➜ T D F 2017 J U LY 1–23 NO. 01 With shorter stages, fewer summit finishes, and two short time trials, it will be harder for Chris Froome to dominate the race from start to finish, so this year’s 3838 Tour could be the most REASONS unpredictable (and therefore most exciting) we’ve seen in years.—Whit Yost u m b e r 0 ➜ n 2 ✴ NO. 03 World time ✴ NUMBERS 05–11 trial (TT) champion TO GO Tony Martin has the best suffer face ever. You’ll frequently PETER SAGAN, see him on the front of the field, mouth wide-open, EFF YEAH. legs churning with Here's why this man alone is worth tuning in for as he guns mesmerizing preci- for a record-tying sixth green sprinter’s jersey in July: ’CAUSE THIS GUY sion, chasing down THINKS YOU breakaways for SHOULD WATCH. his team, Katusha- F Because, mad bike- while totally cracked F His YouTube channel is GA-GA Pro racer Taylor Phinney Alpecin.—Jen See handling skills. (He’s a post-race. Google it. a treasure trove of enter- GA-GA of Cannondale-Drapac, former mountain bike tainment, like a video of as told to Whit Yost racer.) Ever see someone F His race interviews Sagan and his wife, Kata- wheelie—no-handed— rina Smolkova, staging I have really fond memo- NO. 04 ➜ TFW YOUR are priceless. You never while climbing Alpe know what he’s going an elaborate lip synching FOR THE ries of chasing the race NONCYCLING FRIENDS d’Huez? That’s exactly cover of “You’re the One with my dad [two-time to say—only that at ACTUALLY GIVe a $%#! what Sagan did, in 2013! least part of it will be That I Want” from Grease, stage winner, Davis Phin- ABOUT CYCLING. He also once put his road deadpan funny. and instructional cooking ney] when I was a teen- I only go to Super Bowl bike on the roof rack of shorts on exotic dishes ager. I rode a lot of the parties for the home- a Citroën—by riding up F There are no Tumblrs (steamed sea bass with climbs before the race made guac. Bike racing and over the hood of of this guy staring at topinambur and goji ber- came through and felt the is what fires me up. But the car. his stem, racing by the ries, anyone?). energy of all the people watts. He is 100 percent when I talk about it to my partying on the side of F He shrugs off stuffy unpredictable. While F When it comes to fans, noncycling friends, their TOUR DE the road. I was like, ‘This rules and convention, best known for racking he’s a softie who once eyes glaze over. Except in is sick! I definitely want daring, for example, up W’s in bar-bumping said, “If somebody dis- July: For 23 glorious days, to show up for a stage turbs me about a selfie, to do this!’ And I always sprints, he also holds of the 2016 Tour de his own up monstrous it’s no problem. The most loved watching it in the mainstream sports fans get into the Tour. It’s an San Luis with—gasp!— climbs like Mount Baldy important thing is mak- USA—having it playing hairy legs. ing other people happy. opportunity to hook oth- to win the 2015 Tour of in the background in the California; and on the Because it’s a bad world, ers on bike racing, lur- mornings. It’s three weeks F He can make anything cobbles, as he did when no?” No it’s not. Not of inspiration. Watch us ing them with promises look cool, even double- he won the 2016 Tour of so long as you’re in it, destroy ourselves. Then go of postcard scenery and fisting gummy bears Flanders. Peter.—Selene Yeager FRANCE out and have fun on displays of superhuman ILLUSTRATIONS BY ELIAS STEIN Courtesy Phinney: your bike. strength.—Addie Levinsky AUGUST 2017 • BICYCLING.COM 25 24 BICYCLING.COm • AUGUST 2017 Photograph by ARTIST NAME Photograph by ARTIST NAME AUGUST 2017 • BICYCLING.COM 25 38 REASONS TO GO GA-GA FOR THE TOUR DE FRANCE THE Team BUS RIDERS SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE BUS. HERE'S HOW CANNONDALE-DRAPAC HAS STOCKED THIS SO. MUCH. STUFF. SECOND HOME WITH AMENITIES. NO. 13 Colombians live and train Ever wonder what it takes to field a team for pro cycling’s biggest race? Here’s what teams like Cannondale-Drapac, BMC Racing, and Trek- 39.4 FEET LONG in mountains way higher than those Segafredo do to support 9 RIDERS over 21 stages of racing. BY JOE LINDSEY in the Tour, so look for a new generation of climbers (including 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 newcomers Esteban Chaves of Cannondale-Drapac’s bus is a MAN Lion’s Coach L Orica-Scott and Miguel Angel Lopez of Astana) to join Nairo Quintana in making life hell for Chris Froome and MOUNTAINS OF GEAR THE ArmaDA 3 FOR EACH CANNONDALE-DRAPAC RIDER 18–23 SUPPORT STAFF FOR RIDERS Televisions (two inside, Team Sky in the mountains.—W.Y. Solar panels on the roof one big-screen outside) NO. 14 ➜ American fans should have a reason to tune in early—as of press time, Taylor Phinney was slat- ed to race his first Tour, which opens with a 14km individual TT that’s the perfect opportunity for the three-time US National Time Trial Champion.—W.Y. NO. 12 3 2 9 Cannondale SuperSix EVO Cannondale Slice 4-5 4 Reclining seats with charging 1 Hi-Mod road bikes TT bikes Soigneurs Mechanics stations Fridge and freezer NO. 15 ➜ Like to root for the underdog? NO.17 YOU CAN WATCH IT Keep an eye on this year’s Stage 19. Just So many amazing road- IN YOUR PAJAMAS. after the last moun- side weirdos. No sport- Tour de France stages are carefully scheduled to finish around tain day, with the ing event gives fans dinnertime—in France. For American fans, particularly those final TT and sprint in-person access like the on the West coast who are nine hours behind, coverage starts in Paris on the hori- Tour de France. Some insanely early (like 3 a.m., for some mountain stages). But view- spectators have become 6 6 2-3 2-3 2 1 zon, the top names Race jerseys Pair race shorts Directeur sportifs Performance staff Showers Compact washer/dryer ing doesn’t have to be an exercise in sleep deprivation. Here’s will have bigger institutions—painted tri- dents on the roadway how to wake up just in time to enjoy the Tour’s best moments. goals in mind, allow- portend the appearance ing others a chance of Didi Senft, a white- for a surprise win. haired German who F Go to letour.fr, and You’ll want to wake up as schedule and set your —Cosmo Catalano haunts riders in his devil look at the course profile early as possible. alarm. You can also go for the day’s stage. A ahead and mark your suit (he’s semi-retired flat line almost certainly F Check the daily time calendar now for these now). Also keep an eye NO. 16 J You can break means a high-speed schedule, which maps out three don’t-miss stages out for the giant bicy- out the German beer for 5 3 2-4 2 1 1 sprint finish. Sleep in each stage from kilometer in 2017: Stage 5 (July 5) cles formed by people Pair socks and gloves Base layers Doctors and physiotherapists Communications staff Toilet Coffeemaker the first Grand Départ until the final 10km, then 0 to the finish. You’ll find features a brutally steep sprawled out in fields. wake up and see the finish on the La Planche from Germany since key details like the esti- And while it won’t feature tense battle for position mated time for the finish des Belles Filles; Stage 12 1987. Try a Rothaus Pils, in this year’s event, ahead of the sprint. A jag- and predicted schedules (July 13) is a five-climb a light, refreshing lager ged, shark-tooth profile for when the riders start Pyrénéan leg-breaker that goes down as smooth no crowd can top Alpe promises a big climb- the major climbs. from Pau to Peyragudes; and as fast as Tony Mar- d’Huez’s Dutch Corner, ing day, and a race that and Stage 18 (July 20) tin riding a 14km TT. the hard-partying sev- unfolds as a war of inches F Find your start- finishes on the storied Drink it like a local: Make enth turn where every- throughout the stage. Col d’Izoard.—J.S. ing point on the time sure all the gold wrapping one—even some racers— is removed before sip- seems to emerge holding 2 1 1 1 1 1 One-piece road speedsuits TT skinsuit General manager Hospitality director Rice cooker Worktop for food prep ping.—Hannah Troop a cup of beer.—C.C. Courtesy Phinney: 26 BICYCLING.COm • AUGUST 2017 38 REASONS TO GO GA-GA FOR THE TOUR DE FRANCE NO. 19 ➜ By following the NO. 18 Whip out this Tour, you’ll get a three- NO.21 week crash course in the actual German saying countless obscure refer- during Stage One: ences in cycling, like the THE TWeetSTORM term “sticky bottle”—rid- HOW CAN YOU PARTY for three weeks with thou- Alles hat ein Ende, ers getting a tow by hold- sands of fellow cycling fanatics from all over ing on to the bottles from the world, without ever having to leave your nur die Wurst hat team cars for far longer house, wear pants, or actually speak to anyone? zwei, or, “Everything than is necessary; or podi- Right: Twitter.