Yedoo On Tour De France

Conquer The Longest Tour De France Stage

Yedoo team, consisting of more than 20 riders, will set out on the route on 12^th July from French town Givors. They will cover roughly half of the stage on the first day – that means a length of about 130 kilometres. The plan is to reach the foot of Mont Ventoux on the next day.  They want to start out for the legendary climb together with the Kick France team on the third day, early morning, so that they will reach the top of the cycling Mecca at the dawn.

“The project Kick France is unique in history of scooter riding, and we want to be its active part. We will support this wonderful group of sportsmen not only financially, but we will also go for it with them. For our participation we have particularly chosen this stage of the race – not only for its lengths but also for its traditionally fantastic audience atmosphere in the last part of the climb where a vertical distance of 1 600 metres is awaiting us“ says Dan Pilát, boss of the Yedoo brand. “The whole stage was divided into three days, but we will set out with the same determination like Tour de France competitors.

Kick France 2013 – How Sport Dream Is Born

An idea, which was born years ago over a beer just as a joke, expanded into international dimensions. It all started in 2005 when Czech cyclist Josef Zimovčák negotiated the famous Tour on a historical high bike.  The crazy idea of Václav Liška “to go for it” on scooters just got stuck in their heads and slowly transformed itself into a sport dream. After years of intense preparation, the dream will come true this year.

Impossible Without Training

The team Kick France, consisting of four Czechs (founders of a scooter club Ultima), one Finn and one Netherlander, trained hard for the Tour. Within the training they had covered thousands of kilometres (over 3 000 this year). For example each of them could place 800 kilometres to his credit after the May workshop in Šumava. They even travelled the journey to the workshop on their scooters. The route has 175 kilometres and they managed to ride it in 12 hours. The way back lasted only 10 hours. “On the way back it was downhill,” smiles Honza Vlášek, who reaches up to 100 kilometres per hour when going downhill.

How Not To Get Exhausted On A Long Distance Ride

Yedoo Team is also trying not to underestimate the preparation so that they will not lack energy at the final climb on the formidable Mont Ventoux. The initiator of the project Kick France 2013 Václav Liška gives advice to Yedoo Team on how not to get exhausted on a long distance ride: “Try to be economical with your moves. Have your arms slightly bent or streched out and don’t draw yourself close to the handlebar, quite the contrary, after the push, send your scooter nicely forward with outstretched arms. Do not throw your push-off leg too far back so that you don’t bend your back. Stand as upright as possible on your standing leg and when you push off, don’t squat, just knock it up gently from your heal. Always change legs after six pushes; at the beginning it is good to count them.”

“It is also important to adjust the scooter according to your needs and to inflate your tyres to maximum. (Be careful not to let tyres inflated like that while standing in the sun!) If you travel in group, keep in pack. Slipstreaming saves you a lot of energy. Don’t forget to put on helmet and gloves, otherwise your hands will fall off after 100 kilometres,” adds Honza Vlášek.

How To Keep Replenishing Energy Correctly

According to Honza Vlášek, the body runs on dinner, not on breakfast as many people mistakenly believe. “Therefore have hearty dinner in the evening before the performance and then for breakfast it is sufficient to have just rice or oatmeal. When riding don’t forget to replenish your energy every 1,5 to 2 hours. It is necessary to eat even when you don’t fell hungry; when you get hungry it is already too late. The best thing for a little snack is cheese, ham, sandwich, cereal bar etc. The best thing for lunch is pasta, it is substantial enough and at the same time easy to digest.”

“Even more important than food is proper drinking,” says Honza: “Drink as much as you can, at least one litre per every two hours. Use magnesium to prevent cramps in your legs.”

Trip From Tábor To Prague – Where To Enjoy A Good Ride

To cover 100 kilometres on scooter shouldn’t be a problem, confirms Petra Koblížková from the Yedoo marketing department. As a part of her training she took her childhood friend Andulka Šafářová for a scooter trip from Tábor to Prague.

“We made the ride on 8^th May. We rode on country lines which were at that time almost free of traffic. Our journey took us from Tábor through Mladá Vožice, Struhařov and Čerčany to Velké Popovice. From there we continued on Lada’s cycle track all the way to Prague. I can recommend this scenic route to everyone,” says Petra and adds: “After 11 hours of scooter riding I had no pains or aches and neither did Anna, who is only starting to ride a scooter. We enjoyed a ride on a fresh air and we managed to have a good chat at the same time.”

Cycle Tracks Alongside Labe

Another member of the Yedoo Team did not stay idle either. Alena Romanovská, whose job at Yedoo is communication with foreign countries, took a liking to cycle tracks alongside Labe near Čelákovice, Brandýs nad Labem and Káraný.  She has covered more than 400 kilometres there already as part of her training. Alena, as one of the few, has joined those sportsmen who engage in the so called GPS riding and with her rides she creates various patterns in the map of Prague.

Smooth Asphalt Of The Roads Around Příbram

The male members of the Yedoo Team discovered splendid routes around Příbram. Last Saturday they enjoyed many lovely downhill rides on approximately 100 kilometres-long trip passing through Březnice, Bělčice, Třemšín and Brdy. “Side roads are in a really good state here, it is a pleasure to ride on them, especially during weekends when there are almost no cars,” says Jakub Bostl, chief designer of Yedoo, who prepared the weekend on scooters. The second part of the training concentrated more on riding through terrain of the Brdy forests.

On A Scooter With The Whole Family

Dan Pilát, the boss of Yedoo brand, tries to use every free moment for scooter riding. Being very busy at work he doesn’t have much free time. On workdays he rides only in the vicinity of his house in Slivenec, Prague. He sets out for longer rides at weekends – usually alongside Vltava and Berounka. “I am most pleased when my wife or one of my three sons joins me. We make our way back on Barrandov hill easier by taking a tram, but we get out of it one stop before the terminal station, and we race the last part of the journey with the tram, trying to be first in the finish,” smiles Dan Pilát and adds: “The Kick France project is fantastic because it keeps inspiring more and more people. The most difficult step is to overcome your own laziness and when you do that, it brings you only pleasure.”