business.
Q: What do cyclists eat and drink before and during a race?
A: What a cyclist eats varies greatly based on individual preference. Before a stage, riders often "carb up," which refers to the practice of eating high-carbohydrate meals to build a store of energy for the body. Pasta is a international favorite.
During races, cyclists will carry their own food or pick it up in feed zones, designated areas along the race course where crews may hand food and drinks to racers. Riders will eat up to 3,000 calories per day, often from high-carbohydrate energy bars. Water and energy-replacement fluids such as Gatorade and All Sport are the most popular drinks.
Q: How many calories does a cyclist burn during a stage?
A: The number of calories burned depends on several factors, such as the type of course and the size of the rider. In a rigorous mountain stage, it would not unreasonable for a cyclist to burn 1,200 calories per hour.
Q: How many speeds or gears are there on the racing bikes used in the Tour DuPont?
A: There are 16 speeds available on most of the bikes used in such races. The lower gears are used for climbing during mountain stages, while the higher gears are utilized in flat sprints.
Q: Is cyling a team or individual sport?
A: Cycling is a team sport, where individual riders work together toward a common goal or goals.
This is especially true during a stage race such as the Tour DuPont, in which a myriad of tactics come into play. Some team members specialize in climbing, while others are sprinters, time trialists or domestiques. Each uses his talent to help advance the designated team leader, usually the team's strongest rider, physically and mentally.
But there are monetary awards for the specialty riders, such as the sprint and mountain jerseys and an overall team title. And because the teams split prize money, it is most lucrative for all the riders to work together to make their team leader the overall individual winner.
Q: Why do cyclists often finish with the same time?
A: The practice of applying the same time (or s.t.) to race results was adopted for convenience and safety reasons. When cyclists come across the finish line in a pack sprint, each is awarded the same time to assure a controlled race. In stage races where every second counts, having cyclists battle for spots while in a pack could become extremely dangerous.
by CNB