Q: My friends Paul and Jim are totally gross because they don't wear underwear with their cycling shorts.  What's the best cycling underwear that the pro's use?- Howard
A: The shorts these riders use have a built in Chamois.    These Chamois are anti-bacterial and they absorb moisture and pad the rear end of teh cyclist.   They are very smooth and the seems are smooth.   when your pedaling at 100 revolutions per minute and you pedal over 200 minutes each day- you do not want underwear with seems that bunch up and chaffe your rear and upper leg.   NOBODY uses underwear.    Most use some sort of chamois cream and there lycra cycling shorts only.   It is much more comfortable for all rides over 20 minutes.

Q: It would be great to know how the average day and night works for you commentators -- and where exactly are Bob Roll and Craig Hummer? Do you do your interviews in the booth with them after the race is over, even if it seems like you are commenting live.
A: The night for the commentator revolves around a bunch of high speed travel on French Roads fighting to get to our hotels to get a meal and a good nite sleep.     In the AM the start crew heads goes to get pre-race interviews as well as do a course report.   The finish commentators shoot the pre-show eat lunch then wait to do the live commentary as soon as the show in the States starts.    The interviews are sometimes live and sometimes taped.  It depends on when we get them.

Q: What do the pros eat for breakfast before a long tour stage?  Is it mostly carbs, protein, etc?  My long ride on the weekend is typically 50-70 miles.  Any suggestions for me for an optimal breakfast?   I typically have a little bowl of Wheaties, and a cup of coffee.  Of course along the way I have a Clif bar, and usually empty my 100oz camelbak before I am done.  Your expert input is appreciated.  Keep up the good work with the tour.    - Gordon
A: A good breakfast is something that your body can tolerate and that gives you the energy you need to get rolling for the day.    These riders eat a varity of foods in the AM.  Many eat oatmeal, pancakes and bread.    But some like eggs,  many italians like spagetti and some like different kinds of cerial.     The one thing that they don't eat is something different then they have eaten in the past.   The key to a good breakfast at the tour is not to change anything that they have done in the past.    The other key to a solid breakfast is to know what does not work for you and to stay away from those foods.  Some of the riders have wheat and or lactose allergies and they make sure that those types of foods are eliminated from there diet.     Getting a 500 to 1000 calorie breakfast of foods that your body can digest and agree with is the key to success in the AM.    Note.   Some riders just don't like a big breakfast.   They often have to make themselves eat throughout the day to ensure they get enough calories.   

Q: This is kind of a gross question but,,, do these guys just hold it till there done or does there body sweat it out???  Karen
A: Most of the riders relieve themselves at some point during each stage.Some do it while they are on the bike on a downhill by leaning forward and pulling down there shorts.   Woman are not so lucky??

Often times the peleton will organize a nature break and everyone agrees to not attack while the others are watering the earth.

Q: Robbie- would we as recreational cyclists [ 150 miles per week ] stand a chance to make any of the tours climbs without walking up?- Kelly
A: It all depends if you are doing any climbing.  If you have the right gearing and you pace yourself properly you could make it up without walking.   The steepest sections of any climb at this years tour is about 10 percent so with some very easy gearing and a little bit of practise you could make it up these climbs.  Most people that have to walk often go to hard to early or they have bikes without an easy enough gear. I say go for it. Practice your climbing at home, pace it properly and make sure you have a triple or a compact front drivetrain and you should be just fine.

Q: Would it be possible to take a couple of minutes each day by an expert to give some details prior to each day's race...type of bike, no of gears, how the rider manipulates the gears during a climb, downhill, etc...it would be interesting to me anyway. -Herman
A: True- the tour is a team sport.  not only the riders are important but the mechanics, staff, massage theipist, team directors, etc...     The bikes are almost all carbon fiber these days-Most gear ratios are a 53/39 for the front rings and a 11-23 for the rear casette.   for the climbs they may have a larger rear casette so they can spin a bit more on the big climbs 11-25 or 11-26 they use easier gears of coruse on the climbs and bigger gears (harder to pedal- 53-11) when they are on the downhills.

Q: What's up with the yellow lion?  I've been watching the tour for 20 years and never knew what it's significance was. -William
A: The lion is the mascot for Credit Lyonnais.   Credit Lyonnais is the sponsor of the yellow jersy at the tour.    The Lion represents the sponsor and is gifted to the Yellow jersey wearer as sort of a trophy.

Q: How does nutrition and training compare from when you raced to today?
A: Nutrition today is very similar to the nutrition when I raced-   The flavor of some of the drinks are better but the contents are very similar.    They have some interesting gels and shot blocks that they did not have when I was a racer but overall the nutrition is very similar.

Q: What gear combo would most riders use on a climb like the tourmalet??- Bonnie
A: Most riders use a 39 tooth chainring in the front and either a 21-23 or 25 in the rear pending on the gradient of different sections of the climb they are on or how fast they are going. The steeper and slower they are going the higher the gear in back they are using.

Q: Could you comment on the effect of training at altitude on Lance? He lived at 8,000 feet of elevation and trained up to 12,000 feet for about six weeks. How long will the added red blood cells last once he's at sea level? How big an impact does that have on his performance in the Tour? 
A:  Altittude training works for most people.  I am sure Lance is a "responder" of he would not train at altitude.   Everyone responds differently to altitude but most riders respond to altitude by becoming better at processing oxygen though increasing there red blood cell count.   The only way to tell how they responded is to do blood work before and after the altitude exposure.   Often times the altitude response holds for up to a month before the body re-adjusts to sea level O2 levels

Q: Tell the announcers to give the cyclists speed as otherwise it does not relate to us average bikers here in usa. no? Even an approximate speed.-Howard
A: The speeds are often in some of the graphics but for general reference they climb at about 15mph  they ride on the flat between 25mpn-30mph they sprint around 40mph when they chase really hard they go about 28-35mph.

Q: In setting up bikes for time trials the wrenches never seem to set the quick releases in a standardized position. Since all TT/TTT riders want the most efficient wind resistance setup on their bikes, has any research been done on what the best final position for the quick release handle should be?-John 
A: Some of the bikes do not even have skeweres- they have aero bolts that hold the wheel on-   often times when there is a mechanical in a TT they have a spare bike they give them.  they do not mess with changing the rear wheel therefore they use aero bolts that hold the rear wheel on.

Q: From a coach's point of view, how do you view the Contador attack?- C.Allen
A: Contador's attack was made with passion and furey.   Conti went Rogue for a second there but I think in the end it was not a bad move for team astana.  I think the issue was more that he gave no one a heads up that he was going to do it.   I think they got things straightened out now and we will see a more unified front from the team.