Cyclists in the 2006 Tour de FrancePhoto by StevenEckelberry/Wikipedia.comThe start of the 96th Tour de France is today, kicking off a 3,500 km (orroughly 2,200 miles), three-week long bicycle race through parts of France,Switzerland and Spain.Cyclists will navigate around the city of Monaco, France, for the firststage. Skies will be partly sunny with nothing more than a stray shower orthunderstorm threatening to interfere with the race. Winds will lightly blowfrom the west-southwest at 5 to 10 mph. An afternoon high temperature of 82degrees is anticipated.
As with most outdoor sports, cycling is heavily influenced by the outdoorelements. Weather conditions can make or break an athletic performance andcycling is no exception. Wind and heat are two major factors cyclists alwayshave to be aware of.
On July 14, 2003, cyclist Joseba Beloki, then in second place, crashedduring the ninth stage on a descent near the city of Gap as a result of meltingtar in the roadway. He broke his elbow, wrist and femur in two places.
Temperatures in southeastern France that day soared above 90 degrees F, whichcould have led to road surface temperatures well over 100 degrees. Grenoble, acity about 65 miles from Gap, recorded a high temperature of 95 degrees, about12 degrees above normal.
This year, the route will include a climb of Mont Ventoux for the first timein seven years. The mountain, which translates to "windy mountain" in French,is notorious among cyclists for its grueling climb and strong, gusty winds.
The mountain is also affected by the mistral, dry winds that are the resultof the clash of low and high pressure systems over northwestern Europe and theAtlantic Ocean.
According to www.exploratorium.edu, aerodynamic drag accounts for 70 to 90percent of the resistance that is felt while pedaling. Cyclists are veryconscious of aerodynamics and some cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, trainusing wind tunnels to reduce their wind resistance as much as possible.
Clothing, tactics, formations and position on the bike are all used to cheatthe wind resistance while cycling.
Story By AccuWeather.com's News Correspondent Gina Cherundolo
