Today, the 97th running of the Tour de France will begin. The "Tour" is a grueling cycling race that begins this year in Rotterdam and covers 3,642 kilometers (2,263 miles).
The "Tour" averages 160 km/day and will end on July 25 in Paris. The riders will have two days of rest.
Lance Armstrong, who has won seven "Tour de France" races, will try for win number eight this year at age 38. He currently holds the record for most Tour de France wins, two more than any other rider.
Armstrong is certainly no quitter! At age 25, Lance Armstrong had never won a "Tour" but had successfully captured two stages, one in '95 and one in '96. He dropped out of the race in 1996.
In October of that same year, Armstrong was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer; cancer was found in his heart and lungs as well. Emergency surgery followed by chemotherapy saved Armstrong's life.
Lance Armstrong returned to the Tour de France in 1999 and won seven consecutive "Tours." He retired after that, but came out of retirement in 2009 to race again. He has said this year will be his last "Tour de France."
Cycling is not only a sport, but it is a science as well - not in the purest sense, but successful cyclists rely on specific training methods, like many other athletes (runners, swimmers, endurance athletes) to increase their VO2 - volume of oxygen used to produce energy.
In endurance events, such as the "Tour", an athlete requires a great amount of energy. The higher the VO2 max, the greater the athlete's endurance.
VO2 max is measured in milliliters per body weight in kilograms per min (ml/kg/min).
For a male age 30-39, an excellent VO2 max is 35.7 - 40.0 ml/kg/min. Lance Armstrong's VO2 max has been measured at a whopping 84 ml/kg/min, more than twice that of an individual male in the above normal category.
If you have never seen the "Tour de France," tune in, beginning today to see the world's greatest athleties compete. All eyes will be on Lance Armstrong, who is riding this year with Team Radio Shack.
This is an event that involves skill, stamina, and science!
See my Sacramento Health Examiner page too!
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