Hi Guys,

Having done a little bit of cycling of the last few years i've just started to realise how far away the planet these pros are on is, i have a few questions about them that have been nagging away at me for ages and now i found this forum i thought someone might be able to help, here they are:

1. Just how many of them do drugs? I would like to think Lance's story is one of sheer talent, dedication and commitment and not one of drugs but surely it's not possible to attain that level of fitness any other way?

2. What kind of resting heart rate do they have?

3. What's their training schedule like for something like Tour De France. How many hours per day and what things do they do. how much riding, gym work etc.?

4. When they decide to stop riding will they have to carefully "train down" to avoid shocking the body? If they do, what would they do if they end up in hospital with two snapped legs?

5. What's their diet like, what things do they eat, how many calories in a day do they need to sustain their body weight?

6. What kind of speeds do they cruise at on a.) flat surface with slight tail wind (10-15mph) b.) flat surface with slight head wind (10-15mph). c.) Going up a big long hill?

7. How many years do they have to train to reach that kind of level of fitness, does it involve starting very young?

I'm sure i'll think of some more! I'm just really fascinated by these guys so if any of you can help out then great.