PHOTO: ‘I think my legs look tired’ – Pawel Poljanski posts unbelievable image at Tour de France
Cycling is tough on the legs, everyone knows that, but one look at Pawel Poljanski’s pins after Stage 16 of the Tour de France demonstrates just how tough.
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Poljanski posted a simple, yet horrifying, photo of his legs after Michael Matthews took victory at Romans-sur-Isere – and it shocked fans on Instagram and across social media.
“After sixteen stages I think my legs look little tired,” Poljanski wrote, alongside legs with veins popping everywhere.
“THAT. IS. NOT. HEALTHY.” wrote one user in response, while others called the sight of the legs “insane”.
The 27-year-old, who rides for Bora–Hansgrohe, is currently 75th in the general classification, despite all the strain on his body.
This photo of Team Sky’s Chris Froome back in 2014 shocked fans to a similar effect, but that was before a race not during it.
Our man @chrisfroome is looking absolutely ripped ahead of #LBL on Sunday! (Photo: @michellecound) #VaVaFroome pic.twitter.com/UGePCkvwKU
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) April 23, 2014
ABC quotes Dr Bradley Launikonis from the University of Queensland in explaining what effect long-distance cycling has on the body.
“The amount of blood that we get normally going down to our legs is five litres per minute, for anyone at rest. For an untrained athlete, their maximum exercise will have 20 litres per minute flowing through the muscles.
“One of these elite cyclists will have double that, about 40 litres per minute. They have massive volumes of blood moving through.
“The blood can pool there and that’s what’s happening in this extreme case. There is blood pooling in his veins which is why you’re seeing them (so visibly).”
If fans had any doubts about just how gruelling and demanding the Tour de France is for the riders, this photo proves the point in very alarming fashion.
