#whatittakes-train

[gopro]

Behind Le Tour Chapter 4: The Final Stretch

Trek riders are some of the most badass cyclists in the world, showing “What it Takes” to compete in one of the longest, most grueling cycling races on the planet. They fight through the day for every inch and take their evenings to revitalize their bodies and minds.

[gopro]

Behind Le Tour Chapter 3: Mid-Stage

We have arrived at the mid-stage! This stage is meant to be a “rest day” for the athletes and their teams, but in reality, it’s a hectic moment in time where the teams can provide updates to the press. These athletes also want to keep their legs moving:

“Believe it or not, but more pedaling. Some guys do up to 2.5 hours on a rest day, just to keep the rhythm. There’s time for a nap, family would pay a visit, massage, watching a movie on the bed,” Tim explained.

The big difference between a stage and rest day is that there’s no transfer on a rest day, which means that the job gets done earlier and everyone has some free time to go for a run, take a nap (yes, even #TDF2016 athletes get to nap).

Onto the final stretch and Chapter 4...

[gopro]

Behind Le Tour: Chapter 2 The Wizard of Trek 

What’s it like to travel 180 days a year and manage one of the most complex travel logistics in sports? No biggie if you’re Tim Vanderjeugd. The Director of Communications for Trek Segafredo (Check out Chapter 1) has been a part of the machine since 2011 and manages all comms for the team which means media relations, social, digital marketing and more. 

This cycling-crazed Belgium (who lives with his wife in Boulder, CO) has experienced what it takes to survive the tour first hand, so we sat down with him inside the Trek support car 30 minutes prior to stage 11  to learn more.

It takes a Trek army of 60+ people across various functions - from coaching staff to the performance team to technical players to make dreams a reality. 

To start, there are 25 riders who compete all over the world at any given time. Currently as we sat down with Tim, there was another Trek team racing at the Tour of Poland. For the Tour de France specifically, there are a handful of riders who are meant to support the overall leader of each stage. Their role may include running water bottles and nutrition to the head of the pack and ensuring they have what it takes to take the stage. One team, one dream.

Then, there’s a team of five who support everything from nutrition, recovery and making sure the riders maintain the highest level of physical support during all 21 grueling stages of the tour. These team players are referred to as “Soigneurs” which means “one who cares for others” in French. They are a critical part of the riders’ success and take care of everything outside of the bikes.

Up next? Chapter 3. We’ll dive into the riders of Team Trek and what it takes to get through each stage and what they do with their “rest” days. 

[gopro]

Behind Le Tour Chapter 1: Team Trek Segafredo

The Tour de France is one of the most punishing yet rewarding cycling races in the world and this year, we teamed up with the incredible talent behind Trek Segafredo, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most awarded and talented teams in the biz. 

But the talent doesn’t stop there. We placed GoPros on 22 teams and also partnered with Velon’s 12 teams (check out our Beyond the Race cycling series!) to give you an exclusive look at the competitive world of cycling.

The Behind Le Tour story is a testament to the strategic team effort that goes into preparing riders and coaching staff – all captured through unique lens of GoPro. This year riders used the Pro Seat Rail Mount and variations of the Pro Handlebar Mount to capture incredible in-your-face perspectives.

There is no value in improvisation. Every move is with purpose. Every move counts. From bike tech, to nutrition to positioning within the peloton, it’s a game of chess that requires an army of support.

Up Next? Chapter 2.