In cycling’s Grand Tours, the term “rest day” is a bit of a misnomer. There’s plenty for mechanics to do, often after a long drive the previous evening, there are press conferences to be held, and the riders will get out on their bikes for a while to keep the legs spinning.
As in 2014, when the Big Start took place in Northern Ireland, this year’s Giro d’Italia unusually features three rest days, the first taking place today to accommodate the long journey to Calabria from the Netherlands.
Team Sky’s solution to how to make sure the riders’ legs didn’t seize up following this morning’s 1,700-odd kilometre flight from the Netherlands to Lamezia Terme was to have staff waiting at the airport with bikes and kit so they could hop straight on and ride the remaining 50 kilometres to the hotel.
The riders didn’t seem too unhappy at the prospect of it, as this video posted to Twitter shows.
Straight off the plane. Bikes and staff waiting at the airport. 50km training ride back to the hotel #Giro pic.twitter.com/blFBNAlk4x
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) May 9, 2016
#Giro rest day blues? Follow us on Instagram as carer @_BenJenko is taking over our account: https://t.co/FuI2KcQkqx pic.twitter.com/8lE9pfr0vm
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) May 9, 2016

4 thoughts on “Video: Rest day? What rest day? Team Sky ride 50km from airport to hotel”
50k is nothing of a distance
50k is nothing of a distance to a pro especially if they are taking it easy. Cool down session
CXR94Di2 wrote:
yeah, this isn’t news. Virtually all the pros go for a ride on the ‘rest day’. In fact it’s thought that you lose your form if you don’t go for ride.
nothing to see here. Move along.
Every single team goes for a
Every single team goes for a ride on the rest days, I think this more about getting straight off the plane and riding to the hotel, which _is_ quite unusual. Also got the impression the article was done in a light-hearted manner, not to be dissected like summer cyclingnews race report but perhaps that’s just me.
50km is a little short for a
50km is a little short for a rest day ride but it isn’t about “training” but more about keeping supple and maintaining blood flows.
Maybe it isn’t “news” but shouldn’t and doesn’t the site publish things that are interesting to as wide a range of people as possible. On that basis I’d say this article is certainly relevant for the site.