PROFESSIONAL CYCLING is a tough sport, and never more so than during the three Grand Tours each year: the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. Each of these covers thousands of kilometres and lasts three weeks, a time period succinctly broken down by the Danish rider Per Pedersen. “First week, you feel good. Second week, not so good. Third week, fucked.”
The Tour gets all the attention, but in many ways , which begins on 6 May, is the best of the three. , who completed 20 grand tours in
