We continue yesterday's discussion with Tour de France legend Hennie Kuiper on the Tour of California regarding how cycling has evolved over the years ...
"They are always improving bikes. In my time, we rode 22-pound steel bikes; now a bike has to be lower than 15 pounds. We ate steaks in the morning for protein. Now they make steak as a liquid food which provides the protein that your body needs along with other nutrients. Now they don't eat proteins in the morning; they are important directly after the finish line. And now they know exactly where your body is with tests for maximum heart rate and VO2 max. It's very helpful for your confidence. We do a test and say, 'Your body is PK, your bike is OK, your food is no problem, go for it!'"
You had an interesting position on the bike, you rode it crooked because it was not fitted properly.
"Yeah, when I was young because nobody was taking care of it. That's another thing ... Now they know exactly your best position on the bike. We go to Solvang on Friday and then we have to time trial. Levi Leipheimer won the time trial three times, I believe. He has perfect aerodynamics. He's not that tall, but he knows his best position on the bike because they test him in wind tunnels. They are in contact with the companies that test Formula One autos and they know exactly what the best position is on your bike. The wind increases when you are going faster than 30mph and it's very important to know your optimal position."
Any advice for someone starting out in cycling?
"Find a good club in your area. Those people have training rides and they will tell you, hey, you're not sitting so good on your bike, you have to change your handlebars, you have to change your saddle, your frame is too high or you should have another bike ... Or they will send you to a good bike shop where they will give you all that information. That's what cycling is. Lance started in Texas with a club."
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