Is Altitude Training a ‘Must’ for Tour de France Success?

In June 2024, Bicycling Magazine published a feature by Rosael Torres-Davis and Molly Hurford on why so many professional cyclists now go to altitude camps before major races.

The article describes teams and riders heading to places like Tenerife, Andorra and Sierra Nevada for camps above 2,000 m, from Tour de France contenders to sprinters. It notes that women's teams are now doing the same.

It also covers altitude tents and altitude rooms for riders who cannot travel for two or three weeks, and it mentions Box Altitude.

Editor's note: Team Jumbo-Visma used Box Altitude systems from 2021 to 2023.

Altitude researcher Laura Lewis, Ph.D., told the magazine that the key with simulated altitude is enough hours in the tent at a sufficient altitude.

For amateur riders, the article is more cautious. Altitude is not the first step, and it needs a good plan around work, sleep and training.

The full article first appeared in Bicycling Magazine on 20 June 2024.