Q's while watching the TdF 2021 ...
1. Watching a mountain stage that featured constant cold rain and 45 mph downhills: is there such a thing as rain tires for bicycles? Like car and motorcycle tires get, some rubber compound that grips better on wet surfaces?
2. How come just about every cyclist out there is clean shaven? Athletes in other sports who are in their 20s and 30s have some hip-looking growth. Is it aero something? Or tradition?
3. What is the point of "chasing down" a breakaway rider, especially uphill? So the pursuit riders catch up with him ... then what happens? They can't slash his tires.
4. After a big crash and pile-up .... how do they sort out or assign times to the riders caught in the pile-up, whether they are injured or not, or their bikes broken or not?
5. Mountain stages: what's a typical rear cassette gear pack? They have big gears for the brutal uphills but also tiny gears for downhills - I see them pedaling for more speed when they're already going 45+ mph. Related Q: Do riders ever use triple chainrings?
=K