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<\/p>\nYou\u2019re two-thirds of the way into the most gruelling, demanding bike race on earth.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve ridden 2,389 kilometres (1,484 miles) in the previous couple of weeks, with a solid proportion of those being up and down some of France\u2019s most unrelenting mountains.<\/p>\n
Throw in the searing heat, the crashes, the incessant aches and pains, plus the intensity and the nervousness that cycling in the Tour de France brings on a daily basis and, when you\u2019ve got a day off, you might never want to see a bike again.<\/p>\n
So what do you do on your rest day? You get on your bike of course.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Soudal Quick-step head out for their rest day ride last week (David Pintens\/BELGA MAG\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a curious notion, but one that is backed up by science. Not that all the 166 riders still in the race who have a free day in Montpellier today (Monday, July 21) will do the same thing.<\/p>\n
A few may choose not to ride at all, perhaps to alleviate minor injuries or irritations, but most will get the legs pumping.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main aim for us is that it\u2019s a real recovery day,\u201d Loic Segaert, a coach for Bahrain Victorious, told The Athletic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ride also shouldn\u2019t be an obligation \u2014 we want to have them all on the bike to have an active recovery, to not have sore legs the day after, but on the ride itself, actually we leave our guys free.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will motivate them to not ride all day at 20kph, let\u2019s say, and to have zero force on the pedals \u2014 but if somebody just wants to do it steadily, easy, this is fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few others will try to raise the heart rate a little bit to get some effort done, to not go too fresh into the next day, to stay in the rhythm.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt also depends on what your target is for the next stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rest day on #TDF2025<\/a> = Coffee ride \u2615\ufe0f\ud83d\udeb4\u200d\u2642\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/5qUVvSst49<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 \u00c9quipe Cycliste Groupama-FDJ (@GroupamaFDJ) July 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Riders who are targeting getting in the breakaway the following day may have a more active rest day than others, then.<\/p>\n The day after this rest day sees the riders head up one of the most iconic cycling destinations in the world, Mont Ventoux. It will be a brutal, punishing experience and going up stiff and cold isn\u2019t really an option.<\/p>\n Eddy Merckx relaxes in Nice on the Tour\u2019s second rest day in 1975 (Jean-Pierre Prevel \/ Gabriel Duval\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Former Team Sky rider Russell Downing once explained how an inactive rest day cost him dearly during his Grand Tour debut in the 2011 Giro d\u2019Italia.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a hard race, the weather was bad and by the first rest day I was really tired,\u201d he told Cycling Weekly.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe others asked if I was going with them, but it was cold and raining and I said I\u2019d go on the turbo in the hotel basement instead. I did that for about 45 minutes, just very easy, then went back upstairs to lie down.<\/p>\n \u201cNext day, I was nailed for the whole stage, just hanging on. I was OK the day after, but I\u2019d learnt my lesson and rode with the boys on the next rest day.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t ride reasonably hard on the rest day, your body thinks you\u2019ve stopped and switches off ready for deep recovery. You\u2019ve got to keep it firing for the whole three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n Another staple part of the rest day, other than media and sponsor duties, is finding a good coffee shop.<\/p>\n Which pastries have the Tour de France riders been eating on their rest day? \ud83e\udd50\ud83e\uddc1 pic.twitter.com\/875dR9VdI1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) July 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Segaert says that was high on Bahrain Victorious\u2019 priority list during last week\u2019s rest day.<\/p>\n \u201cJust have an easy ride, good roads, no stress, find a nice coffee stop, which was a pretty popular one as I heard half of the bunch was there,\u201d Segaert adds.<\/p>\n \u201cFor them, (coffee) is part of being relaxed. Maybe you and me, we are happy to go to a bar in the evening and drink a beer. Let\u2019s say this is their relaxing time, their chatting time, a little bit of holiday during this three-week big effort.<\/p>\n \u201cMassage is also part of (the rest day), osteo-treatment is part of it. As on the day before, we had a long transfer post-stage, and there was actually no option to do it in the evening.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rest day is one day they can sleep for longer in the morning, have a relaxed breakfast, go for a ride, have a free afternoon except for a one-hour massage, and 30 minutes of osteotreatment. Maybe if some of them have family or a girlfriend passing at the hotel, they can have a relaxing afternoon and then an early dinner and sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n Enjoying the rest day coffee ride \u2615\u2705 pic.twitter.com\/CeXOQWEGMQ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 #TeamVingegaard (@vingeupdates) July 15, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s a day to relax \u2013 but switching off during the Tour de France isn\u2019t really an option, as none other than Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman observed when he joined\u00a0Visma\u2013Lease a Bike during last Tuesday\u2019s rest day.<\/p>\n Koeman was surprised that pretty much anyone can join in a team\u2019s rest day ride, with amateur cyclists following the pros around France.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much money in cycling \u2014 people invest in nutrition, fitness and data \u2014 and then some idiot who rides along as an amateur just bumps into Jonas Vingegaard,\u201d he told WielerFlits.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI find it truly unbelievable that this is possible and allowed. It\u2019s nice that they\u2019re so approachable, but a bit of safety and peace of mind are also important.\u201d<\/p>\n Honored to welcome the visit of football legend Ronald Koeman during the Tour de France rest day \u26bd\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/uu6YCwtvQf<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2184772482-scaled.jpg\")
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