Tour de France: Rider pees himself to keep warm in mountains
By Dan Zinski
If you’re like me, you’ve never once wondered how Tour de France riders keep themselves warm while pedaling through the mountains wearing that tight, skimpy bicycling gear. I guess I just always assumed the physical exertion was enough to warm their bodies and stave off discomfort?
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No. Apparently the riders sometimes get a little cold up there in the French hills with the wind blowing and the rain drizzling down. British Tour de France rider Mark Cavendish revealed to GQ his gross and icky method for giving himself a little warmth in those situations.
It involves pee pee.
"In races that are soaking wet and freezing cold, I like to piss myself. It warms me up for a split second. You get warm and you don’t have to fuss around."
Cavendish didn’t have to worry about this in 2014 because he crashed out of the race on day 1. Had he lasted to the mountains, he would have happily made urine inside his racing suit. We have to assume that if Cavendish is doing this, other riders are doing it too.
So now you have something look for while you’re watching the Tour de France. Look closely at those pumping legs for any signs of moisture trickling down. Zoom in on those shorts for any dark patches or stains.
If you do happen to see any dark spots on the riders’ pants, it’s probably urine. Enjoy the race, everyone!
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