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WHY CAVENDISH WON'T BREAK TOUR DE FRANCE RECORD | RIDER SUPPORT

with Rider Support

26:50·21 June 2024

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TOPICS

Mark Cavendish is one stage win away from breaking the all-time Tour de France record, but with a weaker sprint field this year and his team's laser focus on the flat stages, he's got a genuine shot. We also dig into nailing your aero position, why athletes from other sports often excel at cycling, and tackle some hilariously practical rider questions—from white leg warmers to the mechanics of taking a wee in bib shorts.

Key Takeaways

Build your aero position tolerance gradually through micro-intervals—alternate 4 minutes in and 4 minutes out of the position, then extend to 20-minute blocks, combined with 2x weekly strength work focusing on core stability
Finding a zone 2 training partner requires matching heart rate-to-power ratios rather than absolute heart rate zones; sitting in the wheel of a stronger rider can help bridge fitness gaps without disrupting their effort
If you're doing long solo rides (3-4+ hours), mental fatigue is real—podcasts, music, or structured breaks help; consider stopping for 20 minutes mid-ride to reset
White cycling kit is generally unflattering unless you're extremely lean and have a deep tan; use fabric dye in the washing machine to transform white leg warmers into black if needed
Athletes transitioning from other sports (like Michael Woods from running or Adam Hansen from triathlon) succeed because they already understand discipline, work ethic, and the mindset needed for high-volume training—the physical adaptations follow
In bib shorts with elasticated straps, simply pull down the front to use the toilet without removing the straps; it's standard practice at races and sportives

Expert Quotes

"He said he can't even tell you the stuff that he's working on but it's stuff that no one else is thinking of. He said Cal is leaving absolutely no stone unturned in pursuit of the record."

"Cav came in so young at HTC and he was winning like every Sprint stage... if Mark Cavendish does win a stage in the tour de France this year which I really hope he does and I think he will, his team is really going to [be] focused—that's their whole focus."

"If you're good at applying yourself to training 30 hours a week in running and you move across to cycling, doesn't really seem like it's going to be that difficult for you to apply yourself 30 hours a week in cycling—it's a skill set you've learned."

KEY QUOTES

“Power doesn't win races speed wins races so you need to train in that position because it is uncomfortable you're in restricted hip flexor angle your diaphragm is closed off so you're breathing more difficultly it's putting a lot of stress on your supporting muscles around your spine your Rector Spa you need a very strong core and you need to be a very robust Rider to sit in that position for errs”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

“if you can only do five minutes do five minutes or do four minutes and then ease off four minutes out of the position four minutes in the position four minutes out and build up to doing 20 minute blocks the same way you would with intervals”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

“it's a weak Sprint field by T of France standard so that kind of compounds my logic that yes scav will do it”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT3 SECTIONS

Can Cavendish Break the Stage Record?

Welcome to this week's Rider support this week we're going to talk about how you can get into the perfect Arrow position while out riding the best way to execute zone two rids but before that the question on everybody's lips at the moment is Mark Cavendish going to break the tour to France stage records Sarah Anthony it was only a matter of time before we started getting tur France's question so let's crack into this I think going to be a lot of speculation about this over the next few weeks Anthony and Sarah Mark Cavendish is just one Victory away from making history in this tur of France and if he does that the new record seems that it would stand for many many years to come but given that this one win is the most pressurized of his career do you think he can do it what do you think header heart go go ahead first yeah for sure both say the same things no I think cavish will do it I think you'd be a silly man to bet against cavish had Alex D said on the podcast don't think no hasn't been released yet it's gonna come out next week or the week after before the Tour of France but he was telling me he's been working a lot with Cavendish in the runup to this and he said he can't even tell you the stuff that he's working on but it's stuff that no one else is thinking of he said Cal is leaving absolutely no stone unturned in pursuit of the record yeah I think given Cav's trik record and how much he's deferred the rest of his life to come back and do one more year he's all in he's all in and I would have to say yes it's also a weaker field for sprinters this year Tim Leia is not gone H yasper philipson yasper disaster is gone uh who else Jonathan Milan not gone again both them opted for jir atalia so it's a weak Sprint field by T of France standard so that kind of compounds my logic that yes scav will do it yeah I I agree with you just to go back for people who don't know the history of the turet of France and this kind of number this golden this golden chalice number this is the most winningest stage writer of the CH of France ever and Mark Cavendish currently holds that in joint place with Eddie Ms the greatest writer ever the greatest writer ever so I in my bit of research that I was doing for this if Mark Cavendish does win a stage in the tur of Fran this year which I really hope he does and I think he will do his team is really going to be that's their whole Focus okay there's eight flat stages in the chch of France now I know not all of them will get to Sprint you know there could be Breakaway stages things like that so technically he could have eight stages and I'm sure they've got kind of four or five really in their Crosshair is that they're you know absolutely going to Target that are going to be perfect for him the only thing is about him is that he's 39 and easy on that now unfortun he's 39 and if he went a stage of the tur of France this year he will be the second oldest person only one older person ever has won a stage of the tur of France and that was back this was back in 1963 Peno serami not a name I'm very very familiar with so it would be one for the record books I really hope he does this and it was just kind of like this moment wasn't it when he saw him coming down he was on the TAC last year after almost winning a stage I think Jasper just beat him by a couple and his chain dropped on that to be fair his chain didn't drop he was going from the 11 to 12 the 11 to 12 it wouldn't change that's right yeah so we saw him on the terac that was going into bordeau somewhere like that and I think a whole nation in the UK or cycling fans in general America's given a lot of entertainment to cycling fans over his career everyone's heart sank and literally a day later his team to say that they were trying to get him to come back for the comeback the Redemption Ando is a doubly hard stage cuz that's a stage he previously won before his first ever tour to France stage he won into Bordeaux so he knew to finish you know Mark Rena is on the back room team giving a lot of good advice the second part of that question is it looks like it'll stand for a lot of years to come that's kind of phrased as a question but that's just the statement of fact it will never be n you know what I'm saying never but the way modern cycling is developing which looks like it's going to be shorter shelf life careers it looks very hard like Bernard Hino has the record behind Cavendish and Merks with 28 stage wins then you got to jump back down to roers in the 20s and 30s with 25 stage wins 22 stage wins Nicholas France in sixth place with 20 stage wins there's no modern Riders contesting there so it just looks like if that record is broken it's definitely going to be one that's going to outlive me I kind of missed the early Mark kendes ER so I'm assuming came into the paltin and started winning when he was very very young you know but and he are seeing riders coming in you know younger and younger in you know winning now so you think it's still anib got be a sprinter though to win that St with the way cying is now it has to be a sprinter and yeah we just haven't seen a dominant Sprinter like that you especially at that age Cav came in so young at HTC and he was winning like every Sprint stage like I I don't I think he won six stages want France maybe even seven someone will correct me in the comments below so yeah we'll see July I hope he does it I can't wait go Mark okay question number two Anthony how do I improve my bike position I want to ride more often in an arrow position but my back neck arms and ass can only take it for a few minutes at a time and that's from Ryan Ryan's poor a bum this is a really interesting one and a friend of mine one my old teammates we had a ride two weeks ago and we were just talking about this if we went back training seriously we would spend way more time in the arrow position because you're covering more ground but it's more race like you know being able to put out power is one thing but Power doesn't win races speed wins races so you need to train in that position because it is uncomfortable you're in restricted hip flexor angle your diaphragm is closed off so you're breathing more difficultly it's putting a lot of stress on your supporting muscles around your spine your Rector Spa you need a very strong core and you need to be a very robust Rider to sit in that position for errs to ways to do it I don't think it's one or the other spending a lot of time in that position in like a graded adaptation so if you can only do five minutes do five minutes or do four minutes and then ease off four minutes out of the position four minutes in the position four minutes out and build up to doing 20 minute blocks the same way you would with intervals the second is you need to be prioritized in strength work you need to be in the gym a couple of times a week to hold these positions which is actually a nice little segue into a little giveaway we have going on at the moment because anyone that's been following us on social media will have seen we launched our second podcast the anonomous named Anthony Walch podcast so we launched that a couple of days ago it's more a podcast to generally explore health and happiness rather than cyclum podcast and it's been going really well we going really well the first week yeah you've hit some really amazing Milestones that we've really struggled hit on this podcast 10al in the fitness category which is really cool Apple which is so hard to do so thank you for everyone who was listening tuned in but where this fit in if anyone gives a review on Apple or Spotify and they screen capture and they send it to me or Sarah over on Twitter or Instagram we're going to give you a free copy of our strength and conditioning plan which we haven't launched yet and we're planning to launch later on this winter so you can beat the que and get ahead of it yeah absolutely and I have to say strength and conditioning has really changed my comfort on the bike there's a couple of questions coming up later about my 4H hour long ride so it's not just if you want to get into the arrow position doing that bit of core work that's strength work has completely radicalized my comfort well we know we need to be doing it as well now for just health and fitness like General non-performance related stuff and it's fun you get to be inside and you're not out in the absolute lash and Rain you don't have to find your G takes zero moment yeah you don't have to find your matching kit or your cool socks or your you know your bike shoes you don't have to oil your chain you just go to the gym get it done in 45 minutes and way you go okay Anthony I heard that Ram evapo was a top level football player just wondering do you know of many other top cyclists who had previous successes in other sports and do you think that if you are good at one sport you'll have a higher chance at succeeding at a second sport yeah there's definitely a few that spring to mind uh I'm sure someone's going to correct us Below in the comments and give us a Litany of examples a couple that's bring to mind is Michael Woods I raced Michael Woods over in Canada he was on uh he was on the Quebec team garau and I remember driving out to Quebec I was living in Toronto I think the drive was like five six hours to get to this race it was like a 7 a.m.

Athletes Who Switched Sports

Or 8 A.M start so I got there the night before but really late hardly had any sleep the next morning the race started up a climb Mike Woods hit it at the base of the climb I was literally dropped them back in the car inside 10 minutes driving home so Mike was a talent as soon as he came from running over to cycl he was a talent but he was a runner of some note I think he had let me hear it here had he was Elite middle distance Runner and he had a junior world record for the mile at one point yeah so he obviously transferred into cyclin Super well with Israel Premier Tech now one through the France stages he's an all around bit of a legend uh Adam Hansen who we've had the president of the riters association we've had on the podcast before as well he was a very high level triathlete they're the only two I know well obviously Rish he's probably the most famous One Rish was high high achieving pretty high achieving ski jumper and he had a bad injury that kind of took him out of ski jumping and into cycling in out from out from the fire and into the pan or what's that one dangerous sport to another it seems but yeah do you think that there is that thread you know if you're good if you're good at one sport you'd be good at others like obviously there's crossover between for instance people always talk about the same V2 you know adaptations that you need to have Recycling and Rowing for instance that their two sports that if you're good at cycling potentially you've got a better chance of being a good rower their two sports that but there's the physicality thing but there's also like the mindset and motivation part and well just the application like if you can apply yourself to training 30 hours a week in running and you move across to cycling doesn't really seem like it's going to be that difficult for you to apply yourself 30 hours a week it's a skill set you've learned this like the argument for total curveball here but the argument for minimum wage not have minimum wage jobs because if you don't have minimum wage jobs kids don't get to learn those there's less people in the workforce and kids don't get to learn stuff like timekeeping like politeness punctuality and their transferable skills to actual careers later in their life I kind of look at other sports like that even if it's a sport that it maybe doesn't have a lot of longevity getting into sport at a young age it teaches you hard work it teaches you discipline dedication keeping your kit clean how to play well as part of a team they're very transferable skills Beyond sport as well yeah I agree I think that yeah it's there's a lot more than just the physicality and those adaptations to moving from one sport to the other okay hi Anthony and Sarah my very thoughtful wife bought me a pair of arm and leg warmers which I know were very expensive the problem is they are bright white I have never seen anyone wearing white leg warmers before they are the ful length version is this ay fashion mistake Anthony now I know you probably will say well wear whatever you want and don't worry about other people think but I would like some honest advice can white leg warmers ever be cool and that's from art I get what art artst where he's coming from here CU you do have kind of a bit of a you you look cool on the bike you're already cool you know how to dress on the bike people ride in looking for you know advice is this is this okay to wear and you're like wear whatever you want and I'm always like no don't wear that you look like an Ida people be talking behind your back and laughing at you and personally Anthony you can WR in a second oh I saw a chap in Dublin quite recently I was in the car and he had on a pair of black shorts white long thick leg warmers and they were bit big on them so they were kind of like crinkly and bunching and it just looked so awful I was like that is not what you wear versus how you wear at the base as well yeah but I think art forly doesn't probably have to worry too long because they're not going to be white after the first couple of rides if he's in Ireland or the UK just the mock has got magnetized to them but I sent wz a image just before the podcast so where I'm sure we'll flick it up on screen of this isn't going to be popular with the ladies but maybe the coolest Rider of all time Mario Chini and he's wearing a pair of white leg warmers they're so cool but are they full length are they just the ones that kind of come past you at all they're they're kind of more C forers well like can we also just say that chip shouldn't be he shouldn't be anyone's hero he shouldn't be anyone's hero not just women we don't support we don't support women beers here even if they are stylish yeah hold on we're very happy to listen to Billy Jane and Whistle Along to it in the car and park Michael Jackson's History I want us to do the same with chiellini Park chiellini and just look at his TI just go he's stylish maybe one of the greatest printers of all time yeah so would you wear full length white leg warmers Anthony ah it it's a tough one stretch depends on the rest of the kit as well and it depends on where you are if you're in I don't know you're rocking around meorc in the off season and the rest of your K is white and you're rocking a nice tan under it I could see how you could pull them off they're not going to be the most flattering color if you're carrying a couple of pounds I would say you're probably looking at a thumbs down to buy them yourself if you get them as a gift it's the word you can also buy here's a really good tip art you can buy fabric dyes that you can put in the washing machine with your white leg warmers and it will dye them na You're black and honestly I think straight away do that tell you wash them with a sock I actually advise everybody who's not World Tour or not a cat one Rider to avoid the color white in their kit because it's just not flattering it's very very difficult to wear it's just it doesn't look good unless you're absolutely like yonus skinny okay hi Sarah and Anthony I follow you both on straa and Sarah I want to know how you get through those really long really slow low low heart rate rides every weekend 4 hours is tough to do so a few questions around this as I really want to incorporate lwh heart rate training how do you find a training buddy who has the same low heart rate zones as you if there's no training partner how do you mentally get three four hours and finally how do you keep your heart rate so low throughout the spin I'm guessing you're going up climbs Etc hope my question makes it on to the show and that's from picher Millan 1985 it's a question for you Sarah yeah okay well no I don't have a training partner that has low heart rate zones maybe I'll post my heart rate zones online and see if anyone wants to tag along with just to avoid the confusion because I know it's going to come in the comments it's you're not looking for somebody that has low heart rate zones cuz I could go out with you and both of us could be at 110 beats but I'm going to be riding at 240 watts and you're going to be riding at 110 Watts you're look for someone that has a correspondingly low heart rate to power ratio yes exactly yeah that's a great clarification so yeah basically Peter I do these long rides on my own because I'm very very focused on keeping my heart rate in the zones that I've you know been prescribed by Anthony who coaches me and I'm kind of obsessed about that and I feel that if I go out with somebody else you know I'm going to be riding their kind of ride or I'm going to be chatting with them or I'm going to be stopping with them whenever they want to stop and this 4H hour Saturday long rides for me they're really really focused and they're just something that I know I have to get through on my own so there's no training partner how do I mentally get through the 4 hours to be honest when I come back I do say to Anthony wo that was lonely you know that was 4 hours as a long time if you stop for you know 20 minutes in the middle you go weird do yeah no I would stop stop on my own if I need to get water just in a shop just get water get some get a couple of snacks whatever I need but yeah I do come home and I'm like oh that was felt really really long this week and the problem is unless you're listening to podcasts and music you're just left alone with your thoughts and that can be quite nice also being completely off phones devices podcast music anything like that so uh I don't know what my tips are if you can safely listen to podcast do that and then otherwise maybe just have a think have you have you any advice you can also do them indoors Rob man I know how serious you take your goal setting whether they're Fitness or life related goals if you're looking for a powerful alloy to support you on this journey look now forther than hu hu has become my secret weapon for when I don't have time to prepare a balanced meal Ensure ures I get the nutrition I need without sacrificing time or taste plus it stops me from reaching for that takeaway menu I always throw a bottle into my backpack when I'm heading into the city to work and it stops me eating junk convenience food snacking on crossons and bars of chocolate because I know they don't support my training goals it's a handy nutritious meal on the go and it's got over 22 grams of protein hu is perfect for athletes that don't have time to cook or prepare food before a training session it's convenient nutritious fuel at your fingertips ensuring you hit your daily fueling needs for that session hu ready to drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals in every single bottle you're getting a whopping 175 health benefits plus it's made from natural ingredients like Topeka sunf seed coconut and more the best part it's the flavors there's eight crazy beautiful flavors iced coffee is what's in my backpack right at the moment you can get youu directly to your home all you got to do is head on over to the hu website hu.com Roan Alex D talks about this again to reference the same podcast that's coming even when he was based in Andor he said one of the most picturesque places in the world to ride a bike he said he often found himself defaulting to sitting on the W bike for four or five hour endurance rides just because the mental stimulation you get from sitting in and watching a good movie or a series on Netflix you just stick the W bike into ERG mode and you can sit there and tap away for four or five hours I'd happily do that as well I don't find that yeah mentally taxing it's difficult to get training partners because you've on both ends it's difficult to get training Partners if you're trying to do a control zone two right weaker people sometimes feel like they have something to prove and they'll push themselves into their zone three zone four and will pull you out of it and then stronger people are going to just naturally they're not going to be able to ride slow enough for you to be in zone two with the disparity in our fitness levels it's not possible for us to do his own two ride together the best is if I do a zone two ride you're in the wheel you're probably still going to be zone three in the wheel but you can utilize that which is a good strategy you can normally go trying on with somebody who's maybe a cat different or two cats different with you if they're sitting in your wheel I could definitely do a zone two ride with a cat tree in my wheel and he's going to be in zone two as well yeah that's a really good advice h four ARS on a w bike for me that's a no just because yeah okay I understand that you can put on Netflix four hours on an indoor trainer of any description I find a little a bit uncomfortable just because you don't be you know there's no opportunity really you can of course stand up on the seat on the saddle if you want you could kind of put little Brakes in like that but no for me it's all outdoor for those super long uh super long spins one final part of that how do you keep your heart rate so low throughout the spin I'm guessing you're going up climbs Etc how do you just you just do you just go really easy if you're going up climbs or any Rises at all you just go really slowly that's it in a nutshell okay writer support question as a man when I wear bib shorts I find myself sympathizing with the difficulties of women attire across the centuries okay if I want never that one hers just never bumped into my mind your mind ever gone there if I want to pee I need to take at least one of the straps off my shoulder but to do that it requires that I unip unzip the jersey that goes over the straps this leads me to a question do World Tour Riders get access to some special kind of bib shorts that have an opening I don't see them fumbling through these same challenging Maneuvers thanks in advance for your candid reply to this matter of some shall I say urgency I think he's the one wearing different shorts to everyone else no yeah he's wearing a different set of shorts everyone else you don't need to take a strap off I think let's let's just cut through let's not let's not dick around excuse the pun here with this okay what you do dear listener I haven't got your name is as a man you pull the front you leave your straps on and your jersey and you pull your shorts down at the front and produce your weapon some might call it a weapon I am not commenting on that you basically just pull the front of your sure it's down right everything it's all very it's all very elastic you don't need to take a strap off it's elastic cas kiss yeah so get your thumb in the in the need well clearly I do he hasn't thought of this that you just pull it down at the front it's all elasticated because the straps are elastic all the way down so they pull down so pull down the front so your Willie is exposed you can't say wiie use the word weapon so your weapon is exposed and go for your Wii as a girl we don't have these opportunities you're lucky that you can do this so yeah I I you've obviously never seen been at a sportif or gone to a race I go and support Anthony and races all of the time I think I've seen probably 90% of the people who race in Ireland I've probably seen them pull their bib shorts down at the front and go for a we because everyone does it in the car park everyone does it at the side of the road it's you've obviously never seen another man do this but it's perfectly normal to do this in field or somewhere a good tip for if you are going to the using the bathroom before and you need to do more than a number one you need to go in and use you know relieve yourself and get rid of some burden before it eras burden if you want to get to climb and wait real quick yeah so if you want to get kisses as a lot of people do at home and drive to the race even if the race is under an hour driveway a lot of people will put their kit on drive through to the race put your kid on but don't do the straps up underneath like don't pull the straps up around your shoulder so you have your shorts on you have your jersey on and then you can just pull your bib shorts down before the race that's tip he could use as well if he's suffering with some sort of nonelastic I think it's a cool look as well you're just like Rocking around the car park with your bib straps kind of hanging down and you're in your flip flops it just looks kind of cool ROM man I've got something exciting to share with you it's been making a huge difference in my performance of lace especially when it comes to my sleep allow me to introduce you to pillar we're probably all familiar with the importance of electrolytes and carbohydrates in our race preparation pillar is taking a slightly different route it's focusing on something called micronutrition ensuring you're ready to perform even before you ever hit the start line it's all about promoting a good night's sleep facilitating effective recovery and replenishing those crucial micronutrients so you can perform your best over the past month I've been running a little experiment I've been incorporating pillars triple magnesium supplement into my routine I take it 30 minutes before bed every night and I've seen a remarkable Improvement in My Sleep Quality and my HRV I'm tracking this every single night using my whoop and the results are there in black and white I wake up feeling refreshed having had a deep restorative sleep and I'm ready to take on work take on training or whatever life trolls at me the next day but I want you to do something don't take my word for this let the data from your Fitness tracker tell you the story if you're ready to elevate your performance and elevate your Sleep Quality like me why not give pillar a try head on over to pillar performance.

Arrested Before Unbound Gravel

Shop and use the code Road man on your local website to get 15% off your first order if you're listening in the US you can head on over to the feed.com pillar and use the code roadman for the same 15% off your first order honorable mention for somebody who was arrested a few weeks ago just before unbind Lawrence tandam and Thomas Decker were their in Oklahoma next thing they looked up and there was five pistols pointing at them apparently and they did had to they were put into a jail given proper like orange jumpsuits in a jail cell with like a metal toilet in it for about 9 or 10 hours before they eventually paid $185 for bail all because they had their weapons out in a car park and they were now they said that they were changing but there was no shers said they were like spraying water all over each other and bit broke back that's basically what Lawrence tandam said on his podcast that they were accused of being gay in Oklahoma apparently that's not Kosher over there so they were thrown into a prison cell for a couple of hours so yeah be careful of that FR looking around in car Parks folks thank you for tuning in to another edition of ryer support there's another video up here which I know you're going to love it's a recent conversation I had with the amazing Dan Martin where we break down some of the best moments in his career and if you click down here you can subscribe to the channel so you don't miss more of Sarah's weapon talk

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will Mark Cavendish break the Tour de France stage win record in 2024?+

Anthony from Roadman Cycling argues Cavendish will break the record and move past his current 34-win tie with Eddy Merckx. The 2024 sprint field is significantly weakened, with Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier and Jonathan Milan all skipping the race, and Cavendish is preparing specifically for this with coach Mark Renshaw.

Who are the favourites for Tour de France sprint stages in 2024?+

With Philipsen, Merlier and Milan absent, the sprint field is considerably thinner than in recent editions. This creates a clear opportunity for Cavendish, whose team are reported to be laser-focused on delivering him the stage wins required to take the outright record.

How do I get into a more aero position on the bike?+

The Roadman Cycling podcast recommends a graded adaptation block, starting with four to five minute efforts in your target aero position before building duration gradually. Pair this with twice-weekly strength work to develop the core endurance needed to hold the position comfortably over longer rides.

How should I pace my Zone 2 rides for maximum benefit?+

Zone 2 rides should be performed at a genuinely aerobic intensity, typically 55 to 75 percent of FTP, where you can hold a full conversation without strain. Riding too hard is the most common mistake; keeping the effort disciplined ensures you accumulate quality aerobic volume without building unnecessary fatigue.

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Key Takeaways

Build your aero position tolerance gradually through micro-intervals—alternate 4 minutes in and 4 minutes out of the position, then extend to 20-minute blocks, combined with 2x weekly strength work focusing on core stability

Finding a zone 2 training partner requires matching heart rate-to-power ratios rather than absolute heart rate zones; sitting in the wheel of a stronger rider can help bridge fitness gaps without disrupting their effort

If you're doing long solo rides (3-4+ hours), mental fatigue is real—podcasts, music, or structured breaks help; consider stopping for 20 minutes mid-ride to reset

White cycling kit is generally unflattering unless you're extremely lean and have a deep tan; use fabric dye in the washing machine to transform white leg warmers into black if needed

Athletes transitioning from other sports (like Michael Woods from running or Adam Hansen from triathlon) succeed because they already understand discipline, work ethic, and the mindset needed for high-volume training—the physical adaptations follow

In bib shorts with elasticated straps, simply pull down the front to use the toilet without removing the straps; it's standard practice at races and sportives

Expert Quotes

"He said he can't even tell you the stuff that he's working on but it's stuff that no one else is thinking of. He said Cal is leaving absolutely no stone unturned in pursuit of the record."

"Cav came in so young at HTC and he was winning like every Sprint stage... if Mark Cavendish does win a stage in the tour de France this year which I really hope he does and I think he will, his team is really going to [be] focused—that's their whole focus."

"If you're good at applying yourself to training 30 hours a week in running and you move across to cycling, doesn't really seem like it's going to be that difficult for you to apply yourself 30 hours a week in cycling—it's a skill set you've learned."

KEY QUOTES

“Power doesn't win races speed wins races so you need to train in that position because it is uncomfortable you're in restricted hip flexor angle your diaphragm is closed off so you're breathing more difficultly it's putting a lot of stress on your supporting muscles around your spine your Rector Spa you need a very strong core and you need to be a very robust Rider to sit in that position for errs”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

“if you can only do five minutes do five minutes or do four minutes and then ease off four minutes out of the position four minutes in the position four minutes out and build up to doing 20 minute blocks the same way you would with intervals”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

“it's a weak Sprint field by T of France standard so that kind of compounds my logic that yes scav will do it”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host and coach

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will Mark Cavendish break the Tour de France stage win record in 2024?+

Who are the favourites for Tour de France sprint stages in 2024?+

How do I get into a more aero position on the bike?+

How should I pace my Zone 2 rides for maximum benefit?+

WHY CAVENDISH WON'T BREAK TOUR DE FRANCE RECORD | RIDER SUPPORT

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

KEY QUOTES

Can Cavendish Break the Stage Record?

Athletes Who Switched Sports

Arrested Before Unbound Gravel

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

WHY LEMOND THINKS MOTOR DOPING IS DESTROYING CYCLING | RIDER SUPPORT

RELATED CONTENT

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

GREIPEL OPENS UP ABOUT RELATIONSHIP WITH CAVENDISH | RDMN CLIPS

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

LIKED THIS EPISODE?

WHY CAVENDISH WON'T BREAK TOUR DE FRANCE RECORD | RIDER SUPPORT

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

KEY QUOTES

Can Cavendish Break the Stage Record?

Athletes Who Switched Sports

Arrested Before Unbound Gravel

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

WHY LEMOND THINKS MOTOR DOPING IS DESTROYING CYCLING | RIDER SUPPORT

RELATED CONTENT

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

GREIPEL OPENS UP ABOUT RELATIONSHIP WITH CAVENDISH | RDMN CLIPS

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

LIKED THIS EPISODE?

WHY CAVENDISH WON'T BREAK TOUR DE FRANCE RECORD | RIDER SUPPORT

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

KEY QUOTES

1.Can Cavendish Break the Stage Record?

2.Athletes Who Switched Sports

3.Arrested Before Unbound Gravel

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

WHY LEMOND THINKS MOTOR DOPING IS DESTROYING CYCLING | RIDER SUPPORT

RELATED CONTENT

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

GREIPEL OPENS UP ABOUT RELATIONSHIP WITH CAVENDISH | RDMN CLIPS

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

LIKED THIS EPISODE?

WHY CAVENDISH WON'T BREAK TOUR DE FRANCE RECORD | RIDER SUPPORT

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

KEY QUOTES

1.Can Cavendish Break the Stage Record?

2.Athletes Who Switched Sports

3.Arrested Before Unbound Gravel

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

WHY LEMOND THINKS MOTOR DOPING IS DESTROYING CYCLING | RIDER SUPPORT

RELATED CONTENT

TOUR DE FRANCE KEY STAGES | RIDER SUPPORT

GREIPEL OPENS UP ABOUT RELATIONSHIP WITH CAVENDISH | RDMN CLIPS

ROWE REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED INEOS | RIDER SUPPORT

LIKED THIS EPISODE?

Can Cavendish Break the Stage Record?

Athletes Who Switched Sports

Arrested Before Unbound Gravel

Can Cavendish Break the Stage Record?

Athletes Who Switched Sports

Arrested Before Unbound Gravel