"It's nothing special" - UAE shrug off rumours from Tadej Pogacar's post-race ice bath at Tour de France

Ice baths are not too uncommon in pro cycling, as is the case with other sports. A logistical challenge, but one that UAE Team Emirates has undertook in pursuit of marginal gains for Tadej Pogacar. This was only revealed yesterday, with a tone of mystery added overnight.

"The soigneur of UAE is clearly not pleased with the fact that the bus is surrounded by the press. The ice bath is way too short to work effectively. We timed it and it barely takes 50 seconds," Jan Bakelants reported on Vive le Vélo. "The question then is: why is UAE so secretive about taking an ice bath? They could also, like Evenepoel did in the Vuelta, just fill a swimming pool with ice in the street. So there is probably more going on here. That is why the team will not want to share it with the competition."

UAE have had it available for it's riders after yesterday's stage, but came as a surprise as it was used for the first time year. Bakelants speculated over the possibility of there being some sort of specific method in the bath, arguing:

"Perhaps it is a form of cryotherapy, where they work with liquid nitrogen and can thus mimic the effect of an ice bath in a very short period of time. This probably sets a new standard in an arms race for even more optimal ways to recuperate. They may be too quick for Jumbo-Visma with this."

However, the situation may have been overblown according to the team, who has had a spokesperson come out this morning to comment on the situation: “It's nothing special. A long ice bath can hinder recovery. We researched that. You want to bring nutrients to the legs in order to recover properly, but if you sit in an ice bath for a long time, your blood vessels will close up."

“Then it may be that the nutrients do not circulate properly in the bloodstream. Hence the short turn in the ice bath. It is also a mental thing, he has little time. It is a short kickstart, after which he can take a shower in the hotel.”