"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - What the heck was up Levi's nose?

So I noticed this during Levi's warm up at ToC and thought maybe he had a cold and was using this help clear his nasal passages. Then today during the Paris Nice broadcast I notice that Levi and one other Disco rider had what look like solid foam tubes up their noses. Any clue why?

Was wondering myself. Obviously to breath thru mouth but why?

Pics?

So I noticed this during Levi's warm up at ToC and thought maybe he had a cold and was using this help clear his nasal passages. Then today during the Paris Nice broadcast I notice that Levi and one other Disco rider had what look like solid foam tubes up their noses. Any clue why?

ha-ha thats not a cold he was curing

it is cotton swab soaked in a special non-prohibited medicine which "expands" our lungs. I see that all the time at LA track world cup warm ups..

nothing new here, just little permissible doping!

Probably something that smells like those strong Hall's cough drops.

ha-ha thats not a cold he was curing

it is cotton swab soaked in a special non-prohibited medicine which "expands" our lungs. I see that all the time at LA track world cup warm ups..

nothing new here, just little permissible doping!

Do you happen to know what this magic lung expanding medicine is?

Do you happen to know what this magic lung expanding medicine is?

smelling (ammonia) salts. probably.

i know smelling salts are passed around alot on hockey benches, just a sniff though, i've never seen anybody stuff them up their nose.

smelling (ammonia) salts. probably.

i know smelling salts are passed around alot on hockey benches, just a sniff though, i've never seen anybody stuff them up their nose.

There is no way they were warming up with smelling salts, you ever had a wiff of those? They'll knock you on your arse!

They aren't smelling salts, Rob was telling me that Levi uses cotton swabs in something soaked in something or other to open up his nasal area (cavity I guess?) so that he can breath better out of it, you'll notice it in the ToC warm up for the prologue TT as well. They are not smelling salts thought that I know for certain, I recall hearing somewhere that smelling salts are considered a banned substance but I could be wrong.

Interesting. So those breathe-right strips alone are not enough.

So I noticed this during Levi's warm up at ToC and thought maybe he had a cold and was using this help clear his nasal passages. Then today during the Paris Nice broadcast I notice that Levi and one other Disco rider had what look like solid foam tubes up their noses. Any clue why?

To prevent him and his teammates from picking their noses and having embarassing photos
published on BF or in Velonews.

Actually I have no idea.

I heard one of the commentators during the ToC mention it. He said it enforces mouth breathing, and causes greater oxygenation during warm up, or something similar.

Me, I'm going with the story that Levi's mom was trying to get him to quit picking his nose, again. Either that, or some kind of molotov cocktail that, when lit, will cause his brain to explode.

Johan: "Ride fast, Levi, or ve light der fuse!" [evil laughter]

Contador had them too, so I guess his mom and Levi's mom must know the same technique. I saw a guy show up with a similar set up at a local TT a couple of weeks ago. Would be interesting to get a definitive answer. Sure looks wacked out.

there's a pic of ullrich warming up with that shiznit up his nose. nothing new.

there's a pic of ullrich warming up with that shiznit up his nose. nothing new.


Great since it's so old what the hell is it? VicksVapoRub?

Great since it's so old what the hell is it? VicksVapoRub?

i'll ask jan.

i'll ask jan.


While you're at it, ask him if he is really coming out of retirement or not. I am tired
of the rumors.

They looked like a couple of cotton dental rolls. If not something very close. It was not just Levi, they showed at least one other rider doing the same.

Only question remaining is was there something on them or were tehy just there to make sure all breathing during the warmup was through the mouth.

I read somewhere it was eucalyptus (like in cough drops), but I don't remember where I read it. Maybe in the Velonews Mailbag?

Nitrox.

If it doesn't make him faster it might at least cheer him up.

Nitrox.

If it doesn't make him faster it might at least cheer him up.

Isn't that a gas? How would you get that into liquid form to saturate the dental rolls?

Isn't that a gas? How would you get that into liquid form to saturate the dental rolls?

Hmmm.... liquid nitrogen.:p

All the Disco guys had them and I had the same question.

What ever it is, I want some.

It's cotton soaked in Olbas, www.olbas.com Friend of mine, (former TdF finisher) says it's kind of a crock, but some guys believe in it.

It's cotton soaked in Olbas, www.olbas.com Friend of mine, (former TdF finisher) says it's kind of a crock, but some guys believe in it.

Thanks to our resident expert on things supplemental legal or not ;)

OK well how about this. Take some of those dental rolls and soak them in some Vicks Vapo Rub to help clear out the sinus's? Seems like it would help.

It's cotton soaked in Olbas, www.olbas.com Friend of mine, (former TdF finisher) says it's kind of a crock, but some guys believe in it.

*ding* *ding* *ding*

i used to use that stuff. picked it up from some teammates in scotland.

You'll see half the junior X racers at big norba races with them in, because they all take themselves far too seriously. Then you pass them 200 meters in anyway...
However, they were just soaking cotton balls in something something like VicksVapo rub (sp?). It's just used to open up nasal passages. I have ***** sinuses so I breath through my mouth all the time while riding anyway, so it's useless to me. A teammate had me try it once, and it did let me breath through my nose a bit better... but who breathes through their nose when they're going hard anyway? Not me, that's for sure.

I kind of like the olbas and have used it for over a year now... works well for a rub down as well. a little expensive but whatever.

Interesting. Air flow is certainly not my limiting factor, even when I'm falling over at MHR. I do have pretty bad exercise induced asthma though, I guess I have an air flow problem if I don't pretreat with albuterol.