The human mechanics of the Tour de France.
The tour de France is a spectacle unlike any other. A three-week trip across France, over rolling hills, flat wide roads and goat trails into the mountains. The Tour offers stunning views of one chateau after another and a host of lovely villages with imposing cathedrals. But besides the picturesque villages and idyllic roads, the tour also requires extreme effort from the riders.
Tom Dumoulin’s team is also being assisted by a chiropractor.
An annual peak moment
But the Tour de France is not only a peak moment for the riders. Also for the mechanics who maintain the bikes and masseurs who need to loosen the muscles. But certainly also for the chiropractors, which almost every team brings to the Tour. Every team has a medical team of which the chiropractor has long been an indispensable part.
An attack on the body
Cyclists for three weeks, exhausting themselves on a bike for four to five hours.
A gigantic effort that demands the utmost of the bodies in such a short period of time that there is no possibility of decent recovery.
The riders’ bodies face an attack each day in the form of 150 grueling miles that demand some 7,000 calories. All these calories must be burned to fuel the muscles that do the immense labor. And all this energy is pumped into the bicycle through the muscles and joints to move forward.
Recovery from such exertion is precisely the chiropractor’s area of expertise.
Chiropractic care at Body Recovery
Chiropractic is characterized by an extreme knowledge of the body. This knowledge is gained through both scientific understanding and also ancient healing traditions.
This combination creates a unique healthcare provider that draws on knowledge from multiple worlds.
The chiropractor uses this knowledge to determine where the athlete’s limits are. These boundaries are constantly being pushed during the Tour. It is precisely in the areas where the rider is at or over his limits that the chiropractor goes to work.
Through specific exercises, treatments and advice, the chiropractor supports the rider’s body. By focusing on precisely those areas that experience the most stress, the chiropractor takes full advantage of the body’s restorative power.
Prevention and Focus as the focal point
A large part of the chiropractor’s job in elite sports is to prevent complaints and injuries.
For this reason, a chiropractor knows (elite) athletes and effort. In cycling, for example, the back gets a lot of abuse. Bent posture and blows from bouncing the bike can cause subluxations.
These subluxations can then begin to cause a variety of symptoms. Both locally and throughout the entire body.
Therefore, not only is it important to properly remedy these subluxations, preventing these injuries is also vital. Because the chiropractor is alert to this, he identifies possible subluxations before they start causing symptoms. By then providing specific care for this in advance, the athlete avoids a lot of pain, complaints and injuries.
A large part of the chiropractor’s job in elite sports is to prevent complaints and injuries.
Cyclists and Chiropractors
Lance Armstrong, meanwhile, is a name with a sour taste in cycling. From a time when many athletes used banned substances. However, the Texan did pursue his sport very professionally and overcame many extreme efforts.
During the winter, he spent time at the University of Houston working with scientists to optimize his body, technique and equipment. This period also always included his regular chiropractor (J Jensen) to assist his body.
This chiropractor also helped him prevent injuries and rehabilitate his body during the grand tours.
Non-competitive athletes and cyclists also benefit greatly from their chiropractors.
Many avid amateur racers like the editor of Cycling Weekly also owe their ability to play sports (still) to their chiropractor.
(Top) sports at TOPCHIRO
The chiropractors at TOPCHIRO are passionate about sports.
But more importantly, they have a professional passion for helping athletes.
Topchiro has assistance to athletes as one of its most important parts of the practice and therefore has many (elite) athletes among its clients.
Every time one of them comes by for a session for prevention, for control or for help, it is another confirmation of the help a chiropractor can provide to athletes.
We are happy to help you perform better.
