Video: How the riders coped with the wet and cold on yesterday's Vuelta; useful tips for the Irish winter in here

 

How do professional cyclists deal with wet weather?

Stage 14 on the Vuelta a Espana  yesterday, Saturday, was a cold, rainy and mountainous trek in the Pyrenees, finishing in Andorra.

The terrible weather led to seventh placed Ivan Basso withdrawing from the race with hypothermia and he wasn't the only one.

Our own Nicolas Roche had a very rough time and at one stage it looked like he was trying to get food from his pockets but his hands were so cold he couldn't do it.

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Riders usually have their rain bags in the team cars for wet races and can take off wet items and replace them with dry ones on the move. But on a day like yesterday it's almost impossible to keep warm and dry.

With a number of riders dropping out of the race due to the conditions, it seemed there simply was not enough clothing pre-prepared to keep the riders from getting so cold they ground to a halt.

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In this video, there's interviews with the riders before the set off on the stage that give and insight into how they were preparing for the elements. Some of the riders speak post-stage about their efforts to keep dry.

You may not riding for six hours in the wet and cold in the Pyrenees any time soon, but Ireland is a wet and cold country and  no matter where you are in the world, bad weather will be a factor sooner or later.

You'll find some tips in here about dealing with the elements with the elements try and beat you up.