Medicine: The Tour de France is a freak show of genes
No, these aren't superhumans climbing the Pyrenees and Alps at record speed. These are natural mutants and extreme physiological variants. The best DNA mix will determine victory or defeat.
Anyone who has ever ventured up Mont Ventoux by bike and found themselves exhausted on the summit after more than two hours can only shake their head in disbelief when watching the pros. Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, the Tour de France's dominant riders since 2020, needed just over 50 minutes to complete the 21-kilometer climb a few days ago, shattering all previous records. Before they had to conquer the "Giant of Provence," the stage ran 150 kilometers through southern France. Their average speed that day was more than 40 kilometers per hour, despite 2,950 meters of elevation gain.
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