Stage 19 is the only long individual time trial in this year's TDF; the Tour usually features two individual and maybe even one team time trial. Since this stage is one day before the finish in Paris, it could create maximum drama, especially since there is only 8 seconds between Contador and Schleck at the start today! Each rider will complete the course individually, and their time for the day will be added to their overall time. Time trials require maximum effort- it's time to suffer in the Tour today! Click for more stage background

The last time an individual time trial started in Bordeaux was in 1996. The stage was won by German uber-mensch Jan Ullrich. 

Start Time: 12:00 p.m. Central European Time.

Stage Type: Individual Time Trial. Explain

Also known as the "race of truth," cyclists race alone against the clock. Starting times are at equal intervals, usually one or two minutes apart. Riders are not permitted to ride in the draft or slipstream of another rider. Any help between riders is forbidden. The rider with the fastest time is declared the winner.

Stage Distance: 52 KM or 32.3 miles. How far is that?

52 kilometers is the same as 32 miles. Why is today so much shorter than most of the stages? Because it's a time trial, where the riders tackle the course individually and race against the clock. Since they will be going flat out, as fast as humanly possible, 32 miles will actually feel like a very long distance!

Estimated Length of Time:1:00 How long is that?

One hour is about what it will take the very fastest riders to complete the course today. The slowest riders will take quite a bit longer, perhaps 1:15 or more. 

Terrain: flat.

Number of Climbs: no climbs today; flat TT. What does "cat" mean?

"Cat" is short for "category." The climbs are rated according to how long and hard they are. They are ranked Category 1-4, with 4 being the "easiest" (I'm not sure they're so easy!) and 1 being the "hardest." But wait- there's even a harder one! Climbs that are rated "Hors Categorie" (above category) are longer and steeper than a Category 1. That sounds HARD!

Estimated Calories: 5000 How much would you have to eat?

Even though the course is shorter today, an individual time trial is such an intense effort it will cause the riders to burn maximum calories. You'll see some racers really chowing down at dinner tonight!

The individual time trial is a special event in bike racing. In a standard road race all the riders start together, with the first rider to the finish line declared the winner. In the time trial, each rider races the course individually against the clock. The lowest-placed rider on the General Classification starts first, and the last man to go is the one in first place overall. Make sense? There is no drafting allowed, if you should happen to catch the rider in front of you. It's just man (or woman) and machine against the course and the clock. The TT is a very tough event, as you must go as fast as humanly possible for the entire distance! Unless, of course, you're not too concerned with your overall placing; but even then you must finish inside the time limit, which is based on the winner's time. Bike racing can be mighty hard, that's for sure!

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Are you hungry?

By Mari Holden at Velo Betty

It's really important for the cyclists to eat and drink while they are on the bike. In a race like the Tour de France the riders can barely keep up with replacing the amount of calories that they burn. So, they have to make sure that they eat while they are riding. Normally they will carry some small bars and gels in their jersey pockets. But, they can go back to their team cars in the caravan to get more food and bottles. There are guys on the team who are designated to help the other riders, and they will make many trips to the car. Their job is really important because they are helping the other riders on the team. There are also areas called "feed zones" where each team has people waiting by the side of the road to hand their riders bottles. They normally hand the bottles to their riders in "musettes which are like cloth purses for food and bottle. That way each rider can get a couple bottles and some food all in one bag. The cyclists have to eat so much every day that they actually get tired of eating and have to work hard to get their calories. So, sometimes the teams add some of the riders favorites in their musette bags... Things like small sandwiches, and cookies are favorites...

 

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