![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2287752901-1.jpg\")
Tour de France winners have always tended to be among the bigger climbers in the peloton, due to the need to be a strong all-rounder and fast against the clock. Getty Images<\/p>\nTadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s fifth Tour de France win in July was his most dominant yet and the imposing frame of the Slovenian in full flight is a long way from some of the worryingly slender torsos in the general classification mix of 20 years ago.<\/p>\n
However, given that Poga\u010dar is a once-in-a-generation talent \u2013 allied to the fact that the typical yellow jersey winner through history must, in their build, balance climbing prowess with an all-round talent that will power them through time trials \u2013 does the same apply to the peloton at large?<\/p>\n
Are Tour de France climbers bigger than they used to be? Is muscle something to run towards, not away from, in 2026? And if so, why?<\/p>\n
Tour de France winners have always tended to be among the bigger climbers in the peloton, due to the need to be a strong all-rounder and fast against the clock. Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cCycling has always been a sport packed with many body types,\u201d says James Spragg, coach and sport scientist with Tudor Pro Cycling. <\/p>\n
\u201cI remember growing up and watching a Tour de France where Magnus B\u00e4ckstedt [a mooted 90kg-plus, making him one of the heaviest riders to complete the Tour] was part of a breakaway with a diminutive Colombian rider.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are extreme physiques in cycling, but while overall the riders are probably as lean as they\u2019ve ever been, they are carrying more muscle mass.\u201d<\/p>\n
Specific guidance
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2297405239.jpg\")
Juan Ayuso, of Spain and Lidl-Trek, is a protege of Mikel Zabala. Getty Images<\/p>\n
Mikel Zabala is professor of cycling and science at Granada University in Spain. His coaching palmares includes working with the likes of Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana at Movistar. More recently, he\u2019s developed Juan Ayuso and Carlos Rodriguez at the Spanish federation.<\/p>\n
Zabala might be biased, but he sees the integration of sport science and increased support staff as critical to where professional cycling and professional cyclists\u2019 body types are today.<\/p>\n
\u201cAround 15 years ago, and after the cases that did serious damage to cycling\u2019s credibility, teams started to invest more in coaches and exercise physiologists,\u201d he explains. \u201cThey were the new, clean agents of modern cycling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zabala says this adoption of cutting-edge ideas, much of it stemming from university research, plus the advent of usable software, meant experts could make sense of the growing amount of data emanating from power meters and heart-rate monitors. The coaches and support staff could safely direct their protagonists based on research.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlong with Team Sky we started using science in search of gains,\u201d says Zabala. \u201cTeams realised they had to do things better, so in came more coaches and out went bad doctors.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2296275485.jpg\")
In mastering the science of aerodynamics, the diminutive Remco Evenepoel is on the way to being the finest time triallist in history \u2013 without sacrificing his phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, coaches, plus the later recruitment of aerodynamicists, performance engineers and data scientists, meant riders\u2019 improvements were monitored safely and is one reason why behind the increasing speeds of the peloton.\u201d<\/p>\n
Show of strength
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-1222493672-1.jpg\")
Bob Jungels lifting weights in 2020. It’s been a “silent revolution” in cycling, according to Zabala. Getty Images<\/p>\n
One of the big changes has been in strength work. \u201cIn the past, cyclists were scared of gym work because they thought it\u2019d lead to too much muscle mass, equating to more weight to carry up the mountains,\u201d says Zabala.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, when I joined Movistar in 2013, none of the riders were doing strength work. We changed all that, drawing on the work of Bent Ronnestad and his colleagues from Norway.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2010, Ronnestad, who\u2019s currently head of exercise physiology at Tom Pidcock\u2019s Pinarello Q36.5 team, discovered that 12 weeks of heavy strength training \u2013 four lower-body exercises comprising three sets of four to 10 repetitions \u2013 twice weekly significantly improved leg strength in well-trained cyclists compared with endurance training alone.<\/p>\n
Another Ronnestad study a year later showed that strength training<\/a> also reduced physiological strain during prolonged cycling and increased subsequent 5-minute power from 371 to 400 watts. Importantly, the studies also suggested that strength training improved fatigue resistance.<\/p>\n \u201cRiders who strength-trained boosted durability, which is a hot topic in cycling right now,\u201d says Zabala. \u201cAfter around three hours of racing, we could see positive differences between those that combined strength and normal riding over those that didn\u2019t. They simply didn\u2019t deteriorate as fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Zabala says it wasn\u2019t an instant panacea, with many riders\u2019 performance suffering from the additional strength work. \u201cThat changed when we started using velocity-based resistance training.\u201d<\/p>\n This form of training uses a sensor to monitor speed during strength exercises to control load and training intensity. Cyclists can stop or reduce sets when bar speed drops significantly, limiting unnecessary fatigue.<\/p>\n This approach helps maintain power output, improves strength and neuromuscular qualities, and may support better recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cStrength training has been a silent revolution in cycling,\u201d says Zabala.<\/p>\n Spragg agrees. \u201cIt used to be something riders did a little bit of it in the winter. Now, we periodise it, so it\u2019s all-year round, though obviously not at stage races like the Tour de France.<\/p>\n \u201cHow much strength training a rider undertakes and the specific gym workload [reps, sets\u2026] is influenced by their role. <\/p>\n “You\u2019ll find sprinters, seeking that real explosive edge, might do more than a climber. But yes, an acceptance of strength work is clearly beneficial for muscle development.\u201d<\/p>\n Ride evolution \u201cIn the past, training was based far more on volume,\u201d says Zabala. \u201cThis could lead to some riders being too skinny.\u201d<\/p>\n What changed? Whereas now power meters<\/a> and computers dictate the intensity and duration of nearly every session, in the past the tools simply didn\u2019t exist for such prescribed efforts.<\/p>\n So instead of, say, a TrainingPeaks<\/a> ride aiming for a training stress core of 238 and including four 12-minute efforts at 105% of functional threshold power<\/a>, their diary would read simply: \u2018170km, mountains, good legs\u2019. That resulted in a \u2018more is more\u2019 ethos, leading to muscle loss.<\/p>\n INSCYD (pronounced inside), a performance software tool used in the pro peloton, is arguably the epitome of modern-day training. <\/p>\n Created by German pro coach Sebastian Weber, who has worked with the likes of Peter Sagan and Tony Martin, it reveals what\u2019s going on inside the body, not just the power numbers produced. It enables coaches to prescribe highly specific training strategies, beyond classical power zone sessions.<\/p>\n Since he started coaching elite riders in 2002, Weber says the base intensity of rides has also grown.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has come down to more targeted training, which often makes sessions more intense albeit perhaps shorter than days gone by,\u201d he says. It\u2019s another explanation for both a change in muscularity and the speed of the pack.<\/p>\n Fuelling the thoroughbreds \u201cWhen I started working at the elite level, I\u2019d work with Italian teams whose ethos around \u2018hitting race weight\u2019 was, if you have pounds to lose, just eat an apple,\u201d says Weber. <\/p>\n \u201cThankfully that has changed. We know you can safely reduce bodyweight while preserving muscle mass.\u201d<\/p>\n How riders fuel has been transformed both on and off the bike that, adds Spragg, has resulted in positive changes in overall body composition. <\/p>\n \u201cBasically, riders aren\u2019t in calorie deficit to the degree they were years ago, meaning you don\u2019t start eating muscle.\u201d<\/p>\n Countless features have been written on the super-charged peloton fuelled by consuming up to 160g of carbohydrates per hour on the bike<\/a>. <\/p>\n More gastro-friendly formulations, a greater understanding of fuelling on the fly and gut training are seen as reasons why riders now regularly consume far more than the previously accepted limit of around 90g an hour.<\/p>\n But occupying fewer column inches despite its significant impact on shape and speed is the periodisation of nutrition. <\/p>\n This involves adjusting a rider\u2019s food and nutrient intake according to their training demands, recovery needs and competition schedule.<\/p>\n Take carbohydrate<\/a>, where intake is generally increased before and during high-intensity or long-duration sessions, while easier recovery days require less.<\/p>\n This approach enables cyclists to fuel for the required workload, supporting training quality while helping to manage body composition and reduce the risk of low energy availability.<\/p>\n Technology has played a part in implementing this periodised model, which is particularly useful when a rider\u2019s training at home and not on training camps or races where they are fuelled by team chefs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe work with Hexis,\u201d says Spragg. Hexis is an increasingly popular food app that uses a traffic-light system to inform the rider whether they\u2019re underfuelled, overfuelled or spot on. <\/p>\n It reveals the macronutrient breakdown of everything a rider eats to guide carbohydrate, protein and fat intake. <\/p>\n It links with TrainingPeaks, so the rider can integrate kilojoules-burnt information into their daily nutritional equation.<\/p>\n Rapid recovery Insufficient recovery can send a rider spiralling. They overreach and, in more severe cases, overtrain<\/a>. Inadequate recovery combined with high training loads can also contribute to low energy availability, where the body isn\u2019t receiving enough energy to support both exercise and normal physiological functions.<\/p>\n The result? Unintentional weight loss and becoming noticeably leaner, plus persistent tiredness, a drop in strength and irritability. <\/p>\n Thankfully, a greater focus on what a rider does between sessions aims to cut the chances of overtraining and boost repair and rebuild.<\/p>\n Cold-water immersion; mobility work; active recovery rides; carbohydrate-and-protein replenishment, kickstarted by a post-ride shake; compression garments\u2026 they\u2019re scientifically proven methods used in the professional peloton to accelerate recovery.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the old-school but massively effective massage and, in 2026, nothing gets more focus than sleep<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have mattresses from our partner Elite Beds,\u201d says Spragg. \u201cEach rider tried out several mattresses during pre-season where the Elite team came over to our Switzerland base and set up their different mattresses in the garage.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the races, we also use dehumidifiers to purify the air, plus we use air-conditioning units and set the riders\u2019 rooms to around 16 to 18\u00b0C and 40 to 50% humidity. <\/p>\n “If we can do that, we\u2019ll then recommend they have a hot shower before bed. That slightly elevates core body temperature. <\/p>\n “When they then hit their bed, it begins to fall again and it\u2019s this that can help kickstart sleep. We also have blackout blinds, though they\u2019re rarely needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-75563935.jpg\")
Michael Rasmussen, shown here at the start of the 2007 Tour de France, was known as ‘The Chicken’, owing to his thin arms and legs. It’s a physique that is not idealised or desired 20 years later. Getty Images <\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2219385335.jpg\")
The new science on carbohydrate has promoted improvements in rider body composition. Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-2281295788.jpg\")
Riders now know what to eat for the demands of their upcoming work. Getty Images<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GettyImages-1242670612.jpg\")
Remco Evenepoel taking an ice bath at the 2022 Vuelta. Getty Images<\/p>\n