Introduction
Le Tour De France has evolved over the past century through the use of new training methods, advances in technologies that affect the sport, increasing knowledge in nutrition and the cardiorespiratory systems, which all together have allowed for the Tour De France to remain the most prominent and watched cycling event in the world.
The Tour De France is a competitive long distance cycling tour wherein hundreds of cyclers all of whom are on twenty two elite level teams, which are: Ag2r-La Mondiale, Astana, Belkin Pro Cycling, BMC Racing Team, Bretagne-Séché Environnement, Cannondale, Cofidis, Team Europcar, FDJ.fr Garmin-Sharp, Giant-Shimano, IAM Cycling, Team Katusha, Lampre-Merida, Lotto-Belisol, Movistar Team, NetApp-Endura, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Orica-GreenEDGE, Team Sky, Tinkoff-Saxo, Trek Factory Racing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teams_and_cyclists_in_the_2014_Tour_de_France).
These teams go through twenty one stages, at one stage per day each stage is 237.5km and can last up to five and a half hours; throughout the race. The race starts in Paris, then it covers a 3,664km route, with over the twenty one stages. The most well known Tour De France cyclist is Lance Armstrong who previously held seven connective Tour De France titles, was stripped of them because of a doping scandal in 2005 (http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/02/tour-de-france-in-numbers-cycling-statistics) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong).
The Tour De France began in 1903 as a publicity stunt, and worked its way to become the world’s most famous cycling race. The very first race began on July 1st, 1903 with sixty participants, that was 2,414km and had only six stages each of which consisted of 402km on average, unlike the present days twenty one stages that are 237.5km in distance (http://www.history.com/news/the-birth-of-the-tour-de-france-110-years-ago).
Technologies have drastically changed over the 112 years since the Tour De France was first introduced. The riders didn't have helmets, paved roads, new bikes that are light weight and sturdy, or body wear that is aerodynamic and clip on shoes to improve efficiency when peddling (http://www.history.com/news/the-birth-of-the-tour-de-france-110-years-ago).
The training for The Tour De France has also changed drastically because of technologies, nutrition, understanding of bodily systems like the cardiorespiratory system, how the race is played out, planned, and divided. Athletes no longer train to ride for themselves but as teams, they learn about drafting other teammates to lower the amount of energy exerted in a given stage. The athletes train their bodies according to muscle fibre type like fast twitch and slow twitch, important specific body systems like the cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular systems(http://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jul/16/tour-de-france-riders-fitness).
The knowledge of nutrition and its importance to specific body systems, and training have greatly impacted the Tour De France, by changing diets of certain athletes to target more specific foods like carbohydrates to improve endurance in the twenty two stages of the race. Nutrition allows riders to maintain performance, promote recovery in their bodies, prevent weight loss, and maintain a healthy wellbeing. The athletes are recommended to consume 4000-9000 calories per stage as they use ~6000 calories per stage of the race. They maintain a specific diet during their training and an even stricter one during the event itself, wherein they occasionally during the event consume energy bars, gels, sandwiches, and drinks (http://www.otesports.co.uk/ blog/post/the-nutrition-of-a-tour-de-france-rider/).
In the Tour De France it is important for athletes to have a strong and healthy cardiorespiratory system to allow for long distance endurance over the course of the twenty one stage race. The cardiorespiratory system supplies oxygen and energy to the muscles throughout the body of the athletes to ensure that they may continue on for extended periods of time. The major organs and vessels used in the system are the hearts, lungs and blood vessels to transport the oxygen and energy. The athletes also have very a very high fast twitch fibre percentage in their body to allow them to travel for such long distances over the course of twenty two days and 3644km (Foundations of Sports Coaching: second edition By Paul E. Robinson).
Through all of these changes in the history of cycling, the Tour De France has remained the most popular and competitive of all cycling events.
The Tour De France is a competitive long distance cycling tour wherein hundreds of cyclers all of whom are on twenty two elite level teams, which are: Ag2r-La Mondiale, Astana, Belkin Pro Cycling, BMC Racing Team, Bretagne-Séché Environnement, Cannondale, Cofidis, Team Europcar, FDJ.fr Garmin-Sharp, Giant-Shimano, IAM Cycling, Team Katusha, Lampre-Merida, Lotto-Belisol, Movistar Team, NetApp-Endura, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Orica-GreenEDGE, Team Sky, Tinkoff-Saxo, Trek Factory Racing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teams_and_cyclists_in_the_2014_Tour_de_France).
These teams go through twenty one stages, at one stage per day each stage is 237.5km and can last up to five and a half hours; throughout the race. The race starts in Paris, then it covers a 3,664km route, with over the twenty one stages. The most well known Tour De France cyclist is Lance Armstrong who previously held seven connective Tour De France titles, was stripped of them because of a doping scandal in 2005 (http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/02/tour-de-france-in-numbers-cycling-statistics) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Armstrong).
The Tour De France began in 1903 as a publicity stunt, and worked its way to become the world’s most famous cycling race. The very first race began on July 1st, 1903 with sixty participants, that was 2,414km and had only six stages each of which consisted of 402km on average, unlike the present days twenty one stages that are 237.5km in distance (http://www.history.com/news/the-birth-of-the-tour-de-france-110-years-ago).
Technologies have drastically changed over the 112 years since the Tour De France was first introduced. The riders didn't have helmets, paved roads, new bikes that are light weight and sturdy, or body wear that is aerodynamic and clip on shoes to improve efficiency when peddling (http://www.history.com/news/the-birth-of-the-tour-de-france-110-years-ago).
The training for The Tour De France has also changed drastically because of technologies, nutrition, understanding of bodily systems like the cardiorespiratory system, how the race is played out, planned, and divided. Athletes no longer train to ride for themselves but as teams, they learn about drafting other teammates to lower the amount of energy exerted in a given stage. The athletes train their bodies according to muscle fibre type like fast twitch and slow twitch, important specific body systems like the cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular systems(http://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jul/16/tour-de-france-riders-fitness).
The knowledge of nutrition and its importance to specific body systems, and training have greatly impacted the Tour De France, by changing diets of certain athletes to target more specific foods like carbohydrates to improve endurance in the twenty two stages of the race. Nutrition allows riders to maintain performance, promote recovery in their bodies, prevent weight loss, and maintain a healthy wellbeing. The athletes are recommended to consume 4000-9000 calories per stage as they use ~6000 calories per stage of the race. They maintain a specific diet during their training and an even stricter one during the event itself, wherein they occasionally during the event consume energy bars, gels, sandwiches, and drinks (http://www.otesports.co.uk/ blog/post/the-nutrition-of-a-tour-de-france-rider/).
In the Tour De France it is important for athletes to have a strong and healthy cardiorespiratory system to allow for long distance endurance over the course of the twenty one stage race. The cardiorespiratory system supplies oxygen and energy to the muscles throughout the body of the athletes to ensure that they may continue on for extended periods of time. The major organs and vessels used in the system are the hearts, lungs and blood vessels to transport the oxygen and energy. The athletes also have very a very high fast twitch fibre percentage in their body to allow them to travel for such long distances over the course of twenty two days and 3644km (Foundations of Sports Coaching: second edition By Paul E. Robinson).
Through all of these changes in the history of cycling, the Tour De France has remained the most popular and competitive of all cycling events.