I was following the Tour De France this morning. The guy for cycling news said that quote "Nature is calling many riders in the bunch at the moment, and there is no option but to answer the call." What do the riders do when they have to go. Do they follow them with a portable bathroom or what? Could some on please shed some light on this topic.

Stop on the side of the road for a leak. Or if you've got crook guts like Robbie did the other day, it's shorts down and head deeper into the bushes.

Is it actually tree that riders go when they are still riding? Ive heard that a few times but have yet to see any evidence.

Some riders 'take a whiz' whilst riding. Coast, pull up short leg or drop front of shorts and let go. Not good for the chain but mechanic can also relube whilst riding, if need be.
There can also be 'unofficial' pit breaks along the side of the road; while that is happening, courtesy dictates that there will be no break aways. Although that has been ignored in some instances.
Do not expect these pit breaks to be seen on OLN!

Yes. Only happens when the pressure is on (i.e. no time to stop) and then usually only a protected rider, coz a couple of his unlucky teammates are going to have to push him. Anyone else who has to go will have to chase.

You won't see many photos or film of it, coz there is a code between the riders and the media that it won't be filmed to embarrass them.

If you watch carefully during times when the peleton is not moving very fast, you will see a rider or two rolling along a little slower than the rest, drifting back along the far side of the road, He will be somewhat side saddle, with one knee pointed way out, he's taking a whiz

Yes, it's quite easy to spot. I see it two or three times each stage.

That's an awesome photo.
I did notice that Ullrich was whizzing while riding a little ways off the front the other day while the pace was civil. A guy like that probably has to do it off the front or not at all so as not to be attacked.

- Buddy Lee

I forget who the rider was, but in today's stage, Phil commented about a rider taking a nature break (as he stopped, got off his bike, and started to drop his shorts) saying "and I hope the cameraman will give him his privacy", or equivalent.
Then the camera finally switched to another part of the peloton.

Thanks for the info guys. I had no idea how they handled this problem.

Not to bash OLN's mass-market broadcast in the evening with Trautwig and Roll (hey, even I'm learning stuff with the 'Roll-a-strator'), but they had that question in their 'Ask Bob' segment last week. Roll, who answers some questions with some crazy off the wall answers (which you know are his attempts at humor because they are so off the wall), answered - with a straight face - that the riders get catheters put in which are hooked up to 'evaporator pads' on the back of the jerseys where it 'evaporates away.' Then Trautwig looks at him with a totally straight face and says, 'So it just evaporates away then?' and Roll answers, with an equally straight face and no hint of sarcasm in his voice that that is, indeed, the way it works. Now given that Roll often answers these questions with the correct answer in a straight fashion, why in the heck does he do this during the program OLN is touting as their 'bring in the masses who are uneducated about racing' prime-time version? Now there are thousands of people believing these guys get catheterized before every stage!

I love Bobke's humor and TV persona, but this is just wrong.

ROFL - I love Bobke - wish I'd seen that! And I know a lot of people don't like Trautwig, but I think he and Roll are hilarious together. Al plays a good straight/dimwitted man to Roll's impish sarcasm...

Ha ha ha haaaa!!!!


Oh, man...I wish I had seen that one. Priceless.

I have to agree that it is a bit irresponsible for them to do this, and not end with "I'm just kidding" or something like that. I like Bobke's humor, but a new listener will not understand it, and may really believe him. It's a natural question that comes to mind right after you learn that these riders ride more than 100 miles a day, eat and drink on the bike, and spend many hours in the saddle per day without stopping.

Did you notice that not even one of them in the photo are rolling up the shorts leg? Yet, everyone of them probably wearing bib shorts. I have been doing this myself for many years and telling other riders to do the same, this only confirms that this is the most efficient way. Which is pull down hard on the front of the bibs and pull out your thing top of it. Try it, it works.

I always thought they had catheters that attached to their water bottles that had little Brita filters in them!!

(Just kidding!)

Last night's stage, 9, had Karman Kroom, (I think that's how you spell his name), trying to catch the breakaway and was having no luck, so all of a sudden he pulls over and drops the front of his shorts. Phil was wondering why the hell he was pulling over and then he realized what he was doing as the camera pulled away just as he pulled "it" out. Then Phil went on to explain a little bit about when riders relieve themselves. I had never before seen that up close on OLN or any bike race. It was interesting.

Yup, Bob's delivery was so deadpan that I (who had even read Bob's TdF book w/ all it's nature break info) was scratching my head as to whether or not he was serious.

Funny? I guess.

But I now don't trust a word that he says because his humor is not off-the-wall enough to be obviously untrue (like when he said those little yellow doo-hickys that time each bike also have GPS transponders in them that broadcast to the team car--seemm absurd but is not totally implausable)

I don't know about the GPS thing. My cell phone has one in it and the damn thing is tiny!

Yes, but the cell phone itself is not that small. The GPS chip in your phone uses the prexisting battery and antenna.
---

To steer back to topic....

How may nature breaks do the pros require during a 5 hour stage? I've yet to requre one during a 3-hour ride, and my weight indicates that I'm not H2O deprived--is it a case of drinking too much fluid?

Probably, but just like the cold where it is easier to take layers off than it is to run back to the house and put them on, it is better to be overhydrated than it is to be underhydrated. Case in point Lance's dismal showing at stage whatever last year where he bombed the TT. There is probably a happy medium where they could go the whole stage without stopping, but I imagine that would be a fine balance point between hydrated and dehydrated. Just my thoughts.

There was an indepth and detailed conversation about this on Eurosport with Sean Kelly and Mike Smith imparting information about 'Nature Stops,' as they were pointing out the various riders who seemed to be taking one at the time. Interesting, but occasionally too much information.

I think Trautwig actually believed Bob there, he doesn't seem to know a whole lot about cycling. I mean, at one point he called a trainer a treadmill! Anyway, he usually cracks up when Bob says something funny like that - such as when he said that the racers were watching Christina Agulera videos on the spedomoters.

It seems the guys do not take but 1 "nature break" a day. I know that the more you sweat the less you need to urinate because the liquid you intake is converted to sweat more than urine.

Am I on track with this? Also, on average, how much fluids do the riders take in during a stage? I know weather conditions have a great impact on fluid intake.

BTW, as a female I have to ask, with the bib shorts, doesn't pulling it down put a lot of pressure on the scrotum, thus not allowing for total expulsion from the uriter? Nothing like a big spot in front to irritate.