Tour de France
Tour snapshot: Desperate riders go with the flow

By Mark Akins
Seattle Times staff

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It's seldom discussed, but more common than a flat tire. It's cycling's dirty little secret (cover your eyes if you're squeamish):

Peeing off a bike.

Yes, while riding.

No, it's not dangerous, except for spectators. Remember, these are skilled bike handlers.

Riders drink a lot of water, up to a liter an hour. So, sooner or later, they've got to go.

If a group bathroom break can't be organized, it's sometimes necessary to go on the fly.

"You've got to make sure you don't hit any spectators," French rider Jacky Durand told tourdefrancenews.com. "And finding an empty stretch of road in the Tour de France isn't always easy. I mean, sometimes you start going when there is an empty patch of road, but by the time you finish, you're passing a group of bystanders.

"And then you've got to watch out for the race judges. They're always threatening to slap you with a fine for (urinating) in public."

There's a fate worse than being fined, though.

"Fortunately, in all my years as a pro," Durand said, "I've avoided one thing — going in my shorts."
 
Mark Akins: 206-464-8994 or makins@seattletimes.com