Think you're Tour de France material? Not a chance

You’re sitting on your comfy sofa watching the Tour de France, and after a swig of Gatorade you think to yourself, “You know, I’m a pretty good cyclist. I bet I could keep up with those guys!” (Don’t deny it. You know you totally did that.)

Here’s a little reality check: You probably can’t. While you may have mad cycling skillz, chances are you don’t have what it takes to compete against some of the best racers in the world on this grueling, three-week, 3,430 kilometer race through the flat, curved and mountainous terrains of France. …

OK, let’s start out with average speed on the flats. You: 17 to 18 mph. A tour rider: 25 to 28 mph. Ready to give up yet? No? Fine.

Let’s go with average speed on mountainous terrain. You: 9 to 10 mph. Tour rider: 21 to 25 mph. Dude, that’s more than double the average cyclist. “TV doesn’t tell the real story,” says writer Whit Yost. “It’s staggering to witness how fast pro cyclists go uphill. Their strength-to-weight ratios make these speeds possible.”