The Tour de France isn’t just a test of physical talent and endurance; it is a chess game on wheels, a spectacle of strategy where every decision could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
In this article, I’ll be drawing on my experience of elite-level road racing to demystify the fascinating tactics and intricate strategies that shape the outcomes of this iconic race.
We’ll outline the roles within a team, from General Classification contenders to the unsung domestiques, and explore the tactical undercurrents at play – from mastering mountain stages and breakaways to employing psychological mind games.
Beyond the physical exertion, we’ll examine the vital aspects of recovery and the influence of technology and equipment in pursuit of “marginal gains”.
Whether you’re a seasoned cycling enthusiast or a curious newcomer, this masterclass will deepen your appreciation of the Tour de France, unveiling the layers of complexity that make it one of the most compelling events in sports.
Buckle up for an insider’s tour into the high-stakes world of professional cycling, covering:
- Team Composition
- Protecting The Team Leader
- Breakaways
- Mountain Tactics
- Time Trials
- Crosswinds
- Feeding And Hydration
- Psychological Tactics
- Recovery
- Tech And Equipment Choices
Let’s dive into Tour de France tactics!
Team Composition
It is imperative for teams to carefully balance their composition, depending on their objectives. These goals could include targeting the general classification, securing stage wins, or striving for specific jersey competitions.
Composed of eight riders, each member of the team performs a specific role that significantly contributes to the strategy and overall success.
General Classification (GC) Contenders
GC contenders are riders with the capacity to maintain consistency throughout the three-week duration, thus having the best potential of securing overall victory in the Tour de France.
They tend to excel on mountainous stages and during time trials, where there is the most potential to gain (or lose) significant time gaps.
Climbers
These riders possess a high power-to-weight ratio that enables them to climb steep gradients with higher efficiency.
They play a pivotal role during mountain stages, setting a demanding pace for opponents or creating a platform for their leader to initiate an attack.
All-Rounders
Being proficient across a variety of terrains and situations, all-rounders can climb reasonably effectively, perform well in time trials, and even sprint in smaller groups. Their adaptability makes them indispensable, supporting the group in various circumstances.
Traditional cyclist types such as rouleurs and (to a lesser extent) puncheurs are often considered all-rounders.
Domestiques
Their primary role is to assist the team. This could involve fetching food and drinks, providing a draft for the leader to ride in, pursuing breakaway groups, or sacrificing their own prospects.
Essentially, they are the foot soldiers and play an essential role in every stage of the race.
Any rider who is not one of the team leaders (who is usually a GC contender or a sprinter) can be considered a domestique, as their role is to ride for the benefit of the leader rather than to chase glory for themselves.
Sprinters
Sprinters have a talent for timing and positioning, enabling them to generate remarkable bursts of power and win high-speed sprint finishes. On flat stages, they are often safeguarded until the final kilometers, where they vie for the win.
Time-Trial Specialists
With a unique blend of power and aerodynamics, it allows them to maintain high speeds individually. Although longer time trials are becoming less frequent in contemporary Grand Tours, they can still significantly influence the outcome.
Protecting the Team Leader
At the heart of almost all Tour de France tactics is the concept of drafting – a technique in which a cyclist positions themselves directly behind another to decrease wind resistance and reduce effort.
By riding in another cyclist’s draft, you can save up to 40% of the energy you would expend riding solo.
This is a huge advantage to a rider protected by the draft, allowing them to conserve vital energy for the decisive moments in the race – and punishing riders who don’t have teammates at the front of the race to support them.
Teammates intentionally create a protective barrier. By taking on the brunt of wind resistance, they form a slipstream within which their leader can ride before unleashing them for summit finishes or crucial attacks.
In addition to energy conservation, these teammates also significantly contribute to the safety of their leader. They shield him from potential crashes and help him navigate through the tumultuous activity of the peloton.
From my own experience of racing, I can tell you how exhausting and punishing it can be both mentally and physically becoming isolated against a strong team that knows how to race tactically, when you don’t have your teammates there to help counter them.
In challenging scenarios, such as narrow roads or treacherous descents, they ensure a good position, reducing the risk of involvement in crashes or splits in the peloton.
Domestiques are also willing to sacrifice their own bicycle if the leader encounters a mechanical problem – a flat tire or a chain issue, for example – ensuring minimal disruption.
On mountain stages, they often establish a tough tempo on the climbs to ward off attacks from their leader’s rivals, or to provide a launchpad for an attack by their own leader.
Sometimes, the grimpeurs will also launch attacks of their own to punish the legs of their leader’s rivals if they believe they’re struggling or have been left isolated from their teammates.
Team Jumbo-Visma’s relentless attacks on Tadej Pogačar on Stage 11 of the 2022 Tour de France are a great example of the devastating effect of such a strategy, even against arguably the world’s greatest cyclist.
Breakaways
Breakaways move ahead of the peloton, in pursuit of stage wins or to promote their sponsors to the television audience.
It’s a gamble; the peloton can usually catch up to a breakaway, but occasionally, particularly on mountainous or complex stages, it can succeed.
Teams will participate in a breakaway if they lack a strong sprinter for a flat stage, or if they aim to put pressure on the competition.
Mountain Tactics
Mountain stages are the races where the overall outcome is most likely to be determined. In these stages, teams employ a variety of tactics.
One common strategy is to send a strong climber ahead in an early breakaway. When the leader reaches the final climb, his teammate can fall back from the breakaway to set a challenging pace, making it difficult for rivals to launch an attack.
Time Trials
In individual time trials, there’s no opportunity for shelter or reliance on teammates – it’s purely the rider versus the clock.
Managing effort is crucial. Riders require a strong pacing strategy to distribute their energy evenly throughout the course. They must strike a balance between power and endurance, maintaining a pace that they can uphold without exhausting themselves prematurely.
Team tactics also play an often overlooked role. Domestiques typically start earlier, as the start list is determined by GC position with the leaders starting latest.
As they navigate the course, the teammates can relay important information back to the Directeur Sportif (the team’s tactical manager) about road conditions, wind direction, tricky corners, or unforeseen obstacles.
This information allows the leader to adjust his strategy, making real-time tactical decisions based on up-to-date intelligence.
Lastly, the weather can become a significant factor. Variations in weather conditions, particularly between the first and last participant, can drastically affect performance.
Starting earlier could entail combating rain and slippery roads, while riders who start later might benefit from dry conditions or even a tailwind – or vice-versa.
Choosing strategic start times (when this is an option) based on weather forecasts can be the difference between gaining or losing critical seconds.
Crosswinds
When the peloton faces strong crosswinds, it often breaks into formations known as echelons. These are staggered, diagonal lines across the road, each rider positioned slightly downwind of the one in front.
Echelons form as each rider seeks to find shelter from the wind behind and slightly to the side of the one in front. This diagonal positioning allows them to benefit from the draft while counteracting the effects of the crosswind.
Because of the road width constraints, only a limited number can fit into each echelon.
Those who fail to secure a position might find themselves in a subsequent echelon. Riders lagging behind can struggle to close the gap, especially if the wind continues to gust across the road.
Mastering echelon formation is a unique skill, involving a combination of positioning, timing, and teamwork.
For example, a team might intentionally increase the pace at the front just as a windy section is about to start. As the peloton stretches out due to the heightened speed, riders at the back will struggle to keep up.
If the echelons form and the peloton splits, those caught behind face a challenging pursuit to regain contact, often leading to significant time losses. This maneuver demands exceptional communication, robust collective effort, and precise execution.
Feeding and Hydration
Regular eating and drinking to replenish energy reserves and avoid dehydration are vital. Feed zones are specified areas where staff distribute musettes – bags filled with food and drinks.
The timing of feeding, taking into account the stage profile and current weather conditions, can significantly influence performance.
Psychological Tactics
Riders often bluff about their form, launch false attacks to wear down competitors, and employ intimidation to gain an edge. A well-timed glance or a few choice words can be as effective as a strategically executed attack.
Lance Armstrong famously used to feign exhaustion, tricking rivals into burning energy to attack before blitzing them with a counterattack of his own for a brutal physical and psychological blow.
Recovery
The initial step of recovery often begins even before the stage concludes.
Riders absorb gels and drinks towards the latter part of the stage to ensure their glycogen stores aren’t entirely depleted.
Once they cross the finish line, immediate post-race nutrition becomes essential.
Cyclists typically consume protein to facilitate muscle repair and carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves. This could be in the form of recovery shakes, bars, or a well-balanced meal, depending on personal preference and nutritional needs.
During the Tour de France, athletes lose substantial amounts of fluid through sweat. After the finish, they rehydrate with water and electrolyte drinks to restore their body’s equilibrium and support optimal physiological function.
Each team employs physiotherapists and massage therapists to assist with this process. Massage aids in eliminating metabolic waste, alleviating muscle soreness, and fostering relaxation.
In addition, they wear compression clothing to further enhance leg recovery. These garments help to reduce muscle swelling and fatigue, expedite recovery, and enhance performance.
Sleep is perhaps the most critical component of recovery.
During sleep, the body carries out most of its repair and recovery processes. Riders often have personalized sleep routines, and some even bring their own mattresses and bedding to each hotel to ensure a consistent sleeping environment.
In preparation for the Tour de France, some of them also use hypoxic tents during their sleep cycles. Hypoxic tents simulate high-altitude conditions by decreasing the amount of oxygen in the air.
When a rider sleeps in this environment, their body adapts by producing more red blood cells to compensate for the lower oxygen levels. This adaptation has the potential to boost their performance when they return to racing at lower altitudes.
Tech and Equipment Choices
Teams select appropriate bikes (time-trial bikes, lightweight climbing bikes, or aerodynamic road bikes) and wheels based on the stage profile. They also choose clothing for its aerodynamics and its capacity to regulate body temperature.
This attention to detail in pursuit of incremental improvements is often referred to as seeking “marginal gains.”
Now You Know All About Tour de France Tactics…
Understanding these tactics not only enriches the viewing experience but also unveils the layers of complexity inherent in this prestigious event.
Indeed, the Tour de France serves as a remarkable display of strategy and endurance, unfolding over three exciting weeks each summer.
The chess game on wheels is more than just a race; it’s a complex matrix of strategy, endurance, technology, and human willpower.
What struck you the most? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
Every insight, every question, and every perspective adds to the richness of our shared appreciation for the Tour de France.
Can’t wait to hear from you!
Hello, loved the post. While watching TDF today I kept wondering why Van Aert went first the whole race and as soon as Vingegaard reached him, a few km before the finish line Van Aert just stopped cycling… I know that’s team tactics, but why wouldn’t he kept riding?
Thanks!