Measuring myself up against a Tour de France pro proves they're freaks of nature

Ahead of the 2022 Tour de France - I measured myself against professional cyclists with baseline tests, and let's just say I shouldn't give up the day job anytime soon

Will Schofield Senior Sports Reporter

08:00, 01 Jul 2022Updated 16:03, 06 Jul 2022

Mark Wright cycles from Venice to Santa Monica in LA

The Tour de France is, quite comfortably, the toughest professional sporting test on the planet.

Don't let the initial 13km loop around Copenhagen on Friday skew your judgement; over the next three weeks, the Peloton will take in the sights - and the heights - of the Alps and the Pyrenees, a healthy dose of Northern French cobbles, and gruelling six-hour days in the saddle.

And that's without mentioning the conditions: winds can batter riders into submission atop the Col du Galibier, the highest point race will crest. While temperatures can sore way above 40C as they navigate the vineyards of Southern France.

By the time the riders cross the finish line on the Champs-lyses - their legs digging deep into their last vestiges of reserves - they will have completed 3328km.

In other words, riders will have undertaken the distance from London to Athens and back - all in 21 days on the bike.

To say the athletes that can finish the event - let alone win it - are superhuman is an understatement. But the question on everyone's mind is how would an average man compare to these freaks of nature: well, I decided to find out...

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[I underwent a series of test at the Porsche Performance Centre at Silverstone]

I underwent a series of tests at the Porsche Performance Centre at Silverstone

At the Porsche Performance Centre at Silverstone, with thanks to Precision Fuel and Hydration, I went about comparing baseline stats to Tour de France pros.

The first major number we looked out for was my lactate threshold - the upper point of sustainable exercise. Following a test, my lactate threshold was deemed to be at 167bpm (beats per minute) and 184 watts (the power produced).

With those numbers, and my weight, my watts per kilo is at 2.37 - to put that into perspective the day Tadej Pogacar won the 2021 Tour de France, he scaled the Col de Romme at 6.22 w/kg, so, yeah, quite the difference.

[I started with threshold test that saw me cycle for 15 minutes at increasingly difficult watts]

I started with a threshold test that saw me cycle for 15 minutes at increasingly difficult watts

However, the most striking difference comes when measuring VO2 max - the measure of the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilise during exercise.

Following a similar test, my VO2 max was worked out at 54: while that number isn't anything to be ashamed of, it stands miles apart from the 75-90 expected from a Tour rider.

To be fair, the VO2 max of professional cyclists does tend to be some of the highest on the planet... alongside cross-country skiers.

[The final test saw me cycle for one minute at a time at increasingly difficult watts until I physically couldn't]

The final test saw me cycle for one minute at a time at increasingly difficult watts until I physically couldn't

The data is one thing, but putting it into application is another, Team DSM's Nutrition Expert Robin Scheijen explained: "It can be a real challenge [to keep the team hydrated and fuelled so they can perform at their peak].

"During the race, they will receive bidons (bottles) from the side of the road, and at the so-called feed zone where you can get a bag with nutrition inside. There's also a possibility to go to the team car."

Team DSM also utilise Precision Fuel & Hydration whose products are tailor-made for the sodium levels in the sweat of an athlete - turns out I'm a salty sweater.

[A general view of Romain Bardet of France, Alberto Dainese of Italy, Chris Hamilton of Australia, Casper Phillip Pedersen of Denmark, Martijn Tusveld of Netherlands and Team DSM during the Team Presentation of the 109th Tour de France 2022 at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen City / #TDF2022 / on June 29, 2022 in Copenhagen, Denmark. ]

Team DSM have Precision Fuel & Hydration as one of their suppliers(Image: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

And Team DSM will have to be at the top of their game if they're to mount a GC challenge for their team leader Romain Bardet.

Bardet is bidding to become the first French winner of La Grande Boucle since the legendary Bernard Hinault in 1985. However, he will have to overcome the Slovenian superstar Pogacar, who at 23-years-old is already staking his claim as the greatest of all-time.

Elsewhere, British hopes will rest firmly on the shoulder of Geraint Thomas, with the 2018 winner coming into the race in good form.

[Tadej Pogaar of Slovenia and UAE-Team Emirates Yellow Leader Jersey celebrates at arrival during the 108th Tour de France 2021, Stage 17 a 178,4km stage from Muret to Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet 2215m / @LeTour / #TDF2021 / on July 14, 2021 in Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet, France. ]

Tadej Pogacar is the clear favourite for the 2022 edition of the race(Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Whoever comes out on top as the race loops around the Arc du Triumph one last time - it's fair to say, with my test results, i'll be sat on the sofa.

In fact such is the gap - between me and the pros - when the race finally enters France on day four, I would probably still be pottering around Copenhagen.

For the time being I'll stick to my coffee runs, occasional race around a local park, and my day job.

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