I can’t imagine how grueling one stage of the Tour de France is, let alone participating in 21 of them over three weeks. To say one of cycling’s more well known races is a test of physical endurance would be a mild understatement.
Stage 18 of this year’s Tour de France took place on Thursday and covered 145.5 km (90.4 mi). Poland’s Bartosz Huzarski completed the stage in 4 hours, 15 minutes, good for 31st place out of 164 cyclists.
As you can probably guess, it takes quite a toll on your legs to pedal for 90+ miles. After the race, Huzarski posted the above photo to his Facebook page showing the effects the stage on had on his legs.
The 33-year-old elaborated a bit on their state, saying:
“For me it’s totally not a revelation, because I can see this view – maybe not everyday – but still often, especially after a hard race at high temperature, Huzarski said via Metro UK.”
“People write and think different things, “that is impossible”, “that is not normal”, “it is unhealthy”, refer to doping, etc …”
“Of course I will not have legs like Victoria’s Secret models, or Mary from a nearby vegetable shop, or anyone working in an office who does a 10km bike ride or an hour run three times a week. Unfortunately it does not work like that and this what you see in the picture. It is not unhealthy.”
After Stage 20, Huzarski is in 68th place with a cumulative time of 89 hours, 35 minutes, 52 seconds.
H/T Deadspin
