What would it take for you to ride a Grand Tour?

We recently asked Cycling Weekly readers what it would take for them to prepare for the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. Here are a selection of answers, brought to you in association with BTwin (opens in new tab).

What would you suggest is the ideal preparation for riding a Grand Tour? Tell us in the comments section below.

Set off two weeks before the other riders.

Kev Gorringe

Three Shredded Wheat and an early night. And some PEDs and a motor in your bottom bracket.

Neil Batt

Young British riders are at a definite disadvantage to their continental counterparts on this one. There are simply no races on British soil for amateurs that offer anything near the experience of riding a Grand Tour. Britain may lack the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites, but we’ve still got some big hills. Where are the climb-filled stage races on British soil that would act as a way of providing experience and a stepping stone to a pro contract and the big races for our young riders?

Carl Hynes

>>> Pro rider tips for winter cycling

Asthma?

Dave Rowe

A £12,000 bike, a large coach (both types), someone to shout into an earpiece, a ton of food and someone to hold up a banner with my name on it on every climb.

Sandra Johnson

Put your feet up and set it all up to record on the TV.

David Scrivener

Getting a pro contract on a WorldTour team is definitely a good start. This requires you to be quite fit, so I’ve come up with a cunning plan. Persuade a German kitchen appliance manufacturer, Dutch lottery or Belgian pharmaceutical company (or all three) to give you lots of money, start your own team and then give yourself a contract. It doesn’t matter that you’ll finish the first stage of the Giro three hours down… YOU MADE THE START!

Geoff Stephens

A Brooks double sprung saddle and lashings of chamois cream.

Dennis Marsh

A week of cinnamon whirls.

Matt C

I took part in a Grand Tour of the pubs of Norfolk by bicycle many years ago. It didn’t require much preparation, but it took quite a lot of recovery time.

Dave Simmonds

A nice cup of TUE.

Richard Williams

It’s actually hard to imagine for us mortals what riding a tough three-week stage race is really like. Just one stage, ridden slowly, would finish me off. I don’t know what it would take to prepare for such a feat, but hats off to everyone that does.

Richard Burnett

Nerves of steel and a very big breakfast.

Kevin Monk

Getting kicked off a highly popular and long-running BBC programme for doing something stupid. Ah, wrong Grand Tour.

John Pearman