The best Tour de France rest day tweets

We round up the most entertaining Tweets from pro cyclists on the first rest day of the 2017 Tour de France
Nigel Wynn

With the first week of the 2017 Tour de France completed, the riders are enjoying their first day off from racing in the Dordogne.

Rest days are invariably far from that for riders, as well as teams and staff. As well as physically recuperating via massages and trips to the team physio, the day will invariably include a light recovery ride, possibly a press conference, lots of eating and other essential duties before racing recommences the following morning.

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And, of course it’s a chance for riders to catch up on social media. Here we collect together some of the Tour rest day tweets that have caught our eye.

Okay, so some riders find time to take a nap… and no one would deny German sprint powerhouse André Greipel a chance for an extended kip.

Race leader Chris Froome takes a moment to meet his fans.

Cannondale-Drapac’s Nathan Brown takes a look over the week’s stats. That’s a lot of calories to catch up on.

It’s possible that Maxime Bouet wishes he was riding another stage today, rather than visiting the dentist with a tooth infection.

Like a British Bank Holiday, the weather can let you down on rest day. But Philippe Gilbert sees the funny side.

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Team mechanics do not have a rest. For them, it’s a chance to make sure all of the squad’s kit is in perfect nick.

British sprinter Dan McLay confesses to considering a change of professional during Sunday’s gruelling mountain stage. He finished in 179th place.

Katusha-Alpecin’s Maurits Lammertink had no luck on his rest day ride.

Bram Tankink likes to stand in a field.

And there were those who will not be returning to the Tour this year. Having crashed out of the race on Sunday’s stage, Richie Porte tweeted a photo of the view from his hospital bed. We’re fascinated by what appears to be a tea bag in a bowl of water.

And he posted a video message too…

And Ignatas Konovalovas will also not be returning as he missed the time cut after helping FDJ sprinter Arnaud Démare.

The racing resumes on Tuesday with stage 10, a relatively flat trip from Périgueux to Bergerac over 178km that should favour the bunch sprinters.