In 2006, American Floyd Landis won one of the most dramatic editions of the Tour de France.

But just weeks later he dramatically lost his title after a positive test result showed he had used performance-enhancing drugs during that Tour.

So started a years-long drama that would feature deep denials of doping and protracted legal battles.

Landis even wrote a book claiming his innocence, but eventually he confessed.

In the process he helped expose one Lance Armstrong.

In his heyday Landis was a talented climber in the high mountains of Europe, and for a very short time he was one of three American winners of the world's greatest race.

After his world came crashing down, Landis went through a painfully long period of restarts, professionally and personally, and trying to overcome his past chaos and create a normal life.

And while he is still suing Armstrong in $100 million whistleblower lawsuit with the help of the federal government, Landis appears to have moved on from his troubled past.

On June 30 he's throwing a party to celebrate the opening of his new business, a Colorado-based "recreational marijuana infused products brand."

In a phone interview with Business Insider, Landis said he has used recreational marijuana from time to time to help deal with pain related to a hip replacement. That what's got him thinking about doing this as a business.

"I had my hip replaced 10 years ago when I was 30 years old," Landis said. "It kind of needed to be fixed again because I had a bunch of pain, and this has really been helping me out a lot. And it's a cause I don't mind getting behind, the elimination of prohibition in some of the states. It's benefiting me and I know it benefits a lot of people. It's something I care about."

His wholesale products — oils, transdermal applications, edibles — will be sold to retailers. Cannabis is legal in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, although the federal government still considers it illegal.

"I'm just glad we can do it without any repercussions," Landis told Business Insider. "There are a lot of other states coming online. California is voting on it in November. The last time it failed to pass. One of the big problems is the prison guards union spends a lot of money lobbying against it, which is just evil if you ask me.

"But it's changing. Some people see it as taboo and some still have opinions about how best to manage it. But certainly the War on Drugs is a failure. I think people my generation and younger don't see it the same way as those who were told by the Nixon administration years before.

"I think it's foolish that it's banned and that it's banned in professional sports, that it's illegal and people go to prison over it. If we can get past the little catchphrases by duplicitous congressmen and law enforcement just to keep this thing illegal, then we can actually have a real conversation about it."

The launch event for Floyd's of Leadville takes place in Denver on June 30 at Club Vinyl. (RSVP at floydsofleadville.com.) Landis hopes to start offering his products at dispensaries in the area around the same time.

Landis said he has backers but that he is the CEO and runs the company.

Asked if his former status as a Tour winner will help promote his new business, Landis said:

"Look, the only connection there is, like you said, is it allows me to get publicity, but at the end of the day I've moved on from cycling. But I still enjoy watching it and I respect those guys — and I hope they don't have to make the hard decisions I had to make back then.

"I enjoy cycling and I watch it again now — I enjoy the human drama. Cycling takes more of a beating than it probably should. For whatever reasons, the management and the organizations that run it don't seem to be able to figure out a way to properly deal with the issues they have to deal with. It's a free-for-all. Most people who are not hard-core cycling fans are thinking it's all a circus. I feel bad about it, but it's what it is.

"But cycling for me now is just a hobby. I've moved on to this, and it's a big opportunity."

In case you were wondering, no, Floyd Landis doesn't ride bikes anymore. He says he just got lazy, but one day he's going to get back in shape.

Of the old team, the only rider he really talks to these days is Dave Zabriskie. But Landis also talks now and again with Tyler Hamilton.

"They're all just going through what everybody goes through when they're done being an athlete," Landis says. "They're just kind of lost. They might say they have a plan, but they don't have a plan."

Landis v. Armstrong

Asked if he had a sense of how and when the $100 million lawsuit against Armstrong might end, Landis said he doesn't know.

"The last couple years, you know, my lawyer deals with it and I don't really pay that much attention. I assume at some point there will be a trial. I don't mean to sound flippant about it, but I just don't care anymore."

If he were to win, he'd be in for some big money. But Landis says he's not concerned that much.

"I mean, I guess, but I don't now and I never have lived my life thinking there's some pot of gold. That was just part of what down in 2010 and the years before that. I'm better off not worrying about it."

Return to the Tour

Will he watch the Tour this year?

"Yeah. For the first time I watched it last year. I avoided it for a long time because I had bad feelings about it, but I enjoyed watching it. I'm going to watch the finish this year.

"I might take a bottle with me just in case it's a traumatic experience," Landis said laughing, "since I can't fly with any of my own product.

"I'd really like to go to some of the different stages," he added, "but I think just going to the one in Paris will be a good start for me."

Given Landis' history with the world's greatest race, that seems like a smart idea.

Business Insider will be at this year's Tour de France. Follow this page and BI Sports on Facebook for updates.

You can read the full press release below:

Floyd's of Leadville Announced

June 24, 2016 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEADVILLE, COLORADO - Floyd’s of Leadville, a new Colorado-based recreational marijuana infused products brand, announces its product launch event on Thursday, June 30, 7-11 PM, at Club Vinyl, 1082 Broadway, Denver, Colorado.

Founded by former professional cyclist Floyd Landis, the new company enters the recreational cannabis industry specializing in cannabis oil sourced from high altitude growers using an industry-leading, pharmacy grade CO2 extraction process. The uniquely-formulated vape and transdermal products are crafted for an enhanced consumer experience and are carefully prepared in a lab using pharmacy grade ingredients and overseen by licensed pharmacists to maximize the many health benefits of recreational cannabis.

Landis relishes his new role as a producer of high-quality cannabis products.

“I am really excited about this new phase of my life. The cannabis industry is growing fast and I am fortunate to have this opportunity to play a role.”

Landis sees the mission of the company as dual-faceted, both as a producer of premium products and as a supporter of alternatives to addictive painkillers.

“The therapeutic uses for cannabis can't be ignored. For years I relied on opioid pain relievers to treat my hip pain. With cannabis, I find that I can manage my pain and have a better quality of life. We need to give people a safer alternative.”

The product launch event is open to the public and limited to 300 guests.

DON'T MISS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The Lance Armstrong team that dominated the Tour de France

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We went inside a legal marijuana dispensary — it was just like any other retail experience

Shortly after completing the London Marathon on April 24, I decided I needed to set myself a new challenge as my weird mid-late twenties fitness binge continues.

So I bought a cheap road bike and signed up to cycle from Paris to London with around 70 other people that work in tech at companies like Apple, Google, IBM, Deliveroo, Merill Lynch, and Tech City UK.

The mixed-ability charity bike ride, organised by non-profit TechBikers, involved cycling more than 300km in around two and a half days.

Starting at the iconic Eiffel Tower, we headed north through the French countryside and up towards the coastal town of Dieppe. From there we caught a ferry to Newhaven, before riding on up to London.

Having never done anything like this, I was slightly apprehensive. Thankfully I managed to stay on my bike and return home with little more than a slightly dodgy right knee and a bit of minor sunburn.

Below are some photos from the ride:

I bought a B'twin Triban 500 SE from Decathlon for £299 at the end of April. The bike was recommended to me by a couple of friends that know a bit about cycling.

A month later, I confirmed my place on the TechBikers Paris to London ride. The ride is organised every year to raise money for children's education charity Room to Read, which has been building schools in Nepal recently following the country's devastating earthquake last year.

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By the time I confirmed my place, there were just four weeks left to train for the ride. I crammed in two rides over 80km, including one out into Hertfordshire with Apple's head of UK public sector, Craig Pollard (front), and entrepreneur David Wynter (back).

The Tour de France, which begins Saturday and runs through July 24, is not just the world's biggest bike race; it's also the largest annual sporting event on the planet. In addition to the 198 riders, there is a massive support staff as well as journalists, police officers, mechanics, chefs, and many more people who literally help put the show on the road.

A remarkable logistical operation, thousands of people move almost every day from one town to the next like a mini city on wheels.

The route for the 103rd edition takes riders in a counterclockwise direction around France, from the northwest coast, down to the Pyrenees, over to the Alps, and up to Paris. There are also forays into Andorra, Spain, and Switzerland.

Check out all the key numbers below.

Follow Business Insider's coverage from the Tour here, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

SEE ALSO: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The Lance Armstrong team that dominated the Tour de France

As cycling fans around the world follow the 103rd Tour de France (July 2-24), it is inevitable that at some point the name Lance Armstrong will pop up.

After all, Armstrong was one of the most dominant athletes for nearly a decade, not to mention one of the most recognizable figures in the world.

He did what no one had ever done: He won the Tour seven times, and he did so consecutively from 1999 to 2005.

But of course that was all before the US Anti-Doping Agency found that his team ran "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."

As we know now, his victories were aided by performance-enhancing drugs, and all his wins in the greatest bicycle race were stripped from him.

To this day, Armstrong still blasts USADA, calling it "one of the most ineffective and inefficient organizations in the world" and claiming its CEO, Travis Tygart, went after him only because he needed a case and a story.

Armstrong didn't act alone, and it was, darkly so, a team effort. A calculating tactician, Le Boss handpicked his teammates carefully, and together they were cycling's most successful team.

Quite a few of the riders who served under Armstrong's tainted reign are still involved in the sport. Here's a look at what he and his old teammates have been up to:

SEE ALSO: All Tour de France articles

An indelible image from the era was that of the US Postal Service's "Blue Train" setting a blistering pace at the front of the peloton, one that no one could match, let alone beat.

Levi Leipheimer was an all-rounder who rode with Armstrong on a few different teams at the Tour. He later admitted doping during his career.

Source: USADA

He now lives in Santa Rosa, California, where he runs a mass-participation bike ride. He also does promotion videos and coaches cyclists.

Sources: levination, Levi's GranFondo

For many athletes, competing in the Olympics is an honor they've spent their entire career working towards. But because this summer's games are being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a number of top athletes are refusing to attend.

The current Zika virus outbreak that has been ravaging Latin America and the Caribbean began in Brazil in May 2015. The country has been hit harder than any others, with 91,387 likely Zika cases registered in Brazil from just February to April this year alone.

The virus is known to cause a birth defect called microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains and abnormally small heads. It can also cause rare autoimmune disorders in adults, and can be transmitted sexually from an infected male to his partner.

Experts say that 80% of adults infected with Zika don't exhibit any symptoms, while the remaining 20% usually have a rash, fever and eye pain.

Here are some of the high-profile athletes that have decided to skip the Olympics to avoid potential Zika exposure. 

Australian golfer Jason Day

The world's current number one ranked golfer, 28-year-old Jason Day of Australia, recently announced he was going to be skipping this year's Olympic games.

"The sole reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus and the potential risks that it may present to my wife's future pregnancies and to future members of our family. I have always placed my family in front of everything else in my life," Day said in a statement.

American cyclist Tejay van Garderen

Tejay van Garderen, 27, withdrew his name from Olympic contention, over fears for the potential complications Zika may cause for his pregnant wife, Jessica.

"If Jessica were not pregnant right now, assuming I was selected, I would go,” van Garderen told CyclingTips. “But the fact is, she is pregnant. If we were just going to start trying, I’d say we could start trying six months after the Olympics. But when she has a baby in her belly, I don’t want to take any chances."

Irish golfer Rory McIlroy

Golfer Rory McIlroy, a 27-year-old golfer from Ireland, is one of the highest profile athletes who decided to skip the games. 

McIlroy ranked as the number one golfer in the world for 95 weeks between 2012 and 2015, so his decision was a big blow to the Olympic golf competition.

"Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take," McIlroy said in a statement.

COUDVILLE-SUR-MER, France, July 1 —When one of the world's best pro cycling teams offers you the opportunity to join them at the Tour de France, you don't hesitate to say yes.

Cannondale-Drapac is one of three American teams that race at the sport's highest level, in the UCI WorldTour (the two others teams are BMC Racing and Trek-Segafredo).

Cannondale Bicycle Corp. is a bike manufacturer based in Connecticut, and Drapac Capital Partners, a brand-new co-title sponsor, is a property funds management business. The team is managed by former pro cyclist and Tour de France rider Jonathan Vaughters, a native of Colorado. The team has a lot of character, and it is known for playing the bike-racing game a little differently than its more traditional European rivals. Its aggressive strategy has led to some great victories at cycling's top races.

In announcing its Tour roster, Vaughters said: "We go into this race as a hungry mongrel of a team. But I’ll take that over a poncy, over-fed poodle any day." And in keeping within its own tradition, for this Tour, Vaughters has made a "Moneyball" bet on French climber Pierre Rolland, as VeloNews' Andrew Hood reported.

The 103rd Tour de France runs July 2-24, and Business Insider has joined Cannondale-Drapac for a little while at the race. Here's some of what we've been seeing so far:

SEE ALSO: Tour de France, world's biggest annual sporting event, is an amazing race and breathtaking logistical feat

This year's Tour de France starts on the northwest corner of France, in Normandy. The Cannondale-Drapac team have set up camp in Coudeville-sur-Mer, a commune in the Manche department. The team has one big bus for the riders and another for the bikes and all the equipment. There are also several teams cars and vans.

The riders eat every meal together. Here they sat down to a big breakfast the day before the Tour's start. They'd soon head out for a 2.5-hour ride to recon the course for stage one.

The team has its own chefs, a married couple who travel with the team year-round. They often make the riders' food in their mobile kitchen and then bring it to them, usually in the hotel. It's way better than what most hotels serve up, and it meets the riders' preferences. Today for breakfast it was made-to-order omelettes.

COUDVILLE-SUR-MER, France, July 2 — Pro cyclists are some of the fittest athletes on the planet, and eating right is critical to their performance. Take the riders in the Tour de France, who are challenged over a grueling 21-stage race mentally and physically in one of sport's hardest tests, pedaling some 2,200 miles around France over extreme terrain and in extreme temperatures.

Even eating becomes a task after a number of days because they have to eat so much, and the food has to be healthy, fresh, and tasty.

So what do the world's best bike racers eat? We got a look at America's Cannondale-Drapac team after its nine riders safely completed stage one at Utah Beach in Normandy.

Here's what they had for dinner, which was prepared by the team's very own chefs, Sean Fowler and Olga Belenko, a couple who travel to the major races with the team throughout the year:

SEE ALSO: An inside look at what America's coolest team did the day before the Tour de France

First, there is juice. It has four ingredients: beet, fennel, carrot, and cucumber. The drink is served with an appetizer, both of which are placed on the table ready to eat so that when the hungry riders show up there is zero waiting.

Personally, I don't like beets, but Olga told me it didn't have a strong beet flavor. She offered me a glass, and it tasted more like carrot, and I liked it. The riders were each poured a modest glassful to go with their appetizer ...

Then came the appetizer — salmon tartare. It also had four ingredients: salmon, avocado, cucumber, and pickle. Nothing else added. As noted in a previous article here, Olga and Sean prepare the riders' food in their mobile kitchen and bring it to the hotel dining room. The food is always fresh, purchased locally, and made according to the riders' preferences.

ANGERS, France, July 4 — The world's best bike racer, Peter Sagan, is leading the world's biggest bike race, the Tour de France, and the bike he's racing on is the Specialized S-Works Venge pictured here.

We got a chance to take a quick look at the world champion's bike on Monday after stage three in Angers, France. The Tinkoff team's head mechanic let us take a few pictures of the Tour leader's bike before locking it up for the night ahead of stage four.

Check out some of the cool features of Sagan's Venge below:

SEE ALSO: Here's what Tour de France riders are eating for dinner

Even from behind the bike looks incredibly aero.

A close-up of the tread on Sagan's Specialized Turbo tires.

Sagan's custom Prologo saddle features colors of the Slovakian flag.

LIMOGES, France, July 6 — German sports star Marcel Kittel has become one of cycling's fastest sprinters, and on Tuesday he won stage four of the Tour de France here in Limoges at the end of the race's longest stage, which featured a grueling finish.

Here's a closer look at Kittel, who studied computer science before landing a contract to race bikes professionally:

DON'T MISS: Here's what Tour de France riders are eating for dinner

SEE ALSO: Here's the droolworthy bike that the leader of the Tour de France is riding

Sprint ace

Kittel is one of pro cycling's best sprinters, but he is beatable. This year's Tour de France has seen Mark Cavendish return to his winning ways — he won stages one and three, at Mont Saint-Michel and Angers. Yet Kittel took a much-needed win on stage four at Limoges.

Kittel's ideal sprint is a flat drag race where pure sprinters like him can open up and sprint all-out for 200 to 300 meters at nearly 50 mph.

"The biggest difference between me and the others is that I can maintain a very high speed for very a long period of time," Kittel once told Cyclingnews. "The key to winning is knowing, depending on the type of course, how long you will have to hold that high speed in a sprint."

Kittel won stage four of the Tour de France on Tuesday

After missing out on at least two sprint stage wins earlier this Tour, Kittel, in blue, snagged stage four in a photo finish from France's Bryan Coquard, in black and yellow.

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New kid on the block

Kittel turned pro in 2011 and won nearly 20 races in his debut season. In 2012 he kept winning, and in 2013 he won bigger races, including a whopping four stages of the Tour de France.

Then in 2014, in his second Tour, he upset the favorites again to win four more stages. He was now without question cycling's fastest sprinter.

But his 2015 season was a setback, as the big German suffered from a persistent virus infection. His team that year decided not to bring him to the Tour, and not without controversy. The next season Kittel landed on a different team.

"Health is everything — also your key to success," he later said.

He bounced back in 2016 and has racked up several victories, including two dominant stage victories in May's Giro d'Italia, where he also wore the leader's jersey. And now he can add stage four of the 2016 Tour to his résumé.

Tour de France cyclists burn 8,000 calories a day during the three-week bike race each July. And so, the cyclists have to continually eat during the day to keep their energy levels up — even when they're on the bike.

That's why you often see pictures of the riders eating mini doughnuts, scarfing down banana and eating sandwiches while traveling at ultrafast speeds, according to Bon Appetit.

Each of the cyclists try to eat 200 calories an hour during the race, though they eat even more if they're at a harder stage. They consume quick-digesting carbohydrates, such as fruits and refined grains, and their food is often stuffed in the back pocket of their jersey.

But the main thing these cyclists are usually eating while racing? Rice cakes.

"We rely on them," Henrik Orre, chef for Britain's Team Sky premier professional cycling team, told Bon Appetit.

Orre is a former head chef of Mathias Dahlgren, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Stockholm. For his team, Orre makes a dense, moist version of the traditional rice cake.

His version is composed of cooked rice, cinnamon, cream cheese or almond butter, and a bit of agave. The chef mixes these ingredients together, pressed in a pan and chilled, and then cuts them into squares. They are then wrapped in tin foil. 

"They're the best thing to eat on the bike because you don't have to chew much," Orre said. "Just swallow it down with a bit of water and you're fine."

The chef rotates nearly a dozen different flavors, though apple and raisin is popular, as is almond butter and banana. He makes several different kinds each day, and the riders grab a handful at the beginning of each race.

The cyclists also grab another five or six when they hit the Feed Zone, which is the race's snack time midway through the day.

"They aim to eat one piece every half hour throughout a five or six hour ride," Orre said.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Forget Q-tips — here’s how you should be cleaning your ears

MONTAUBAN, France, July 10 — Each day here at the Tour de France a handful of the world's fittest athletes climb into a small office on wheels to pee into a plastic cup. For the riders it is part of the job, as routine as riding their bikes, but for a sport not long ago plagued by doping scandals the testing is critical to its integrity and survival.

There has not been a doping positive in this Tour so far. In last year's race there was one positive, for cocaine, and in the 2014 Tour there was no positive test reported. (Here's a list of doping cases in cycling.)

At least on the surface, pro cycling today appears much cleaner than it did a decade or so ago.

How does the world's biggest bike race detect if a rider is doping? Welcome to "antidoping control," where officials try to ensure that cyclists are racing clean by testing their urine and blood, usually with little notice. If a rider fails to report to antidoping, for whatever reason, he is considered to be positive and immediately kicked out of the race.

This week at the Tour, cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF), the independent organization mandated by the UCI to define and carry out the antidoping strategy in cycling, granted Business Insider access into their mobile antidoping-control facility. Here's what we saw:

DON'T MISS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The Lance Armstrong team that dominated the Tour de France

Before each stage finishes, an official from the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) posts a list of riders' numbers near the finish line.

Teams send a representative — usually a soigneur— to check the list to see if one of their riders has been selected for testing. Meanwhile, CADF chaperones are sent to the finish to notify the selected riders and escort them to antidoping.

The riders' names are not printed on the list but their race numbers and team names are.

It isn't hard to figure out who's who as the riders' race numbers and names are public knowledge. A quick Google search will easily identify each rider. The riders don't have to go directly to antidoping, so if they are asked to do a postrace press conference or wish to go to their team bus and clean up, they can do that — as long as they are with their assigned chaperone at all times.

The antidoping control is usually located just beyond the finish line.

SAUVETERRE-DE-COMMINGES, France, July 11 — On the big Pyrenean stages at the Tour de France, riders push themselves to the limit as they race over massive mountains and storm down high-speed descents. On TV it all looks so epic, with tens of thousands of spectators lining the roads cheering wildly against a backdrop of beautiful vistas, but when you come to the Pyrenees in person the blazing sun hits you immediately. You don't quite get that from watching the race on TV, but it can be an intense atmosphere.

For the riders, the sultry conditions make racing harder and recovery between stages more complicated. Even under the best conditions, sleeping becomes a challenge for these world-class cyclists as they get further into this three-week race. Their bodies becomes "wired," sports director Charly Wegelius told Business Insider. Many riders will tell you it gets harder to sleep, especially if the hotel you're staying in has no air-conditioning.

Knowing that, the American Cannondale-Drapac team brought cooling mattress toppers called ChiliPads from the US. Kevin Reichlin, the team's chiropractor, found out about the product in the offseason and brought it to the attention of team boss Jonathan Vaughters, who asked Reichlan to bring nine of the pads to the Tour, one for each rider. They cost $450 to $1,100.

Here's how they help keep the best cyclists cool and comfortable at the Tour de France:

SEE ALSO: How drug testing works at the Tour de France

DON'T MISS: Here's what Tour de France riders are eating for dinner

The company claims the ChiliPads cool to as low as 55 degrees F and warm up to 110.

The way the ChiliPads work is simple: You roll out the pad on a bed, fill up the control unit with water, plug it in, and then set the desired temperature. Cooled water is pumped through tubes in the pad, recirculating through the night.

This was the ChiliPad set up for Frenchman Pierre Rolland after stage eight of the Tour de France, a day that saw him crash into a wall and scrape up his left side.

The first time the riders tried the ChiliPad was after stage eight, the first day in the Pyrenees. The team was staying at an old hotel in the French countryside, and while it was a beautiful place, there was no AC. What's more, the team's leader, Rolland, was nursing injuries after a crash in the race. He arrived at the hotel with lots of road rash on his left side. Getting a good night's sleep would be difficult but necessary for recovery. The ChiliPad was seen as a way to help him sleep more soundly. Five other riders also asked to use the pad.

The control unit for the ChiliPad, where you pour in the water and set the temperature.

On July 2nd cyclists from around the world began the 103rd Tour de France, the prestigious three-week stage race — or "grand tour"— that happens to be the world's largest annual sporting event. All told, that's 2,197 miles of pedaling for this year's race.

Each day participants ride, on average, about 100 miles and burn some 6,071 calories, according to Inside Science, a science news site run by the American Institute of Physics.

To give you a better idea of just how many calories that is, we've teamed up with the folks at Inside Science, which originally calculated how many jelly donuts you'd have to eat to generate enough energy to keep up with a Tour de France cyclist on race day. Turns out it's 32!

Here are some more popular foods, and how many of each you'd have to eat to compete. Of course this is not what Tour de France cyclists actually eat while competing!

SEE ALSO: Scientists just discovered a simple way to eat healthier and potentially curb cravings, no diet required

DON'T MISS: Take this quiz to figure out what you should be eating on a daily basis

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is what the number of calories Tour de France cyclists burn daily actually looks like

ARCALIS, Andorra, July 12 — Every second counts in the Tour de France, and so does every watt.

The 1989 Tour underlined that fact when after three weeks, 2,041 miles, and 87 hours, 38 minutes, 35 seconds of racing American Greg LeMond won by eight seconds. That time was thanks in part to LeMond's use of aero bars, at the time a new technology in pro cycling.

Another example can be seen in the efforts made by the US-based Cannondale-Drapac team, which has done what it can to ensure that its leader, Pierre Rolland, performs his best. Like LeMond, the team looked to the latest advances in technology.

So in addition to modernizing Rolland's training program — team boss Jonathan Vaughters observed that Rolland had been "training like it was 1975" before joining Cannondale-Drapac— the team has purchased state-of-the-art cooling mattress toppers from ChiliPad and bought 21 specially treated chains and rear-derailleur pulley systems from CeramicSpeed. Here's what they are all about:

SEE ALSO: How one American team at the Tour de France is keeping riders cool when hotels don't have AC

DON'T MISS: Here's how drug testing works at the Tour de France, the world's greatest race

This is Pierre Rolland's custom-painted Tour de France Cannondale SuperSix Evo fitted with a CeramicSpeed UFO chain and pulley system. The "UFO" stands for Ultra-Fast Optimized. He is the only rider on his team given this chain, and he is the only rider in the Tour de France with it too, as far as we could tell.

The chain is covered with Teflon powder, which helps reduce friction.

Every day the mechanics put a new chain on Rolland's bike.

Each day participants in the Tour de France ride about 110 miles and burn 6,071 calories. To give you a better idea of just how many calories that is, here are some popular foods and how many of each you'd have to eat to compete.

Produced by Jacqui Frank. Original reporting by Jessica Orwig and Skye Gould.

Follow BI Video: On Twitter

Join the conversation about this story »

I wore the Respro pollution mask to see if it would help protect against breathing in pollution around the capital.

London has an acute problem with nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a pollutant that inflames the lungs, according to The Guardian. 

Watch this video to see how I managed wearing the mask.

Produced by Claudia Romeo. Filmed by Joe Daunt

Join the conversation about this story »

In a wild sight on Thursday at the Tour de France, race leader Chris Froome had to run up the storied Mont Ventoux climb after an incident with a motorcycle left him without a bike.

It immediately put his race lead in jeopardy.

The crash, which involved an official race motorcycle, left riders hitting the ground and Froome desperately sprinting up the road to save his yellow jersey.

Reports said the motorbike had to stop suddenly after being slowed by spectators crowding the road. Right after, the riders coming up behind the motorbike — led by Aussie rider Richie Porte — rammed into the back of it and went down. It was a mad scene:

We can't recall seeing anything quite like this scene before.

At risk of losing time, Froome started running up the climb among the fanatical spectators.

At one point Froome ran with his broken bike:

It appears the rear wheel had come off:

Social media blew up with images of Froome sprinting up the climb.

 
The whole scene was surreal-looking:

American cyclist and Tour rider Peter Stetina voiced his frustration over what had happened.

Initial reports said Froome, the reigning Tour champ, had lost the race lead to his British compatriot Adam Yates. But the AFP later reported that Froome had kept hold of the lead after organizers reinstated him.

Froome now has a lead of 47 seconds over Yates.

The jury opted to apply the "3-kilometer rule" normally used in mass sprint finishes, AFP said, which neutralizes times in the run-in to the line in case of a crash or technical incident. It means Froome and Porte were given the same time as Bauke Mollema, the first to get up and finish from their group.

All three therefore gained 19 seconds on the next batch of favorites, who were also held up by the crash as they rode into a bottleneck caused by blocked motorcycles and cars.

Froome therefore extended his lead with his main rival, Colombian Nairo Quintana, now third at 54 seconds; Mollema fourth at 56 seconds; and young Frenchman Romain Bardet fifth at 1:15 ahead of Friday's 37-kilometer time trial.

"What a finish," Froome said. "Ventoux is full of surprises. Around the last kilometer a motorbike braked hard," he added on French TV after being presented with the yellow jersey.

"I was with Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema and all three of us went into the back of it. I got hit from behind by another motorbike that broke my bicycle.

"I'm happy with the jury's decision. I think it's right. Thanks to them and thanks to the Tour de France organization."

Yates, who was provisionally announced as the new leader, said he agreed with the race jury's decision to change the initial results, AFP reported.

"It is what it is — I'm really happy with the outcome," the 23-year-old Briton said. "I wouldn't have wanted to take the jersey like this.

"After his performances in the Tour so far he (Froome) is the rightful owner of the yellow jersey. It wouldn't have felt right to have taken it like that."

Froome's Sky team manager Dave Brailsford told French TV that the decision had rewarded those who were strongest on the day.

"Fair play has won," he said. "It wasn't easy, but you have to stay calm. Richie (Porte), Chris (Froome) and (Bauke) Mollema were the strongest today, and the organizers decided to maintain the lead they had gained at the moment of the accident.

"For me, it's a fair decision."

The Tour is the world's biggest bike race and one of the largest annual sporting events.

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The Tour de France collapsed into chaos on Thursday thanks to a wild crash on Mt. Ventoux that took Tour leader Chris Froome out, causing him to run up the mountain on foot.

While on the climb, Froome crashed into a motorbike that was pushed into the road because of the raucous crowds.

Froome tried to go on, but his bike was broken, so he continued on foot while waiting for a new bike. In the meantime, he was passed as the overall leader, though it has since come out that he will maintain the yellow jersey as officials discounted the time lost in the crash.

After the stage, while much of the cycling world was in confusion over what would happen, American cyclist Peter Stetina ripped the raucous crowds throughout the Tour, particularly the ones that caused this crash.

"It's a little over the top," Stetina began, explaining that he's seen cyclists having to stiff-arm through the crowds around the road.

"It's ridiculous... It's dangerous. It adds another element to the racing and that's unfortunate that the fans are dictating the race more than the legs sometimes."

When asked what measures need to be taken to control the crowds, Stetina blasted fans for wanting to be on TV more than watch the race.

"I don't know. Somehow we've gotten this scene — everyone just wants to get on TV for a party. You have guys dressed up in Borat costumes, showing their ass, it's more about themselves than supporting the race sometimes. So, I don't understand why you've gotta act like a buffoon."

Stetina added, "It's energizing when they're cheering for you, but it can be too much."

Watch Stetina's interview below:

And here's the crash that sparked the controversy:

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The Tour de France descended into chaos on Thursday after Tour leader Chris Froome crashed into a motorbike, then raced up the mountain on foot while waiting for a new bicycle.

The Tour had never quite seen anything like it — the rider in the yellow jersey, running up Mt. Ventoux, one of the biggest climbs in the race, and losing his lead.

Ultimately, the yellow jersey was given back to Froome, as the time lost in crash was discounted. Nonetheless, for a brief moment it was utter chaos and confusion about how the event would be handled.

Replays of Froome running up the mountain had been seen before, but a video from a fan along the sidelines accurately captures the bonanza. A rider, who had passed Froome, bursts through the crowd and out of sight. Then, amid a midst of screams, comes Froome, parting the sea of fans and dragging his bike up the mountain!

Incredible!

As American cyclist Peter Stetina said, these crowds — which caused the crash as they pushed the motorbike into the riders' way — have gotten out of control.

But by the same token, this was a moment that will never be forgotten in the Tour de France. Luckily, Froome was okay and still holds the lead.

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All meals are important for the riders competing in Tour de France, one of the world's most grueling endurance events. But the one eaten immediately after racing five hours is the most critical to recovery and rehydration, and therefore performance. In a short window of about an hour, the cyclists have an opportunity to refuel their bodies after a taxing effort and to get ready for the next stage.

At cycling's highest level, nutrition has evolved with the bikes and gear. The American Cannondale-Drapac team, for instance, has a dedicated nutritionist and two full-time chefs at the Tour who prepare and monitor everything the riders consume during the three-week race. And all the food and drink they consume — up to 8,000 calories' worth daily — is based on the latest findings in sports science nutrition.

Minutes after each stage, when refueling is so critical, riders down a protein-rich recovery drink and a liter of diluted pineapple juice before eating a dish with an animal protein and rice and quinoa. All that before their actual dinner.

Here's what the Cannondale-Drapac riders are eating and drinking after each stage of the world's biggest bike race:

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Within minutes after each stage, when refueling is critical, riders begin the recovery and rehydration process. They start by downing a protein-rich recovery drink, as rookie Tour rider Lawson Craddock of Texas does here.

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But it all starts before the riders finish, with Andrea "Biso" Bisogno of Italy. He drives the Cannondale-Drapac bus and also prepares the recovery drinks and meals that the riders will consume on the drive to the hotel. British nutritionist Nigel Mitchell plans everything the riders will eat and drink in this critical hour or two, when nutrition is most important.

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Biso starts with one-liter bottles of water, which the riders start drinking right after each stage. Mitchell told Business Insider that riders consume 10 liters of fluid each day on the Tour — that's 2.6 gallons or 18 imperial pints.

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