Strava Reveals Exclusive Pro-cyclist Training Data as Excitement Mounts for Tour de France
Strava, the leading subscription platform at the centre of connected fitness and official ride partner for this year’s Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, has today published exclusive data that highlights what it takes to train for the world’s most prestigious cycling event.
The data reveals that in the run up to the Tour, pro cyclists on average cover a total distance of 15,000km - the equivalent of cycling from the UK to Australia. The data also shows that the athletes’ longest cycle in a week typically tends to cover a distance of 180km.
Other key data points include:
Training: The data reveals that on average, pro cyclists recorded over 450 hours of training in 2023.
Elevation: On average, a typical Tour de France pro amassed a total elevation gain of 188,720m, which is equivalent to climbing Mt Everest over 21 times.
Duration: The average longest ride logged by athletes came in at 266km, which is the equivalent of cycling from London to Normandy.
Calories: Athletes training for the race burned over 400,000 calories over the course of January to June in 2023. This is comparable to eating over 1000 croissants or 4000 macarons
To uncover the data, Strava aggregated and anonymised the stats of 37 competitive cyclists training for the Tour de France, and their training logged from January - June 2023. This analysis only includes rides tracked on Strava.
Michael Horvath, co-founder and CEO at Strava commented: “This inspiring data underscores the determination, grit and bravery of the pro-cyclists as they prepare to partake in such an iconic and celebrated event.
“As the official ride partner of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, we are so pleased to be able to play a part in highlighting their accomplishments, not only with the Strava community but cycling fans all over the world. We look forward to the start of the Tour and hope it inspires a whole new community of cyclists to get moving this summer.”
The Tour de France runs from the 1st July until the 23rd of July, while the Tour de France Femmes kicks off on the 23rd July and runs until the 30th.
In 2022, out of the total start list of 176 Tour de France riders, 139 were on Strava – representing 80% of the peloton, up from 72% in 2021. For the Tour de France Femmes, 89% of the peloton were on Strava last year.
For those who want to know more about Strava and get ready for the 2023 Tour de France, here are 10 things you might not know about the app, which you can join for free today.
In March 2022, Strava announced a three-year partnership with the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. This partnership recognises Strava as the Official Ride Partner and brings together the world’s largest sports community with the world’s most iconic cycling event.