With the second week of the 2018 Tour de France completed, the riders are enjoying their second day off from racing in Carcassonne.
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.
>>> Who’s out of the Tour de France after stage 15?
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.
After a tough first two weeks of the race, all of the teams and riders were out for short rides on Monday morning maybe throwing in a few intervals to keep the legs ticking over.
Rest day! 🙌🏽 We're heading out for an easy spin this afternoon. #TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/MVtwU2LDZZ
— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) July 23, 2018
🇫🇷 – @LeTour
😎🤟☀️Journée de repos☀️ 😎🤟
😎🤟☀️ Rest day ☀️😎🤟#ALLEZALM – #TDFChill pic.twitter.com/QSAI99R1t0
— AG2RLM Pro Cycling Team (@AG2RLMCyclisme) July 23, 2018
From the looks of some of the tweets, the countryside around the city of Carcassonne looks amazing for riding.
🇫🇷 – @LeTour
☀️Entraînement bercé par le chant des cigales, le tout sous un beau soleil☀️
☀️ Training lulled by the song of cicadas and under a bright sun. ☀️#ALLEZALM pic.twitter.com/0GiAFqJeOv
— AG2RLM Pro Cycling Team (@AG2RLMCyclisme) July 23, 2018
Of course the rest day is also a chance to take things a bit easy and recharge the batteries for a tough final week, so most of the teams included a cafe stop along the way.
🇫🇷 #TDFchill
⏸️ Break time 🚴🍹 pic.twitter.com/aCK3GxUFYN
— Team Bahrain Merida (@Bahrain_Merida) July 23, 2018
😊💪 #RodamosJuntos #TDF2018 #TDFchill pic.twitter.com/lM82lZIvDu
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 23, 2018
Quel beau cadre ! 😍#TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/BOjicIWqYw
— Équipe Cycliste Groupama-FDJ (@GroupamaFDJ) July 23, 2018
Easy ride today and tomorow we start last week of @letourdefrance #restday #tdf2018 #borahansgrohe pic.twitter.com/2ODR4OPK3m
— Pawel Poljanski (@pawelpoljanski) July 23, 2018
There was also the chance to do a bit of sightseeing and pose for a few photos outside Carcassonne’s spectacular city walls.
Jour de repos mais jour de vélo!!
Magnifique région @carcassonne_france ! 😍@letourdefrance @teamcofidis #cofidismyteam @oakleybike @sidisport @kuotacycle @suomycycling_us pic.twitter.com/w4CNnEbcG6— Edet Nicolas (@NicoEdet) July 23, 2018
Unfortunately some of the big-name riders also had to speak to the media (sorry lads) with seasoned pro Alejandro Valverde taking the day in his stride.
#TDF2018 Rueda de prensa / Press Conference in Narbonne: @MikelLandaMeana, @NairoQuinCo, @alejanvalverde, @Andrey_Amador.
🗒️ https://t.co/Fc1olzthrS
🇬🇧 https://t.co/e06eIhUSnn
🎙️ https://t.co/dzUV5cy5Uy
📥 https://t.co/atRseLnQYY📸 @luisenciclismo pic.twitter.com/RO0sIgu8yP
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 23, 2018
Meanwhile, things were pretty relaxed chez Direct Energie
Aujourd’hui journée de repos sur #TDF2018 🚴🏻♂️ Petite sortie de vélo et nouvelle paire de lunettes pour @fabien_grellier 😂👍🏼 #bonnehumeur pic.twitter.com/KHURoj6X4r
— Blaise Chauviere🚴🏻 (@blaisou85) July 23, 2018
Over at Quick-Step Floors, the riders and guest certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves (although they’ll probably be looking forward to some non-0% beer in Paris in a week’s time
It gives us great joy and pleasure to welcome @AlkenMaesCorp and Maes 0.0% as new partner of Quick-Step Floors starting from 1 January 2019 😃 Here's to a fruitful relationships!#matenmakkersmaes#entrepotescestmaes pic.twitter.com/nmfLBrokPq
— Quick-Step Cycling (@quickstepteam) July 23, 2018
Une journée sans étape n'est pas une journée sans fruits pour nos coureurs qui ont profité de notre Fruit Truck pour reprendre des forces 💪🏼🚴🏼🍌🍒🍑🍎🍇#TDF18 #tdf2018 #pouruneétapesricheenvitamines pic.twitter.com/YUEcT2XUDl
— Lidl France (@lidlfrance) July 23, 2018
However the rest days aren’t rest days for all, with mechanics and soigneurs still working hard to get things ready for the final few stages.
#TDF2018 rest day mode – preparing for week 3 #TDFchill pic.twitter.com/qBdBCkuZ6k
— Lotto Soudal (@Lotto_Soudal) July 23, 2018
🇫🇷 #TDFchill
😃 Lots of work on the second rest day of @LeTour too 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/JsL0f5hkBR
— Team Bahrain Merida (@Bahrain_Merida) July 23, 2018
And finally spare a thought for the Team Sunweb soigneurs – and those of other teams who do the same – that have to haul eight mattresses to and from hotel rooms every night for three weeks.
It's important for us to get a good night of rest during #TDF2018 as we move around 16 hotels. We take our custom @AupingNL mattresses and pillows around each hotel to ensure we catch plenty of 💤💤 each night! 😴 pic.twitter.com/Umx4vRizzb
— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) July 23, 2018
The racing resumes on Tuesday with stage 16, a mountainous stage from Carcassonne to Bagnères-de-Luchon over 218km that should see the race for the yellow jersey resume in earnest after a few transition stages.