"I'm f****d," says cyclist who wore these shorts in the sun and came home looking like the Tour de France's polka dot jersey; "Hold on mate, the cycle lane isn't finished! It's got to be open before you park on it"; Tour build-up + more on the live blog

This is making me feel a whole lot better about the picture of my weekend sunburn that I stuck up on Monday's live blog. In my case, the great error was the usual underestimating of overcast skies and a lack of suncream. In this now-rosy Reddit cyclist's case, it was wearing Castelli's liner shorts as bibs and missing out on some suncream below. 

How it started:

 How it finished:

Unfortunately for the cyclist involved, those Castelli bib shorts are its 'ultimate liner', a short designed to be worn under baggy shorts. That's not to say you technically couldn't use them as regular bib shorts, just that the holes are there to keep you cool when wearing two pairs of shorts and aren't designed with sun protection in mind. There's no reason why, if you really wanted to, you couldn't wear them as bibs, you'd (quite obviously given these pictures) need to remember to fully suncream your legs to avoid this spotty sunburn outcome.

> Cycling survival — how to avoid sunburn & stay comfortable

That's the context, now onto the good part... the famously unsympathetic internet having its fun in the comments section.

One reply suggested the big problem was going to be aligning the dots on the next ride, while others joked about the poor rider looking like a cross between the Tour de France's mountains jersey and an allergy test.

"Don't tell PNS this trick," another reply joked. "They might make a cutout on the bibs with their logo and you will be wearing their branding as tan."

It's funny you should say that, Wout van Aert's beaten them to it...

> "Signing the lifelong contract was a mere formality": Wout van Aert gets Visma-Lease a Bike logo sunburnt on his thighs

Both Van Aert and this Reddit user have a long way to go before they can challenge the cycling sunburn GOAT, however. Returning for another viewing (the third of the week on the live blog no less!) Chris Froome's back after wearing one of Rapha's old mesh Team Sky jerseys for a training ride. 

Legendary.

Alternatively, to be extra safe, maybe we should all be riding around like Uno-X climber Tobias Halland Johannessen and his heat adaptation outfit. "25 degrees outside, five layers of jackets, body temp 39.6, 2,5 litre fluid loss and one bike rider from Norway that is a bit more adapted," he told his Instagram followers.

Hmmm maybe, or maybe we should just remember sun cream. 

> The last 'fast' Tour de France? Why the UCI's attempt to slow the pro peloton is unlikely to work

The UCI, cycling's governing body, has outlined its anti-doping plans for the Tour de France, namely what it calls a "comprehensive" programme to combat potential doping and technological fraud. It will be led by the International Testing Agency (ITA) and features a "targeted, intelligence-led testing plan grounded in the latest scientific developments and risk-based analysis".

There will be more than 40 ITA staff at the Grand Départ in Lille, around 350 out-of-competition tests in the month prior to the race, and around 600 in-competition samples to be collected during the event.

The UCI also says there will be strong cooperation with French national authorities and long-term storage of samples over a 10-year period "in anticipation of future new detection methods or scientific developments".

On the technological fraud side of things, a "reinforced monitoring programme" will be undertaken before and after stages. Interestingly, the UCI also says that during stages "an incident and performance monitoring programme will be implemented, relying in particular on the UCI Video Commissaire and the UCI Commissaires officiating at the race".

"Anything that arouses suspicion will thus be identified, enabling better targeting of checks," they said.

ITA director general Benjamin Cohen said: "The Tour de France is not only one of the most iconic events in sport, it is also a key moment for protecting the integrity of cycling. Our approach in 2025 reflects a continued commitment to intelligent, data-driven anti-doping strategies grounded in science, collaboration and continuous improvement.

"By combining targeted testing with advanced analytical tools such as the endocrine module, long-term sample storage and performance monitoring initiatives, we aim to ensure that this prestigious race is contested on a level playing field. We are proud to lead these efforts on behalf of the UCI and in close coordination with all our trusted partners."

Our calls for phones to be confiscated at Silca and Muc-Off offices have gone unanswered. The two have thankfully stopped squabbling in the comments, WD40 amusingly getting involved too with a GIF of someone sitting back with some popcorn. Anyway, Silca's now stuck a new Insta post up bigging up its products...

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by SILCA (@silca_velo)

Will there be any further escalation? Let's hope not, the last thing anyone needs to see is marketing teams from bike lube brands squaring off in a rap battle or releasing diss tracks. Our resident ultra-cycling legend Matt Page couldn't help himself last night and got some AI promo for the big pay-per-view showdown...

 Carl Dyson over on our Facebook page also earned himself a gold star for the comment... "I can sense friction". Brilliant.

Israel-Premier Tech will be easy to spot at this year's Tour, the team unveiling a colourful new kit and special edition Factor Ostro Vam ahead of the race. Groovy.

It's quite funny seeing Jake Stewart be put front and centre on the Ostro Vam. I wonder what bike he'll be riding on Saturday in Lille...

> Wild unreleased Factor aero bike spotted at Critérium du Dauphiné: mysterious track-inspired bike features huge fork legs and seatstays plus V-shaped stem

Anyway, the new Ostro Vam colourscheme is quite fun.

Lidl-Trek too will have a unique ride for the biggest race of the season, the team's riders sticking with their Lidl masterpiece kit but getting this reimagined Madone paint job for the Tour.

Which do you prefer?