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Danish TV's wonderfully poetic and evocative Tour de France advert will get you very excited

We think you're about to be excited for the Tour

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If you’re still not feeling Tour de France excitement, the great people of Danish TV are on hand to change that.

With football’s Euro 2020 tournament hogging sports coverage and social media conversation, it’s almost forgotten that the Tour starts in less than two weeks on June 26.

Three weeks of stage watching (this year, most probably only from the sofa and not on the roadside) is upon us and that evokes so many summery cycling memories.

As part of their build-up to their Tour coverage, Danish channel TV2 have released a magnificent one minute advert that perfectly encapsulates everything that is great and wonderful about the Tour.

Because, whether we admit it or not, most of u have been there: we’ve watched the pros , been inspired them and then gone out and tried to emulate them. And that’s what the advert is about.

Beginning with the actual definition of a MAMIL, the actor shaves his legs, straps on his bib tights and walks sheepishly past his family eating breakfast, not so-discreetly silently screaming: “Look at me!”

The actor then roars as he climbs up a residential street, a literal world way from the challenges of the Alps and Pyrenees, but the same metaphorical intensity.

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Struggling to clip into his pedals at the traffic light, the cyclist then takes a look at the other side of the road where he sees a larger cyclist soaking himself in cold water, before the advert finishes with an impromptu peloton climbing together.

It’s magical, it’s poetic and it’s got us excited for three weeks of binge watching the greatest bike race of the lot.

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A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and feature writing across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in a number of places, but mostly in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.

He lives in Valencia, Spain.

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As it happened: Philipsen and Van der Poel combine again to win Tour de France stage 4

Ultra-flat stage across southern France could well see fastmen in action again

Tour de France 2023 - Comprehensive team-by-team guide Tour de France 2023 - the definitive guide How to watch the 2023 Tour de France – live streaming Tour de France 2023 – Analysing the contenders Can anyone beat the Tour de France sprinters in Nogaro?

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France!

Today's stage should provide another chance for the sprinters to battle it out on a 181.8km route that runs from Dax to Nogaro. We'll be heading east out of Dax, a place known as a spa destination, and it should certainly be a relaxing ride for those in the peloton with only one category 4 climb on the menu. 

Yesterday saw the first bunch sprint of the 2023 Tour de France with Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) taking the win ahead of Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) and Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny). It wasn't a stage without controversy, however, as Philipsen had to wait for the UCI commissaires to review the sprint footage after there were questions raised over whether he deviated and impacted Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in the sprint. He was eventually confirmed as winner and will be looking to double his stage win tally today. 

Riders complained yesterday over safety after Philipsen's move to close the door on Van Aert was mainly down to the design of the finish. There was a chicane inside the final kilometre which cause Philipsen to go for the shortest line to the finish, as sprinters should, and the barriers curved meaning Van Aert actually hit by a spectator's phone and stopped his sprint to fight another day. One of the most outspoken was Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step). Catch up with what he had to say after the finish below. Fabio Jakobsen calls out dangers of Tour de France chicane sprint finishes

Here's an early look at Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) from the start today. He's been enjoying nearly every moment of his final Tour de France and could be well in the fight for today's stage victory. Read below his reaction to finishing sixth yesterday and his thoughts on today's finish as he tries to again overtake Eddy Merckx for the most stage wins in Tour history. No record but promising signs for Mark Cavendish on first sprint stage

All of the riders and teams are currently completing sign-ons in Dax as they prepare for the start of stage 4. This will be the last flat stage before we enter the gates of the Pyrenees and start tackling the mountains that straddle the French and Spanish border.

The riders are making their way to the start line now. We've got the same four leaders in each of our classification: Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) in yellow, Victory Lafay (Cofidis) in Green, Neilson Powless (EF-Education EasyPost) in polka-dots and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in White. Laurent Pichon (Arkéa Samsic) is also on the front row after being awarded yesterday's combatively prize. 

We will, of course, have our neutralised roll-out of 4.5km behind the lead car in southwestern France before the flag is waved. 

Early mechanical issue for Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) in the neutral zone. He's back on his back and getting back in now. 

181.8KM TO GO

We're underway with stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France! We've got no one fancying an early attack as of yet, and it's no surprise given just how absolutely flat today's parcours is. 

Here's a look at Lafay before the stage in what will likely be his final stage in the green jersey as he is tied on points with Philipsen on 80, who likely be in the top three in the finale. He's pictured here with legendary Tour de France sprinter, André Darrigade, who won 22 stages of the Tour in his career and the points classification twice. He would have certainly fancied a finished such as today's into Nogaro. 

💚 Le maillot vert @victorlafay, en compagnie d’une légende du sprint à domicile à @VilledeDax : le Lévrier des Landes André Darrigade, lui même double vainqueur du classement par points et de 22 étapes sur le Tour ! #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/q0VDINasRa July 4, 2023

It must be said, the parcours is delivering as expected, a very calm start with no one wanting to neither push the pace nor get into any sort of early breakaway that certainly won't make it. 

It's all smiles for now in the bunch with all the riders enjoying a second calm day on the bike after the explosive opening duo of stages. Perhaps a bit of a surprise to see not a single rider from a French team trying to get away if not at least for the TV time.

Cavendish is having a very friendly chin-wag with former teammate Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step). Both have the World Champions bands on their jerseys and both should be involved in the day's final, Cavendish in the sprint and Alaphilippe in the lead-out for Jakobsen. 

165KM TO GO

Status quo remains in a very relaxed Tour de France peloton. 

Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-Samsic) is back at the doctors car getting some more dressings for the injuries he sustained after crashing on stage 2. He finished 12th in the sprint yesterday. 

Happy 4th of July! Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) is looking good in his US national champion's jersey. There are six US riders at this years Tour: - Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) - Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AlUla) - Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) - Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) - Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) - Kevin Vermaerke (dsm-firmenich) 

150KM TO GO

Well the situation is largely the same with no one yet moving off the front and the riders just taking a moment to have a nature-break and chill out in the bunch before any sort of real racing kicks off. 

While there is a moment, make sure to read Stephen Farrand's stage preview for the day which explains the possible sprint finish and explores options for a late attack. Can anyone beat the Tour de France sprinters in Nogaro?

Dsm-firmenich are even joking over the race radio for their riders to get into position. Matt Winston is having fun with it and making sure the riders don't lose focus. 

Alpecin-Deceuninck and Soudal-Quick Step are currently leading the peloton through Saint-Sever as they continue traversing east. 

Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) is giving the cameras a smile on a day I'm sure he would appreciate before we enter the Pyrenees. This isn't a day for him, but the end of the week should be his chance to shine. 

Make sure to read what Cavendish's team manager, Alexander Vinokourov had to say on his sprinter's chance of taking the record that everyone keeps talking about. Vinokourov: The most important thing is that Cavendish keeps calm

120KM TO GO

Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Vimsa) has decided it's time to liven up. Have we got the Belgian attack once again? Paris-Nice 2021 we saw a similar Belgian coup and we're seeing something similar now. Just a little something to make the legs feel awake. 

There are gaps in the peloton now, here we go. From nowhere we've come to life. Van Aert is joined by the likes of Naesen and Devenyns at the front just kicking on. Campenaerts and Hermans are making their presence known as the pace rises. 

Things have calmed again after that small section of action. 

We're back to the status quo of before as things now calm down. We're gradually going north-east towards the intermediate sprint at Notre-Dame des Cyclistes. 

It's time to grab a musette and some bidons as the peloton heads past some soigneurs. 

100KM TO GO

Hopefully the upcoming intermediate sprint will kick the stage into life after a slow day. With no breakaway up the road, there will be 20 points available in the green jersey competition, so the sprint teams with be enthusiastic to go for it. 

Jakobsen is showing himself at the front alongside Mikel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates). There's still time for chit-chat as we still aren't properly racing yet. 

Take a look below at some of the finishing corners for today's stage which ends in Nogaro on the Circuit Paul Armagnac, a motor racing circuit, from the view of the Jayco AlUla team bus. 

#TDF2023 Bike race or bus race!? 🚌 🚎 🤪 pic.twitter.com/IxnS2RoYak July 4, 2023

The sprint teams are just beginning to sort out their trains with the intermediate sprint closing in. Alpecin-Deceuninck has occupied the left-hand side of the road as they try to put Philipsen into the virtual lead of the green jersey competition. All he needs to do is score more points that Lafay as they are on the same total of 80 for now. 

We've just dipped past the halfway mark of the stage!

It's an arrow straight run into the intermediate sprint so we should see the pace slowly ramping up now. Van Aert is still not contesting for points as he said he wouldn't.

Philipsen takes the full haul of 20 points at the intermediate sprint. The Belgian made it look easy after another great show of strength from the Alpecin-Deceuninck lead-out. That was quite the warm-up for the end of the day. 

Top five of the intermediate sprint (points): - Philipsen (20) - Coquard (17) - Ewan (15) - Pedersen (13) - Meeus (11)

Finally, we have an attack! It's only taken 100km, but two riders from Normandy have taken their chance to get out in front: Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën) and Anthony Delaplace (Arkéa-Samsic).

Surprise, Surprise. A breakaway goes and gets a gap that is approaching the minute mark and Tim 'El Tractor' Declercq (Soudal-Quick Step) has taken up his usual position on the front to begin the chase. 

Philipsen has moved into the lead of the green jersey competition ahead of the sprint, and should definitely be wearing it tomorrow unless Lafay somehow wins the stage or he scores 0 points in the final sprint and either Pedersen or Van Aert cleans up the full 50 awarded for victory. Current standings: - Philipsen - 100 points - Lafay - 80 points - Van Aert - 52 points - Pedersen - 52 points - Cavendish - 46 points

Today's peloton has been incredibly calm and we're just starting to build up to what is set to be an electric sprint finish. Those with the best sprinters are making their way to the front to start the controlling phase. Soudal-QuickStep for Jakobsen, Jayco AlUla for Groenewegen and Alpecin-Deceuninck for Philipsen, yesterday's winner. 

Cosnefroy and Delaplace have a 0:54 advantage over the peloton for now.

We've been heading east all day up to now, but in around 10km, we will change direction and start heading south before the peloton turns back on itself and heads west to the motor racing circuit in Nogaro. There will be a change in wind direction which could make some of the riders and teams nervous. 

We've just seen one of the classics sights on the Tour de France on the side of the road! Didi the Devil! 

Our two escapees for the day: Cosnefroy and Delaplace. 

There is talk of a narrow-ish entrance onto the finishing motor circuit which will come around 3km from the line. We should see an almighty fight to be near the front once they enter the circuit. Things should start heating up nicely from here on in. 

The lead for the two men out in front has decreased to just 37 seconds now, and we are about to turn right and begin our journey west towards Nogaro. The only categorised climb of the day crests around 10km from now on the Côte de Dému. It's a category 4 climb and only offers one point for the first rider to reach the top. 

The nervousness is rising with the peloton closing in on the break and approaching the important moments of the stage. Everyone will want to stay safe after such an easy day and the mountains awaiting them in the coming days. 

Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana Qazaqstan) is having issues at the back of the peloton with his chain and isn't able to re-string it yet. He's back on his bike now and on his way back to the bunch after nicely being helped by a Cofidis mechanic. 

With a finish on a motor racing circuit today, avid fans will remember recent finishes into the Imola track in Italy for the 2020 World Championships and the use of the Fuji International Speedway in the latest olympic road race. Both of those finishes were preceded, however, by much more difficult routes than today and today should see a big bunch fighting for the win on the wide and winding road. Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) has also won a sort of sprint stage into the Imola motor racing circuit in the past at the 2018 Giro d'Italia, but he of course isn't here today and it will be instead the man he beat on that Giro stage, Danny van Poppel (Bora-hansgrohe), doing the lead-out for Jordi Meeus (Bora-hansgrohe) who was preferred over the Irishman for this Tour. 

EF Education-EasyPost have decided not to chase the singular KOM point if the break stay ahead, but if they are reeled back in then expect the American to fly off the front. 

Alpecin-Deceuninck still has their full train in formation working at the head of the race. They are clearly carrying a lot of confidence after their near flawless performance yesterday to take the win. 

Delaplace takes the only KOM point of the day on the Côte de Dému.

Cosnefroy and Delaplace are all smiles out in front and merci to both of them for choosing to give the race some life after the intermediate sprint. Van der Poel is stretching at the back of the peloton before he readies himself for another huge lead-out for Philipsen. 

Runner-up on yesterday's sprint, Phil Bauhaus, praised his more GC-focused teammates for giving their all in aid of his sprint ambitions and you can see why as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) is once again doing the work at the head of the peloton for the German sprinter on Tour de France debut. 

We're getting a look at the finishing straight which is, in stark contrast to yesterday, very wide and open, so it should be a pure test of sprinting speed and lead-out organisation. We've got a head crosswind in the straight, so the left-side will be the desired side for shelter. The tension continues to build.

Take a look at all the sprint teams getting into colour order in anticipation of the second big bunch sprint of the 2023 Tour de France. 

🏁 23 KM The sprint race starts now 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️Le sprint commence dès maintenant 🚴🚴🚴#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/OnKlQyTzB7 July 4, 2023

The pace is increasing as we head towards our big finale. With such a narrow entrance to the motor racing circuit, we'll see the GC teams in and amongst it with the big sprinter. Hopefully everyone stays rubber-side down and safe. 

Sam Welsford (dsm-firmenich) wasn't as close to the front as he may have been touted before the day in 13th. His whole team are now setup on the right-hand side of the road and will want to execute their lead-out much better today to give the rapid Aussie a chance at victory. 

There will be a tricky left hand turn with around 7km to go and all the teams will want to be out in front at that crucial moment to ensure they can then lead into the Circuit Paul Armagnac.

Speeds are very high as we are heading downhill for the moment. There's some road furniture causing the peloton to split and reform. They are racing full gas for positions at the moment. US national champion Simmons is doing a fantastic job on the Fourth of July for Lidl-Trek and Mads Pedersen. 

Luis Leon Sanchez is looking after Cavendish for now as the peloton is shredding the pace in anticipation for this left-hand turn. Some dsm-firmenich riders have missed it and their train is completely shot to pieces. They are all looking around and has Sam Welsford had a disaster?

Bora-hansgrohe are setting up their train nicely for the Van Poppel and Meeus combo. Jumbo-Visma are looking after Vingegaard and fighting with Lotto-Dstny. 

We've had another roundabout with a faster side which has dropped some more riders out of the positions they wanted. Nils Politt is driving it on the front for BORA but all the teams are getting desperate for that front spot. 

Jumbo-Visma hit the front and are doing a fantastic job for both Vingegaard but not Van Aert. Cavendish is being piloted well by Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan) for now, but he'll want to keep this position for the final. 

Here we go onto the circuit! Alpecin are moving up with heir big train as the riders compete a right turn and then enter the circuit. van Hooydonck and Laporte are looking for Van Aert, but they cannot see him. Bahrain have done a great job for now but is Bauhaus in the right position? 

Cavendish is in fantastic position now! The Brit will want to latch onto the right wheel for the finale to launch out of the slipstream. Mohoric is on the front for Bauhaus with Vingegaard in second wheel. 

Crash for Jakobsen in the final 2km!

Disaster for Soudal-QuickStep and its Cofidis doing a great job for now.

We're on the big straight now for the final sprint. Here comes Van der Poel and Philipsen. 

Ewan and Philipsen to the line! What a horrible, chaotic finish that was. We've had an absolute disaster on stage four of the Tour de France. So many riders crashed in the hectic corners and there will be a lot that comes out in the wash after this stage. 

It was very close between Ewan and Philipsen, so we will wait for confirmation. 

STAGE FINISH

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) wins stage 4 of the Tour de France ahead of Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) by half a wheel. Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) had another strong finish in third as we have the same podium as yesterday in a different order. Two from two for Philipsen. Van der Poel did an incredible lead-out that speared through the rest of the bunch and gave Philipsen enough of a launch to hold off the charging Ewan. 

Take a look at how close it was on the line for Philipsen and Ewan. Van der Poel again proved to be the difference for the Belgian sprinter. Jakobsen is giving a thumbs up to the cameras thankfully after his high-speed crashed. He's visibly injured but hopefully it's not much more than a cosmetic issue.

Here's what stage winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) had to say after his second victory in as many days: "It was close in the end, I was happy they confirmed quickly. It was a really easy stage, I think everybody wanted to save legs for the Pyrenees tomorrow and the day after." "In the final kilometres entering the circuit in the final, I heard some crashes around me, so I hope everybody is ok, but it was a bit of a hectic final with the turns in the end." "I lost my team as well, but in the final straight I found Mathieu van der Poel again and he did an amazing pull to get me to victory, but my legs were cramping and Caleb were coming close." "It's a nice finish but I thought it would be a bit more safe with wide roads, but the turns were also tricky, especially going full gas in the turns. Luckily the tyres were good enough and I didn’t slip away. It was a nice finish, but I hope everyone who crashed is ok." Philipsen also moved into a comprehensive lead in the green jersey competition with his haul of 70 points in the stage. "I thought I had it, but I was not sure but quickly after I got confirmation," he said. "I think it’s looking good for green but it’s only four stages and the Tour is a long, long way, but we’ll try to defend it."

Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan) was unable to break the record and win his 35th stage again, but he did take another promising 5th place. "Carnage it was. Every team would've had a plan for that final and I bet you there wasn't any that it went right for, apart from Jumbo [Visma] getting the guy into the narrow roads early, Cavendish said after the finish. "It was a real mixing point of riders, I was constantly analysing who was there and who had other teammates, jumping from train to train." "When I saw Mads [Pedersen] had Stuyven for him, that's the one. Stuyven's gonna lead him out, Mads is gonna go early and it's a headwind finish on a long straight. I though I'd use that, but they just didn't go." "At one point I was like okay 350 [metres], maybe you should just hit now, sure someone would pass me, but you just limit your losses, but it's the Tour so you gamble." "I'm most worried about Luis Leon Sanchez, I think he's gone down."

Here's Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-QuickStep) after his crash. He got back on his and finished the stage thankfully, but there was a whole host of other riders who hit the deck in this crash-marred finish. Luis León Sánchez (Astana-Qazaqstan) was one of those to fall and his team have tweeted that he has gone to hospital for check. Axel Zingle (Cofidis) tangled in the final lead-out with Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X) and they both crashed by the barriers on the final straight. Jacopo Guarnieri (Lotto-Dstny) is also reported to have crashed in the chaotic final kilometres. 

Van der Poel has proved the difference for Philipsen on both today's and yesterday's stage. He bullied Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) out of his way on the final straight and launched Philipsen to the line with tremendous speed. "A circuit is not safer than a road to finish I can tell you this, but it was really fast and the corners are quite difficult to judge in the bunch and you also have nowhere to go so I'm really happy I managed to stay upright, Van der Poel said after the stage. "In the end I found a gap at the perfect moment with Jasper [Philipsen] and I think I dropped him off like he wanted to and it was close I think, but he managed to finish it off again so it's gonna be nice again in the room tonight." "The confidence is there now and there's a little pressure now and I think Jasper and I together with the rest of the team and Jonas as well, at the moment as a lead-out, we are really well-oiled and I think I'm a really good last man for him. It's just a good team combination." 

Van der Poel also commented on the safety after a crash-marred finale, he said:  "I enjoy it afterwards, but during it could have been me on the ground afterwards, it's just super dangerous, even more than so in other races and its nice that he finishes it off and that we took the risk for something today."

Neither Astana Qazaqstan nor Lotto-Dstny have confirmed as of yet, but Luis León Sánchez and Jacopo Guarnieri are reported to have broken their collarbones and will play no further part in this year's Tour de France. This would be a big loss for Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) and Mark Cavendish's (Astana-Qazaqstan) sprint ambitions for this race as they both play important roles in the final few kilometres for their respective sprinters. 

Make sure you read Cyclingnews' full stage report below and check out the growing picture gallery from the day's action. Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen wins two in a row in crash-marred stage 4

There were no changes to the general classification as the overall contenders avoided the chaos of the final 3km and with all the crashes, they would have been pleased to arrive at the finish in Nogaro unscathed before a battle in the Pyrenees begins tomorrow. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) remains in the yellow jersey, six seconds ahead of his brother Simon (Jayco AlUla) and his teammate Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). Last year's winner, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), sits in sixth overall, 22 seconds down on the Brit. 

I'll leave you with Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in his new green jersey after overtaking Victor Lafay (Cofidis) by a huge margin with his win in the final sprint and the intermediate sprint. Alpecin-Deceuninck have shown their dominance in the first two bunch sprints of this Tour, but tomorrow will be the first full chance for the climbers to stretch their legs as we enter the Pyrenees. Stage 5 is 162.7km from Pau to Laruns and we will hit the first hors categorie climb of this year's Tour de France at the Col de Soudet, before tackling two more categorised climbs, including the Col de Marie Blanque. If you want some overnight research to do, this is almost a copy, paste of stage 9 of the 2020 Tour de France, which was actually the first Tour stage won by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), so expect to see the Slovenian in full attack mode. Come back to Cyclingnews' for the live report and a whole host of other content being produced on the ground at the race. 

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The Danish broadcaster created a new studio that mixed virtual set graphics with a physical set to create a unique experience for viewers.

For TV 2 Denmark, this year’s coverage of the Tour de France cycling race was all about raising the bar of its TV 2 SPORT studio. A newly designed studio and amazing on-air graphics were created to add reality into the studio and give their cycling experts a new tool for explaining the details of the iconic 21 day-long international sporting event. The revamped production studio also played home base for the channel’s World Cup coverage from Russia this summer.

In previous years the network noticed that its on-air look was not blending well with the world feed (ASO Live feed) it was using for its coverage. In 2017, they built a new studio with virtual sets and augmented reality (AR) graphics that reflect an inviting, high-tech look while also incorporating the French colors and landscape into the design. Last year’s studio was so well received by its audience and the industry at large that it won a ProMax award for best studio design (in March 2018).

“We did not use virtual sets in last year’s studio,” said Klaus Bøgeholdt, production manager at TV 2 SPORT. “Instead, we used a large round horizon with the print of an Alpine landscape. This year we have chosen to generate the whole background as virtual graphics (blue-screen). The primary reason for this is because this year our main TV 2 studio needed to be flexible enough to accommodate the scenography of both the World Cup in football and the Tour de France.”

With only half the space allotted for the Tour de France compared with last year, virtual set graphics, generated with the latest technology from Vizrt, allowed the TV 2 crew to make the studio look larger on air than it actually is. For this new look, TV 2 collaborated with set design company Sommer Larsen (located in Nyborg) to construct the studio in about three weeks (starting in March 2018). The design and creation of the virtual scenes took just under two months.

To get the captivating look Bøgeholdt was after, a new Technocrane was used in the studio to closely track on-set movements. This live feed was combined with the virtual elements in real time. The Vizrt solutions used include: one Viz Engine rendering system (for the virtual set backgrounds), one Viz Engine for a table-top touch screen board, and a third Viz Engine for rendering the AR elements. The channel’s full screen graphics also made extensive use of Viz Engine and were tightly controlled by Viz Pilot, a template-based system for journalists to create, manage, and deliver high volumes of live graphics.

The studio’s technical crew often combines the virtual sets with AR and other graphic elements on the on-set monitors to create the desired ‘you are there’ effect and tell the stories more completely. Bøgeholdt said that it is sometimes tough to find the right balance, but experimentation is helping them find their creative way.

Working with virtual graphics is quite new to us. For several years we have been working with AR graphics. But creating a virtual background that is associated with our physical elements in the studio has been a fun challenge. I think virtual graphics can do something very special when you use it with physical scenography. When the two elements play together (physical scenography and virtual graphics), it’s sometimes hard to tell what is physical and what is virtual on the set. I think we have hit something unique this year, using the best of the two worlds. Klaus Bøgeholdt TV2 Sport

“ Working with virtual graphics is quite new to us. For several years we have been working with AR graphics. But creating a virtual background that is associated with our physical elements in the studio has been a fun challenge. I think virtual graphics can do something very special when you use it with physical scenography. When the two elements play together (physical scenography and virtual graphics), it’s sometimes hard to tell what is physical and what is virtual on the set. I think we have hit something unique this year, using the best of the two worlds. ” Klaus Bøgeholdt TV2 Sport

Key to the new studio design is a large on-set touch screen and a healthy dose of AR graphics to allow the on-air presenters to tell their stories in a highly in-depth and visual way. To tie the touch-screen and the AR graphics together, TV 2 worked with Promotheus.

“Our AR analysis table was actually developed for this year’s World Cup tournament,” Bøgeholdt said. “I immediately saw how valuable it was for our on-air experts to have an AR tool they could use to easily show what they were saying and for viewers to not only hear but also see what the expert meant. I thought it could be fun to modify it for cycling.” Since TV 2 now owns the rights to both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España (a similar multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain), there will be ample opportunity for TV 2 to use the new studio to its full potential.

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What roads will be closed during today's Greenville Cycling Classic? What you need to know

Tour de France veterans George Hincapie, Bobby Julich, and Christian Vande Velde will take a 20-minute ride alongside other cyclists at the Greenville Cycling Classic , presented by Prisma Health, today at One City Plaza.

Tour de France legends Julich, Vande Velde and Hincapie will ride alongside the first 200 registered riders to a casual, one-kilometer speed criterium loop race that travels around downtown for 20 minutes beginning at 5:15 p.m.

Beginning at 3 p.m., men's and women's professional and amateur cycling will occur along Main and Coffee Street. Bike races will continue through 9 p.m. to determine a winner in nine divisions, ranging from 30-minute rides to a 70-lap competition.

This race is part of the Speed Week race series, with nine races in South Carolina and Georgia.

Who is George Hincapie?

Hincapie is a former professional racing cyclist who competed alongside Lance Armstrong as his domestique or assisting rider on the U.S. PostalPro Cycling Team. He is also known for helping Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans to their first Tour de France victories in 2007 and 2011.

During Hincapie's 27-year professional cycling career, he won three U.S. Professional Road Race championships and finished second in the 2005 Paris-Roubaix, still the highest-placing American ranking for that specific race.

How do I attend the Greenville Cycling Classic?

The racing path will expand between East North Street, East McBee Avenue, South Laurens Street, and South Brown Street.

What roads will be closed during the race?

Road closures for the event will be in place from noon to 11 p.m. on April 25.

They will include:

• Main Street, from McBee Avenue to East North Street
• East North Street, from North Main to Brown Streets
• Brown Street, from East North Street to McBee Avenue
• McBee Avenue, from South Brown Street to South Laurens Street
• South Laurens Street, from West McBee Avenue to West Washington Street
• Washington Street, from South Laurens to Brown Streets

Greenville Cycling Classic Event Schedule

• 3:15 p.m. -- Women's Category 4/5 Race
• 3:50 p.m. -- Men's Category 4/5 Race
• 4:25 p.m. -- Masters 40 +
• 4:25 p.m. -- Masters 50 +
• 4:25 p.m. -- Masters 60 +
• 5:15 p.m. -- Ride with the Tour de France Legends
• 5:55 p.m. -- Men's Category 2/3 Race
• 6:55 p.m. -- Women's Pro 1/2/3 Category Race
• 8:05 p.m. -- Men's Pro 1/2 Category Race

For more information, visit greenvillecyclingclassic.com

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at [email protected], and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription .  

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Tour de France – 4. etape

Hvad skete der? Jasper Philipsen vandt 4. etape af Tour de France, hvor der var flere styrt på opløbet.

Luis León Sánchez udgår

Astana med dårligt nyt: Deres rutinerede spanier Luis León Sánchez har brækket sit kraveben i forbindelse med den hektiske finale og er ikke i stand til at fortsætte.

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Flere ryttere straffet efter drama

Vi har netop modtaget et kommuniké fra løbet, og flere ryttere er blevet straffet efter dagens etape. 

• Mathieu van der Poel: Afvigelse fra sin bane og benyttelse af en albue i slutspurten. Skal betale 500 schweizerfranc, bliver fratrukket 13 point i pointkonkurrencen og går fra en plads som nummer 16 til 22 på dagens etape.
• Phil Bauhaus: Forhindring af en anden rytters fremskridt 1,8 kilometer fra mål. Skal betale 500 schweizerfranc, får fratrukket 50 point i pointkonkurrencen og får en 30 sekunders straf i det samlede klassement.
• Søren Wærenskjold: Begrundelse for sanktion er forkert adfærd i spurten. Der bliver ikke beskrevet en nøjagtig sanktion.

Desuden er et par sportsdirektører blevet sanktioneret for nogle mindre overtrædelser. Som i tilfældet med Wærenskjold melder kommunikéet intet om en eksakt straf.

Freddy Spaghetti:

Hvad er status på Mohoric efter hans styrt i dag?

Der er endnu intet nyt om Mohoric. Vi afventer en opdatering fra Bahrain Victorious :-).

// Rasmus, TV 2 Sport

Stjerne deklasseret efter hektisk afslutning

Mathieu van der Poel kom i mål som nummer 16 på 4. etape af årets Tour de France, men hollænderen er blevet deklasseret til en plads som nummer 22. Det fremgår af Tourens officielle side.

Der er endnu ingen officiel begrundelse for deklasseringen.

Efter etapen fortalte Soudal Quick-Step-manager Patrick Lefevere, at van der Poel spillede en rolle i Jakobsens styrt.

- Fabio kiggede frem for at se, om han kunne køre, og så kom Mathieu med Jasper Philipsen til højre. Han (van der Poel, red.) kørte mod hans (Jakobsens, red.) forhjul, eller Fabio kørte mod hans baghjul, siger Lefevere ifølge Sporza .

Det er muligvis hændelsen, der ligger bag deklasseringen.

Hvem er udgået fra løbet indtil videre?

Enric Mas, Richard Carapaz og nu Jacopo Guarnieri er udgået af årets Tour de France.

Guarnieri udgår

Italienske Jacopo Guarnieri, der styrtede i finalen, udgår af Tour de France. Det meddeler journalisten Andy McGrath, der efter etapen har fået en besked fra Lotto Dstnys direktør Stéphane Heulot.

Guarnieri har brækket kravebenet og et ribben.

Mathieu van der Poel reagerer på afslutningen:

- Jeg er glad, men mest fordi jeg ikke styrtede. At Jasper vinder for anden gang i træk gør det dobbelt så smukt. Det er fedt at se ham gøre det færdigt igen, siger manden, der guidede netop Philipsen til sejren, ifølge Wielerflits .

Om den sidste kilometer siger hollænderen følgende:

- Der var ingen plads på ydersiden, men på mirakuløs vis fandt jeg plads. Jeg havde gode ben og pressede en rigtig god sprint ud.

Her nogle af styrtene fra afslutningen:

Michael mørkøv reagerer på dagens etape:.

- Det er klart, at når vi kører så langsom en etape, så kommer alle helt friske ind til sådan en finale. Når vi så kører på så bred en vejbane, er der plads til rigtig mange ryttere, og det gør det jo noget mere farligt, end når vi har nogle chikaner, der strækker feltet mere ud. Det endte med at blive en meget farlig afslutning.

Fabio Jakobsen?

- Han er selvfølgelig skuffet over, at vi ikke var der, og så har han jo slået sig rigtig meget ved at ryge i gulvet på den måde. Det er jo også til dels vores skyld, at vi ikke sad det sted, vi skulle. Vi endte med at sidde et sted, der var noget mere farligt, end det skulle have været.

Asgreen om Fabio Jakobsen efter etapen:

- Han er godt gal derinde. Så det er et godt tegn. Nu skal han selvfølgelig lige undersøges af lægen, og adrenalinen kører også. Så er det svært at mærke noget alligevel. Men så snart, lægen har kigget på ham, skal holdet nok melde det ud, siger danskeren til TV 2 Sport

- Jeg sidder lidt bag ham og ser ham ryge ned. Det var hektisk, og det blev noget voldsomt. Men sådan er det også, når det har været en stille og rolig etape. Det startede allerede, inden vi kom ind. Jeg tror mere, det er rytternes fejl, end det er rutens fejl i dag.

Status indtil videre

Fabio Jakobsen er styrtet, og billeder fra Soudal Quick-Step viser, at der er godt med huller i cykeltøjet.

Astanas Luis León Sánchez styrtede og er på vej på hospitalet.

Derudover styrtede Matej Mohoric, Axel Zingle, Søren Wærenskjold og Jacopo Guarnieri.

Profil på vej til hospitalet:

Luis León Sánchez   styrtede i finalen og er på vej på hospitalet, skriver Astana på Twitter:

🇫🇷 RESULT: @LeTour @markcavendish finishes 5th in Nogaro in stage 3. @LLEONSANCHEZ crashed in the final kilometer and went to hospital for check-up. #TDF2023      #AstanaQazaqstanTeam pic.twitter.com/fiTmsXtDFh — Astana Qazaqstan Team (@AstanaQazTeam) July 4, 2023

Martin Brandt tarp:

Hvor nummer blev Jonas vingegaard

Vingegaard kom ind som nummer 25 sammen med resten af feltet :-).

Gider i skrive hvem som styrtede, eller om der er et sted hvor man kan finde info om dette ?😊

Søren Wærenskjold fra Uno-X, Axel Zingle fra Cofidis og Fabio Jakobsen fra Soudal Quick-Step er tre af navnene, men jeg skal nok opdatere, når jeg ved mere om de andre :-).

Fabio Jakobsen er på cyklen igen efter sit styrt, viser Soudal Quick-Step:

Fabio is home. #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/HwdbfTaElX — Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) July 4, 2023

Mads Pedersen efter etapen:

- Hektisk. Jeg tror, folk har glemt, at der er bremser på cyklen (om styrtene, red.).

- Det positive fra i går er, at der er forbedringer markant. Jeg har bare ikke benene på sådan en spurt her, og der kan jeg ikke være med de bedste sprintere. Der er lang vej til Paris, og der er muligheder nok.

- Det er bare mig, der ikke kan levere til sidst. Den ligger på mine skuldre. Der er ingen undskyldninger, når jeg bliver slået af folk, der er bedre, siger Mads Pedersen til TV 2 Sport.

Se afslutningen på etapen her:

Her er top-ti på etapen:, mads p. manglede farten.

Philipsen kom ind foran Ewan, og på tredjepladsen endte Bauhaus.

Der var hele tre styrt på opløbet. Blandt andre Fabio Jakobsen røg i asfalten.

Philipsen vinder

Philipsen vinder igen. Han kommer ind foran Caleb Ewan.

Tæt afgørelse, men van der Poel fører sin holdkammerat godt frem. Sikke en afslutning.

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Olympic Torch Relay: a sporting and cultural epic to be experienced throughout France

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Reading time: 0 min Published on 15 April 2024, updated on 22 April 2024

From 8 May to 26 July 2024, the Olympic Flame will embark on an incredible cultural and festive journey across mainland France and its overseas territories: the Olympic Torch Relay. Along the way, it will be highlighting France's heritage, the diversity of its landscapes, its know-how, its talents and its innovations. And, of course, sport! There will be more than 60 stops along the way, all of which will be opportunities to get together and celebrate the values of Olympism before the big event gets under way. Let's find out more about the stages of this incredible relay that you won't want to miss!

It all begins in the port of Marseille on 8 May 2024. After a long crossing aboard the Belem from Piraeus in Greece, the Olympic flame will set foot on French soil for the first time in the Cité Phocéenne, which was once a Greek colony. The flame, which embodies an ideal of peace and friendship between peoples and refers to the Games of Antiquity, will then head for Toulon via the splendid Almanarre beach and the salt route at Hyères .

The Relais de la Flamme will then head for Manosque, with a stopover in Sisteron and its famous citadel, as well as the Verdon regional nature park , famous for its Sainte-Croix lake and its famous gorges.

From Provence to Occitania via Corsica

The flame will then make a stopover in Arles before crossing the Mediterranean again, this time heading for Corsica, not forgetting to admire the impressive Aiguilles de Bavella along the way. Back on the mainland, the Relais will take on the famous Millau Viaduct , a true architectural feat, before climbing Mont Canigou in the Pyrenees. After a well-earned break in the medieval city of Carcassonne and a stopover in Toulouse , the flame will strap on the crampons again, heading for the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. Then it's off for a well-deserved rest on the beaches of Biarritz , in the Basque country.

On 22 May, the Torch Relay will explore the Lascaux Cave , in the Dordogne Valley, before heading for Bordeaux, its wine city and the vineyards of Saint-Emilion.

Châteaux, vineyards, beaches and monuments

After a stopover in Cognac , the flame will set off again for Angers, determined to discover the Château de Montsoreau and the Coteaux-du-Layon vineyards in the Pays de la Loire . Then it's on to Normandy, Honfleur and the D-Day landing beaches before tackling the sacred monster: Mont-Saint-Michel.

The Flame tour kicks off in June in Brittany, in the Brocéliande forest , with its fairytales and legends. Rendezvous on 5 June in the bay of La Baule, on the Atlantic coast , before heading for the aptly named Pointe de la Torche in Brest, Brittany, from where the Flame will embark on the Relais des Océans across the French Overseas Territories.

First stop: Cayenne and the Kourou space centre in French Guiana . Then on to Reunion Island, where the Plaine des sables, the Cité du volcan and the pointe de Langevin are on the programme. In Tahiti, the flame will pay a visit to the famous Teahupo'o wave, well known to surfers, which will be the setting for the surfing competitions at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The torch tour will then head to the Guadeloupe Islands and in particular Pointe-à-Pitre to visit the Act Memorial. This Relais des Océans will finish in Martinique where the flame will admire Mount Pelée before setting sail again for the Côte d'Azur.

From the Mediterranean to the Alps

On 18 June, she will be performing in Nice, Antibes and at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes . Then on to Avignon, the ancient theatre of Orange and the Mont Ventoux, well known to Tour de France fans. On 21 June, the flame will be in Vichy , in the Auvergne, before moving on to the Alps, on the shores of Lake Annecy and the Mont-Blanc Valley.

The Château de Versailles, the Place de la Concorde and the Alexandre III bridge, as well as the legendary Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne, the Marina de Marseille and the latest-generation aquatic centre in Saint-Denis... From Paris to Tahiti, via the regions, 39 Olympic venues will be hosting the competitions of the Paris 2024 Games in France. From the most legendary to the most eco-responsible, follow the guide!

There's a change of scenery, with the torch arriving in Strasbourg, Alsace, on 26 June. After a stopover at the Meisenthal glassworks and the Verdun memorial, it's off to Champagne, where the flame will be strolling down the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, famous for its famous wine cellars . On 2 July, the route heads for the Hauts-de-France region, with a stopover in Lille and at the Louvre-Lens . Then on to the coast and the Baie de Somme.

On 5 July, back in Normandy, the flame will visit Rouen Cathedral before heading for Chambord Castle in the Loire Valley. After passing through Orléans, it's off to Burgundy! Vézelay, the vineyards of Chablis, Dijon, the Clos de Vougeot ... that's a promise!

Ten days in and around Paris

On 14 and 15 July, as part of the bank holidays, the flame will make its first stop in Paris, with the Place de la Bastille, the Hôtel de Ville and the Assemblée Nationale on the programme. That's it! The flame will then travel to the Cité Internationale de la langue française in Villers-Cotterêts, before visiting the châteaux of Chantilly, Fontainebleau and, of course, Versailles! On 25 July, for its final stopover, the flame will be in Seine-Saint-Denis. Make your way to the canal de l'Ourcq, the Olympic aquatic centre in Saint-Denis and the Parc Georges Valbon in La Courneuve, which will host a large area for celebrations during the Games.

The Torch Relay will end in Paris on 26 July. There, the flame will light the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony , which will finally mark the launch of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Find out more: More information on the route of the Olympic flame

Also read: - Discover our special report on the Paris Games - The Games in Paris: 6 good reasons to make the trip in 2024 - Paris 2024 Games: everything you need to know for a successful trip to France

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The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…

The Paris Olympics: on track for 2024!

Paris Olympic Games 2024: Everything you need to know to enjoy your trip to France

Destination: Etretat

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Pogačar beats Van der Poel in a dominant win at Liège–Bastogne–Liège classic

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team after crossing the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

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LIEGE, Belgium (AP) — Tadej Pogačar proved too strong for Mathieu Van der Poel as he won the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycling classic with a solo breakaway on Sunday.

Pogačar attacked 35 kilometers (22 miles) out to win cycling’s oldest classic for the second time, after victory in 2021, and made up for last year when he broke his left wrist in a crash.

“I’m happy that I can finally win this race again,” the 25-year-old Slovenian said. “It’s beautiful to finish like this.”

The two-time Tour de France champion waved to the crowd as he approached the finish line well clear. French veteran Romain Bardet finished second and Van der Poel led a mass sprint to the line to finish third.

Liège–Bastogne–Liège is one of the five “monuments” in one-day cycling with the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Lombardy and Milan-San Remo. Van der Poel won Roubaix two weeks ago but has not won Liège and Lombardy.

Pogačar beat Van der Poel last year to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and they have won six monuments each.

The 254.5-kilometer (157.8-mile) trek, starting and finishing in the eastern Belgian city of Liège in chilly conditions, featured 11 small hills and played to Pogačar’s elite climbing skills. He pulled ahead in a small group with Van der Poel one minute behind.

Van der Poel’s group caught Pogačar with 70 kilometers remaining to form a main peloton. But with Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates setting a fast tempo at the front, Pogačar attacked again and no rival could catch him.

He clocked 6 hours, 13 minutes, 48 seconds with Bardet 1:39 behind and Van der Poel 2:02 back.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

‘Tour de France: Unchained’ Renewed For Season 2: Coming to Netflix in 2024

Picture: Netflix

One of the many new Netflix sports docu-series to debut in 2023 has been handed a season 2 order. Tour de France: Unchained will return for a second season in 2024. 

Debuting on Netflix for the first time in early June 2023, Tour de France: Unchained gives you unparalleled access to behind-the-scenes of the world’s most famous cycling race. The documentary series was released in French audio with a range of subtitle and dub options, including English.

Eight episodes dropped globally (after airing on France Télévisions) on June 9th. The series featured  in the global non-English TV top 10 for a single week, picking up 8.2 million hours watched globally between June 11th and 18th.

The renewal news comes via a Tweet by Netflix France . The Tour de France followed up Netflix France’s announcement in an additional Tweet, saying :

“See you next year @NetflixFR! A series made possible thanks to @francetv and the cycling teams!”

Season 2 will follow the forthcoming 2023 Tour de France, scheduled to begin at the end of July 2023 . The event takes place over 21 stages beginning in Northern Spain and concluding in Paris; it’s been confirmed 22 teams will be competing for the grand prize.

The renewal of Tour de France: Unchained means that we’ll see the return of numerous sporting documentaries in 2023. Full Swing , Formula 1: Drive to Survive, and Break Point have all been handed renewal orders, each set to return in 2024. All of the aforementioned shows (including Unchained) are produced by the British outfit Box to Box Films.

Those returning series are in addition to other various sports documentaries Netflix currently has in the works for other sports like soccer, the NFL, rugby, and WWE.

Are you glad to hear that Tour de France: Unchained is returning for a second season? Let us know in the comments.

Founder of What's on Netflix, Kasey has been tracking the comings and goings of the Netflix library for over a decade. Covering everything from new movies, series and games from around the world, Kasey is in charge of covering breaking news, covering all the new additions now available on Netflix and what's coming next.

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Marianne Vos and Mathieu van der Poel Were the Top Earners of the Spring Classics

However, stark differences in prize money distribution highlight the gender pay gap in pro cycling.

Close behind Vos and Van der Poel in earnings were Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) with €35,081 ($38,589 USD), and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) with €60,400 ($66,440 USD).

The third top earner for the women was Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek). The Italian won the Tour of Flanders and rode consistently all season. She had a payout of €31,892 ($35,081 USD) in total. She was followed by Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime), who earned €27,970 ($30,767 USD).

On the men’s side, Van der Poel and Philipsen were followed by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who earned €41,000 ($45,100 USD), and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), who earned €34,400 ($37,840 USD).

GCN reported that the prize money riders win is usually shared among teammates and members of staff. “With that in mind, one glance at the results shows that Alpecin-Deceuninck will be one happy team, with Van der Poel and Philipsen at the top of the prize money standings, collectively earning €144,900 for the team.”

And if it seems like there’s a frustratingly huge difference between what the top men make and what the top women make, there is. According to GCN , “The top 20 men earned €417,750 in prize money in the Classics. The top 20 women earned €253,076 across the same period—that’s before considering the difference in base salaries.”

But progress is (slowly) being made. Two years ago, Flanders Classics announced that they would award equal prize money to men and women at the Tour of Flanders. Then, a year later, they extended the deal to all races under their umbrella. This means that equal prize money was awarded to Vos and Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike) at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The same was true for both Wiebes and Pedersen at Ghent-Wevelgem, as well as Longo Borghini and Van der Poel at the Tour of Flanders.

Unfortunately, other organizers have yet to follow suit. According to GCN , “The biggest disparity was at Strade Bianche, where Lotte Kopecky’s winning ride earned her a measly €2,256 relative to Pogačar’s €16,000. It was a similar tale at Paris-Roubaix, where Kopecky was awarded €9,000 less than Van der Poel, and at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) won €12,500 to Pogačar’s €20,000.”

Top 20 male earners in the Spring Classics

• Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck): €84,500
• Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): €60,400
• Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates): €41,000
• Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek): €34,400
• Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates): €22,100
• Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers: €20,300
• Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike): €17,600
• Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech): €16,250
• Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike): €16,000
• Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla): €11,300
• Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-B&B Hotels): €11,200
• Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL): €10,400
• Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek): €10,200
• Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny): €9,900
• Toms Skujiņš (Lidl-Trek): €9,700
• Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step): €8,800
• Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility): €8,800
• Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates): €8,500
• Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ): €8,400
• Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike): €8,000

Top 20 female earners in the Spring Classics

• Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike): €38,173
• Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime): €35,081
• Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek): €31,892
• Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime): €27,970
• Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek): €24,130
• Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM): €23,226
• Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ): €12,500
• Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL): €9,645
• Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek): €8,094
• Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime): €7,628
• Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck): €5,586
• Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ): €4,505
• Ingvild Gåskjenn (Liv AlUla Jayco): €4,175
• Amber Kraak (FDJ-SUEZ): €3,468
• Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL): €3,425
• Thalita de Jong (Lotto Dstny Ladies): €2,900
• Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM): €2,371
• Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ): €2,191
• Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck): €2,061
• Arlenis Sierra (Movistar): €2,030

Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.

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The science behind Zone 2 training for athletes

Analysis Sport The science behind Zone 2 training for athletes

If you're a cycling nerd like me, or perhaps into running or other endurance sports, you've probably come across the concept of Zone 2 training.

The idea has exploded in the past couple of years, with countless YouTube videos and articles written about the benefits of low-intensity training.

Put simply, Zone 2 is the metabolic state where you burn the most fat to power your exercise. It's also a zone where it's easy enough to exercise for a long time without blowing up.

The Zone 2 idea is that low-intensity training should make up the bulk of your training volume and by doing this you'll increase your overall cardiovascular fitness without having to smash yourself.

It's in direct contrast to the concept of high-intensity training and interval training, which were all the rage for a time, particularly for time-poor people. The idea being that short, sharp, high-intensity sessions could make up your entire fitness regime.

One of the biggest proponents of Zone 2 is Inigo San Millan, a professor in Colorado University's Department of Family Medicine, who specialises in physiology, metabolism, mitochondria and cancer research.

Dr San Millan is the director of performance with UAE Team Emirates, the cycling team of two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar.

Dr San Millan says Pogačar will spend about 80 per cent of training at Zone 2 and he says that should be the same for all of us.

What exactly is Zone 2, how does it work, and just how easy is it?

In order to answer that question I subjected myself to an experiment.

My guide is Antony Stadnyk, a lecturer at the School of Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation at the University of Technology Sydney, and a former physiologist with the New South Wales Institute of Sport's cycling program.

"So this is what we for a long time have called the aerobic endurance training zone," Dr Stadnyk says.

"It's got this fancy new name, Zone 2, but it's basically the top end of the low-intensity training zone.

"So it should feel easy, you should be able to have a conversation, but towards the top end, that's when you'll start to lose that ability and need to talk in shorter sentences or a couple of sentences before taking a breath of air.

"Zone 2 and our base conditioning, the aerobic base conditioning, is really the foundation of all our training."

Dr Stadnyk and I are talking after he's performed a series of tests on me to determine my metabolic thresholds and VO2 Max.

We did the tests in October last year.

My experiment is to commit to an extended block of training – the bulk of it in Zone 2 – to see if I get fitter and build my endurance.

I need a goal, so I've committed to riding in the Snowy Classic – a Gran Fondo in the Snowy Mountains in March.

There's a 170-kilometre version, which I think is going to be a stretch too far for me – this year at least – so I'm doing the 107km loop from Jindabyne, which takes in around 1,500 metres of climbing.

Back to the tests — I'm at UTS with my bike on a stationary trainer wearing a heart rate monitor.

Dr Stadnyk's strapped a mask over my head to capture the amount of oxygen I'm breathing in and carbon dioxide I'm exhaling.

After a warm-up, he asks me to ride for three minutes at a particular power output – which is measured in watts.

Dr Stadnyk is capturing all my data in real-time and has made a small pin-prick in my ear to collect a blood sample to measure my lactate levels as I go.

Then I'm off and pedalling. Dr Stadnyk starts me off at a leisurely 80 watts and then every three minutes he asks me to increase my wattage by 20. Each time I go up in power, he takes a blood sample to measure my lactate.

It's pretty easy at first of course, but after 24 minutes I'm at 220 watts and my heart's beating at 153 beats per minute (bpm) – about 91 per cent of my maximum heart rate.

I could go for a bit longer, but Dr Stadnyk now has enough information to determine my various metabolic zones.

And for the data nerds out there, this is what a moderately fit and slightly overweight 56-year-old is pumping out.

After I take a breather, I warm up again for an all-out three-minute effort, which Dr Stadnyk is going to use to determine my VO2 peak and maximum heart rate.

At least it was meant to be a three-minute effort, but I made the mistake of going out far too hard and then had to hold on for dear life, while Dr Stadnyk quickly recalibrated it to a two-minute effort.

I've recorded an average wattage of 322 but he warned I should be cautious about the wattage because it was only a two-minute effort – which meant it was mainly anaerobic. He estimated that I would have averaged around 265 watts if I continued for another minute. Next time around I'll go for a more paced three-minute effort and expect a lower mark.

But at least now he has the numbers. My VO2 peak was 45.6 and my maximum heart rate was 169bpm. I'm hoping that at the end of my training block, the VO2 peak, at least, will be higher.

Dr Stadnyk determined that my Zone 2 is somewhere between 115-130bpm or between 130-160 watts.

Ideally, we'd be using power as a metric during my rides, but I don't have a power meter on my bike, so I'm going on heart rate alone.

He came to those numbers by looking at both my lactate and ventilatory responses. You can see that above 120bpm and 140 watts, my lactate levels jumped from one millimole per litre (mM) to 1.5mM. There's another big jump after 130bpm and 162 watts to 2.4mM.

This graph shows that while my heart rate steadily increased in a straight line with my wattage output, the amount of lactate I was producing increased slowly and then started shooting up at that 162 watts mark – an indicator that I'm starting to burn more carbohydrate and less fat.

So, what exactly are we talking about with all this lactate, heart rate and zone stuff?

Remember that during Zone 2 we're in the metabolic state where we are burning the most fat to fuel our oxygen.

"So, what we have is free fatty acids floating around the body, in the blood," Dr Stadnyk says.

Those fatty acids are converted by the mitochondria in our cells into Adenosine triphosphate or ATP.

"ATP is what our body uses to produce the actual muscle contractions and physiological processes that we need to sustain life," Dr Stadnyk says.

Now, at Zone 2 and below, our exercise intensity is such that the mitochondria can keep pace with our energy demands – burning fat consistently to keep powering our exercise.

Dr Stadnyk explains that when we consistently exercise in Zone 2, over time we get an increase in the number of mitochondria, which means our bodies become more efficient and have a greater capacity to oxidise fat for fuel.

We've been talking a bit about mitochondria, so Dr Stadnyk is taking us back to school:

"Probably back in high school, you've heard of mitochondria referred to as the powerhouse of the cell — that is absolutely true," he says.

"So the greater density and number of mitochondria that we have, the sort of fitter and healthier the system is."

So to summarise: As we train more in Zone 2, we produce more mitochondria, which means we have a greater ability to metabolise fats.

As we become more oxidatively powerful, our bodies can use fat for longer and put off using carbohydrates as a fuel source, saving those stores for when we really need it during high-intensity efforts.

So in theory, the lactate curve in the graph above should shift to the right as I become fitter, but that can only last so long once we start to increase the exercise intensity Dr Stadnyk explains:

"While fats are really energy dense, they can't be oxidised at a rate that is fast enough to maintain that exercise," he says.

"The top end of Zone 2 is what we call the first metabolic threshold — you might hear that referred to as lactate threshold one, or the ventilatory threshold one.

"And that represents the point where we start to have an increase in energy being provided by carbohydrates, which provide less energy [per unit], but can be oxidised at a faster rate.

"And so with that, we start to get an increased production of lactate."

Zone 3 is what Dr Stadnyk calls a tempo zone – we're starting to work a bit harder, and often you'll find yourself drifting into this zone during bunch rides.

"And then above that, we go into our threshold zone – Zone 4 and that crosses the second metabolic threshold," he says.

"And what that second metabolic threshold represents is where we are going predominantly into anaerobic metabolism, so we're not supplying enough oxygen to continue to fuel exercise."

You can see from my data that this happened to me at 200 watts where my lactate jumped from 2.4mM to 4mM.

Zone 4 is what's sometimes called threshold – it's hard work.

If you've ever tried to run a personal best at Parkrun , you would have been running at your threshold – although you would find yourself in the zones 5 and 6 as you pushed towards the end.

Zone 4 is when you're on the red-line, staying just short of the level of exertion where you would burn out in just a few minutes if you upped the intensity.

How long can you stay at the threshold? Again, it depends on training – for me it might be 30 minutes, but an elite cyclist or runner could go for much longer.

Above this we're in the sprint zones, Dr Stadnyk says, where "ATP and phosphocreatine stores will exhaust in 10 to 30 seconds".

Dr Stadnyk uses a six-zone model. Others might use seven, whereas your smart watch, for example, might have five.

OK, that's the science behind Zone 2, now to put it into practice.

Dr Stadnyk hasn't given me a training plan, rather he says my Zone 2 training should make up about 70 to 80 per cent of my total training time.

As for the remaining 20 to 30 per cent of my training time – he says I should do some work in the higher zones.

"A little bit in that Zone 3 and 4 area and then a smaller amount in that Zone 5 or 6 — if you want to put in a couple of extra sprint efforts that can be beneficial for the anaerobic power — you're going to get all of your zones ticked off," he says.

"A little bit of training variation is always useful, but also you're going to be stressing your body a little bit different and getting that anaerobic stress as well.

"So, the ability to actually use glycogen, and carbohydrates well, can be affected by that."

OK, that's the plan – let's say three sessions of riding per week at Zone 2 and one session at a higher intensity or maybe some intervals at Zone 4.

One thing to note about Zone 2: It's easy, but it's not just a gentle ride down to the shops.

When you're in Zone 2 you are definitely working up a sweat and pushing yourself.

It's often said that a good way to determine your Zone 2 is if you can have a conversation, but it's kind of laboured. You might need to stop in the middle of a sentence to take a breath.

So, off I go: Riding, riding, riding.

And then somewhere along the way, the real world kicked in.

As much as I tried to do that volume of riding, I also wanted to maintain other forms of exercise, like social football once a week and a couple of trips to the gym.

Christmas might have got in the way as well.

Come February, I've been probably averaging about three sessions a week on the bike.

I try to make most of them Zone 2 sessions, but the reality is it's very hard in the real world to maintain a steady heart rate.

When you go uphill your heart rate might go higher, downhill it goes slower, and when you stop at a traffic light, you have time to recover even more.

So my Zone 2 riding is really an average. I do my best to stay at a consistent heart rate, but there are necessarily natural variations.

I also do my one session a week at a higher level or do some intervals at the end of a Zone 2 ride.

Over the months I gradually increase my kilometres per week. I've joined a cycling group and go out with them once or twice a week and do a long ride each weekend and throw in some hill sessions in preparation for the Snowy Classic.

I feel I'm getting fitter, but exactly how much is hard to tell because it's all based on feel and I'm not measuring myself against a given known – like how long it takes me to ride a 40km route.

I'm just going out and riding at a consistent heart rate.

That said, I find I'm able to ride for longer at my Zone 2 level and find it fairly comfortable.

As the Snowy Classic gets closer, I try to throw in more climbing training, so this is where I'm definitely jumping out of Zone 2 and getting into zones 4 and 5.

And I do a couple of 100km rides – just to know I can.

The Snowy Classic was tough. A 3km climb with gradients of up to 15 per cent at the 86km mark was a leg killer. A lot of people walked, but I managed to stay on the bike and hang on for the finish, in utter awe of the people who went on to ride the full 170km course, which included another 1,500 metres of climbing.

Since my first test about five months earlier, I'd done about 2,400 kilometres and spent about more than 100 hours in the saddle.

Despite the kilometres in my legs, I had some trepidation as I headed back to the UTS for my follow-up date with Dr Stadnyk and my second lot of testing.

It felt like a lot of riding but was it enough riding to see some improvement in my levels of fitness and my VO2 max?

The answer was not as clear-cut as I would have liked.

Disappointingly, and despite feeling strong on the day, the data showed my basic metabolic response hadn't changed despite all the training.

There were differences however: my VO2 peak was higher – it went from 45.6 to 45.8 and my maximum heart rate increased from 169bpm to 170. At my age of 56, I'll take any changes as a positive.

And there's no question I felt much stronger in the second test. I was breathing through my nose throughout the test, which wasn't the case back in October.

And unlike the first test when I didn't even manage a three-minute effort because I went out too hard, this time I managed it perfectly and increased my power over the three minutes.

As Dr Stadnyk says afterwards: "We did see a change in how you completed the tests – you definitely looked a lot smoother … you looked more comfortable; your breathing was a lot more controlled.

"And what we saw from the VO2 data was that there was probably an increase in your efficiency on the bike. So you aren't using as much energy in each pedal stroke or to produce each pedal stroke.

"One of the main changes at the higher end was that you weren't producing lactate as much, or you were able to clear it more effectively and that's obviously beneficial as well."

So why didn't we see the metabolic changes in my use of fat as an energy source?

One of the answers could be as simple as what I ate. In October I had some cereal three hours before the test, whereas in the second test I ate some muesli only 90 minutes before.

I also ate a lot of carbs the day before the second test.

So I might simply have had more carbohydrates floating around in my bloodstream.

This is borne out by the figures, which show my lactate levels were twice as high when I started my second test as they were in the first, and the amount of CO2 I was breathing out was also higher at the start of the test.

That might have reflected my diet or simply some natural variation.

But what we also saw was the lactate level was quite steady in my second test (despite the high levels at the beginning) until a big jump at 160 watts, which was 20 watts higher than in my first test.

In other words, it's possible that there was a metabolic change, or maybe it has something to do with my physiology.

Perhaps what I've really identified is the problem of doing an experiment with a sample size of one, as opposed to a much larger number doing the same tests.

Clearly I should have been more careful about ensuring the conditions were the same for the two tests.

And the other possible variation was the intensity of my riding over the three months. Going on heart rate alone isn't ideal, because it can vary according to heat, hydration and other factors, whereas power tends to be a more reliable measure.

We simply don't have enough data to come to a definitive conclusion about the benefits of Zone 2, but what I have determined is the five months of Zone 2 riding have left me feeling a lot stronger and a lot fitter – even if that's not obvious in the numbers.

As Dr Stadnyk says: "We know the benefits of aerobic endurance training, we have decades of evidence to show that it works.

"Get out and do exercise really, every little bit counts. It's definitely worthwhile spending a large volume of time at the lower intensity."

But he also says there's a benefit to doing a bit of work in all your power zones so you get the adaptations at both ends.

And that's what I'm going to do. I'll continue to do most of my riding at Zone 2 but be sure to put in some harder efforts on at least one day a week.

And above all, I'm going to keep riding.

The ABC of SPORT

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Texas MS 150 Bike Tour Returns To Aggieland

Texas A&M University will once again serve as the finish line for thousands of cyclists riding in the Texas MS 150 when the 40th annual charity bike tour concludes Sunday on Houston Street between Kyle Field and Aggie Park.

The two-day event benefiting people with multiple sclerosis — a condition that damages the body’s nervous system by eroding the protective coating of nerves — will run April 27-28, with a variety of routes beginning in Houston and Austin before converging in La Grange and again in College Station. Texas A&M Transportation Services is advising drivers to anticipate multiple road closures and potential delays beginning early Sunday as the riders make their way through campus.

A section of Lamar Street starting at the bell tower will be closed to drivers throughout the day, while Houston Street will remain closed from George Bush Drive to Joe Routt Boulevard. Riders will make their way down Olsen Boulevard and Old Main Drive before passing the Memorial Student Center and Kyle Field on their way to the finish line. A map of the route through campus, as well as accompanying road closure and parking information, can be found at transport.tamu.edu/ms150 .

Visitors planning to watch the participants finish are invited to park in one of the three nearby garages: Gene Stallings Boulevard Garage and University Center Garage will both charge a flat $10 entry fee, while West Campus Garage charges an hourly visitor rate. Additional parking information is available on Transportation Services’ event parking page .

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Bike MS, which encompasses the Texas MS 150 and a variety of other charity rides across the country, traces its roots to 1980, when the first MS 150 was held in Minnesota. Today, it is the largest fundraising cycling series in the world. Participants in this year’s Texas MS 150 have already raised nearly $7 million to fight multiple sclerosis, with an overall fundraising goal of $9.425 million. More information about the Texas MS 150 and Bike MS is available at events.nationalmssociety.org .

Media contact: Tad Fifer, Texas A&M Transportation Services, [email protected]

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Team UAE prodigy Ayuso takes Tour de Romandie lead

Oron-la-Ville (Switzerland) (AFP) – American rider Brandon McNulty won the Tour de Romandie third stage individual time-trial on Friday as his UAE Emirates teammate Juan Ayuso took the overall lead.

Issued on: 26/04/2024 - 18:37 Modified: 26/04/2024 - 18:35

Ahead of Saturday's decisive Queen stage in the high mountains McNulty was fortunate to cover the 15.5km course before the rain arrived.

"Yeah it's my first win here so I'm very happy, I had a good day and was lucky to go before the bad weather," said the American.

Belgian rookie Thibau Nys the overnight leader finished way down the field after his exertions Thursday in an all day escape took their toll.

The yellow jersey was taken by the 21-year-old Spaniard Ayuso who appears perfectly suited to go on and win the Tour in the mountains as the UAE prodigy continues to emerge from the shadow of the team's top rider Tadej Pogacar.

Ilan Van Wilder is second at seven seconds and Alexandr Vlasov third at 10sec, with Carlos Rodriguez and Lenny Martinez rounding out the top five.

Ayuso said at the start he was hoping to "take time back before Saturday" and he achieved that, taking all the time back and then some.

"I suffered, but I took some risks and I'm in a good position to defend the jersey now," he said after the stage.

Another up-and-coming all-rounder Frenchman Martinez was 16th on the day but was delighted with his overall fifth at 23sec, and his prospects given his 52kg weight and the mountain stage ahead.

"That was a good day's work, yes we lost time to McNulty but he raced in the dry. I put in a good shift and I'm looking forwards to tomorrow," said the 20-year-old FDJ man.

Saturday's run to Leysin features five climbs and two of them are category ascents including the final 14 kilometres long ascent to the finish line averaging six percent.

The top three across the line also gain time bonuses Saturday.

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