- There are many devious tricks you can use
to deceive your competitors when cycling.
- And these devious tricks have been deployed
throughout the entire history of the Tour de France.
Not the most devious trick in the book,
but a good tool to have at your disposal nonetheless.
I'm talking about sheltering.
(French accordion waltz music)
- It is extremely unlikely that you'll see
a cyclist getting this wrong at the Tour de France.
But, if you are riding with someone
that is a little less experienced than you,
it is the perfect opportunity to expose them.
Always sit on when riding into a headwind.
And then when you do come through
to do a turn on the front with a tailwind,
make sure you ever so slightly increase the tempo.
As the potential for drafting is greatly reduced
and this is true even when riding uphill.
- Sitting in the wheels during a headwind
is far easier than sitting during a tailwind.
When you're sitting during a tailwind,
the effort is far more comparable.
So make sure you sit in the wheels during a headwind.
- Most famously used by Lance Armstrong
on the 2001 stage in the Tour de France
on the way to Alpe d'Huez, where he went on
to drop Jan Ullrich and everyone else.
Having bluffed his way through the entire stage
at the back of the bunch,
there is simply nothing more devious
than pulling the bluff.
To deploy this devious trick
you need to be fully under control,
even if you're on the limit, it is important
to maintain your composure.
No facial expression is to change
at any point, I mean, never.
No glimpse of effort or ease should ever appear
from behind the glasses.
You may need to choose very carefully
when you decide the moment has come
to show your real self.
Go too early and you will have blown it completely.
But, go too late, and you may well find
you weren't actually the only one playing the bluff.
Experience is a vital tool
when it comes to deciding when to go.
- Chris, are you going to come through?
You've been sat on the back all day.
- Oh, I'm just not feeling it today.
- What, I've done 100 K on the front!
- You're doing a great job, just let me know
when it's the final climb.
- Mate, we're into the last 10 K.
- The last 10 K, you say? - Yeah, this last, Chris!
You said you were feeling bad!
- That was amazing!
You absolutely annihilated everyone.
- To be honest, felt terrible.
- But you,
you cruised it, you barely even broke a sweat!
- The other guys just couldn't keep up,
I didn't feel great, legs weren't that great
but I kind of just sat up last five K,
they just didn't have the legs, I think.
- You must've felt good, you won by five minutes, solo.
- Yeah, just,
walk in the park.
Even though I felt bad,
those guys just couldn't keep up.
- The ultimate way to get under the skin of your rivals
has to be trash talking in the press.
Never let on how you really felt
and always make it sound like you could have given
that little bit more, or that your competitors
didn't provide you with a real test.
- I'm going to ride to the hotel, mate!
- Yeah, or be like that guy,
and make a big deal out of riding the 30 Ks
back to the hotel for punishment.
- So you're on one of those really hard days,
and your mate is just pounding on the pedals.
If you just grab hold of his pockets,
oh, might give you a little bit of respite.
- I think my brakes on!
- And trust me, you'll thank me after it.
- This guy.
And if you do momentarily want to distract your competitor,
you can simply have a little fondle in their back pocket.
For whatever reason, you can pretend
that something is about to fall out,
or that maybe their number needs to be pinned back on.
You can catch a rather brief but rather effective
and enjoyable little tow.
- So you want to get a free ride all day, here's one for ya.
Attack at the bottom of the climb.
Go out of sight, run behind a bush, hide.
Wait 'til the peloton goes past
then jump on the back of the group.
- This has to be my all time favorite devious trick
in the world of cycling.
It's one where a strong rider
can get up the road, either in a group or solo.
Before discretely pulling over to the side of the road,
and hiding, waiting for the entire bunch to pass them.
They then rejoin the race quietly at the back
whilst chases like a mad person on the front.
Now this tactic is becoming increasingly rare,
we're in a world of good live TV coverage
and race radios, of course.
It's now more the reserve for a top level amateur event
and it is perfectly suited to a strong person
that can get up the road ahead of the bunch.
- What?
Oh!
- He's never going to see me in here, perfect.
Shh, he's never going to know I'm here.
- Where have you been?
I haven't seen you all day!
Been chasing you!
- I've been here all day, mate.
Just chilling, just chilling.
- You're on one of those really good days,
and you've made the morning breakaway.
You've got two options, sit in and relax,
or go hard and do big turns.
My advice to you would be sit on.
Tell your mates you can't come through,
you feel too bad.
Sorry, Chris, I feel awful, I can't go through, I'm sorry!
Now wait 'til the last five K, attack, attack!
And solo to victory!
(crowd cheering)
Have you ever pulled a fast one on your riding buddies?
Then let us know in the comments section below.
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Chris, that's beautiful. - It's quite nice.