Tour de France riders will do anything for a bit of free speed, no matter how dumb it might seem. If it saves 2 watts, it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s race is no exception.<\/p>\n
The 2026 Tour de France is a treasure trove of marginal gains.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re not talking bona fide<\/em> game changers here. High-carb fueling or 30mm tubeless tires don\u2019t count.<\/p>\n We\u2019re talking gains so marginal that they might be pointless.<\/p>\n Things so simple that you can try them at home.<\/p>\n Think forearm baths, nostril strips, and duct-tape derailleur hacks.<\/p>\n We rated a pick \u2018n\u2019 mix of the performance \u201cgains\u201d being employed at this Tour de France that you could easily try in your training.<\/p>\n Some are old, some are new. Some are pointless, some are actually quite important.<\/p>\n But they\u2019re all a part of the fastest bike race in the world \u2013 and they might<\/em> make you faster too.<\/p>\n The 38\u00b0C heatwave that\u2019s cooking Europe has hoovered headlines at this Tour de France. And it\u2019s \u00a0blessed with some of the race\u2019s quirkiest gains, too.<\/p>\n Tour de France teams got creative to stay cool in the first half of the race.<\/p>\n The best heat-beating bodge came courtesy of Netcompany-Ineos, the team that pioneered the term \u201cmarginal gains\u201d back in the Team Sky days.<\/p>\n The team had its riders dunk their forearms in lukewarm water in the nerve-wracking minutes before the stage 1 TTT. Chilling the maze of exposed blood vessels at the wrist provides a whole-body cooling effect, without zapping heat from leg muscles that have just been warmed on the trainer.<\/p>\n The race has been riddled with other cooling hacks since the grand d\u00e9part out of Barcelona. We spotted many other teams, including Cofidis, giving their arms a dunk after the race crossed into France.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, riders have been guzzling ice slushies, filling their jerseys with ice socks during stages, and diving into huge portable baths like it\u2019s their 8th birthday party.<\/p>\n OK, so we\u2019re not suggesting you have your kid\u2019s paddling pool on standby for your next interval session.<\/p>\n However the Tour\u2019s quaint cooling workarounds prove a point.<\/p>\n Cooling doesn\u2019t need to be complicated or costly. Ice gels and ultralight jerseys are not the only solution to riding in the heat.<\/p>\n Pre-cooling in the shower before a hot ride creates a \u201cheat sink\u201d that can delay the time to fatigue. Dunking your legs into cool water \u2013 or your kid\u2019s paddling pool \u2013 provides rapid cooling after a ride and is proven to reduce DOMS.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re looking for cheapo ways to stay cool on the indoor trainer, we\u2019ve got you. Here are our three favorite low-cost solutions.<\/p>\n The 2026 Tour de France is throwing it back to the mid 1990s.<\/p>\n The \u201cnostril dilators\u201d that were made popular by controversial grand tour star Jan Ullrich boomed back into fashion last year, and the trend extended to this July.<\/p>\n Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson, Mattias Skjelmose, and Remco Evenepoel are among the dozens of nose strip aficionados in this Tour de France peloton.<\/p>\n In theory, these \u201csports plasters\u201d create negative pressure in the nostrils to improve nasal breathing and stop riders suffocating while they choke down their 15th gel of the stage.<\/p>\n However, many recent studies suggest they\u2019re as good as useless, and Tour de France trainers told us last year they\u2019re probably placebos.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not clear what caused the sudden nose strip resurgence \u2013 maybe the launch of new brands with shiney marketing campaigns. However, the fact that the world\u2019s best cyclists are using them suggests there might be something to them, placebo or not.<\/p>\n You can pick up a 30-pack of sport-specific nose strips for less than $20 USD.<\/p>\n If you get a stuffy nose when you train, you might as well give them a try and hope for airflow heaven.<\/p>\n You can bet that dozens of riders have got a gut full of baking soda in any given stage of the 2026 Tour de France.<\/p>\n Sodium bicarbonate delays time to fatigue, improves recovery between efforts, and is one of only 5 sport supplements recommended by the IOC.<\/p>\n The alkaline compound neutralizes acidic hydrogen ions that accumulate in the blood during high-intensity exercise and sting athletic performance.<\/p>\n Stocks of bicarb will be on every team bus at this Tour de France. But that\u2019s not to say it\u2019s new \u2013 it\u2019s one of the oldest performance enhancers in the book.<\/p>\n What has changed is how it\u2019s taken,and how often.<\/p>\n When bicarb became \u201ca thing\u201d in the 80s, athletes would mix raw household baking soda into water, slug it down, and hope for the best.<\/p>\n The abrasive cleaning and baking product serves either sporting nirvana or broiling guts. Who knows, maybe you\u2019ll get a bit of both.<\/p>\n Few riders dared do it, and if they did, they only took the risk ahead of time trials.<\/p>\n More recently, stomach-safe \u201csystems,\u201d gels, and pills have made sodium bicarbonate part of every team\u2019s fueling program. New research suggesting it\u2019s as good for endurance as for fast-twitch efforts expanded its scope from TTs and sprints to mountain stages and beyond.<\/p>\n But bicarb is still not perfect. Maurten\u2019s system has to be \u201ceaten\u201d in a hydrogel with a spoon (remember this from Mike Woods?!) and the risk of explosive G.I. issues remains.<\/p>\n The benefits of sodium bicarb are undeniable.<\/p>\n But if you want to do it the most gut-safe way, you gotta pay. Maurten\u2019s leading \u201cBicarb System\u201d is still crazy costly. Emteric sodium bicarbonate pills are a strong second option at a fraction of the price.<\/p>\n Or if you\u2019re really brave, you could try a teaspoon of Arm&Hammer \u2026 but don\u2019t blame us for any mess.<\/p>\n No, riders aren\u2019t pedaling in painters\u2019 overalls in an unventilated room during<\/em> the Tour de France.<\/p>\n But you can bet the majority of them spent significant time doing it before<\/em> the Tour de France.<\/p>\n Heat training is one of the most influential training trends of the post-pandemic era.<\/p>\n OK, hands up, listing it as \u201ca marginal gain\u201d might not be doing it justice.<\/p>\n A well-executed block of heat training prepares conditions riders for the physiological demands of extreme heat. As a bonus, it also gives a blood boost that benefits performance in all environments.<\/p>\n The narrowing margins and rising temperatures of European summers have made heat training a non-negotiable\u00a0for riders targeting the Tour de France.<\/p>\n But the peloton is divided over how best to do it.<\/p>\n Many team trainers advocate for the aggressive approach \u2013 riding a turbo trainer wearing a full winter wardrobe or a boil-in-the-bag \u201cheat suit.\u201d<\/p>\n Other coaches schedule outdoor workouts under the hottest sun of their team\u2019s winter and spring training camps instead.<\/p>\n For us weekend warriors, the biggest benefit of heat training is for climate acclimation. A heat block could be beneficial before a summer fondo or bike-packing trip, for example.<\/p>\n The blood-boosting benefits are only worth chasing once you\u2019ve aced every other component of the workout program.<\/p>\n If you decide to have a go at heat training, approach it with caution. The risks of overcooking and longer-term burnout aren\u2019t worth the hint of any reward.<\/p>\n You can check Velo<\/em>\u2019s best practice protocol for heat training here.<\/p>\n Shaven legs are so much a part of men\u2019s pro cycling that it\u2019s a talking point when riders don\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n Peter Sagan, Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d, and Jonas Vingegaard have all caught the attention of the cycling stylistas for riding with fuzz.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no denying the pro vibes that radiate from a set of smooth, tanned, chiseled calves when they pop out of pristine white socks.<\/p>\n But Tour de France riders don\u2019t only shave their legs for the panache.<\/p>\n Believe it or not, silky smooth calves and quads actually do provide some aero benefit. The nerds at GCN found that shaved legs were 15.5 watts faster at 45kph. Eternal triathlon tinkerer-and-optimizer Lionel Sanders claims he found 13 free watts when he turned his legs bald.<\/p>\n The benefits of shaven legs extend beyond performance.<\/p>\n For pros, smooth legs are practical legs. There\u2019s less mess when oils are applied for evening massages and fewer complications when treating road rash.<\/p>\n This one depends on how much free time you have on your hands, and how bad you want to show off your chiseled calves, we guess.<\/p>\n But be warned.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no such thing as \u201cjust one shave.\u201d<\/p>\n Leg hair comes back thicker and faster than you might want to get out the razor.<\/p>\n Tour de France bikes are so dialed in 2026 that there\u2019s little left to optimize. Cables are tucked away, everything is integrated, and aero upgrades are installed across almost every component of the bike.<\/p>\n However, there are still a few DIY upgrades being made at the 2026 Tour de France.<\/p>\n Our wiley tech reporters Logan Jones-Wilkins and \u201cShoddy\u201d Dave Everett picked up three particularly marginal nuggets worth highlighting:<\/p>\n 1. Ineos Grenadiers are taping over their rear mech hangars as an improvised aero solution. Instagram account CyclingSpy <\/em>first noted Josh Tarling doing this last year. If you want to check more of the most intriguing tech being used at the Tour de France, check Logan\u2019s gallery, here.<\/p>\n If you think a bit of duct tape over your derailleur hangar will make-or-break your chances at taking a local Strava KOM, go for it.<\/p>\n You might go faster by just cleaning and greasing your chain a little more often, though.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve not seen it being done yet, but you can bet somebody\u2019s doing it.<\/p>\n We\u2019re not even going to discuss it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/ranking-7-most-marginal-gains-2026-tour-de-france\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hacks-2.jpg”] Jim Cotton Published July 15, 2026 08:39AM Tour de France riders will do anything for a bit of free speed, no matter how dumb it might seem. If it saves 2 watts, it\u2019s worth it. This year\u2019s race is no exception. The 2026 Tour de France is a treasure trove of marginal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-2044770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2044770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044770\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2044770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2044770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2044770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. Getting creative to stay cool<\/h2>\n
![\"Team](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tour2.jpg-2-e1784104108386-1200x698.jpeg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Should you try it? Yes, sort of.<\/h3>\n
2. Wearing nose strips<\/h2>\n
![\"Nose](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284192388.jpg?width=2048&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Should you try them? Might as well.<\/h3>\n
3. Eating baking soda<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2240153487-1200x800.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Should you try it? Maybe.<\/h3>\n
4. Pedaling in painters\u2019 overalls in your basement<\/h2>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CORE-Heat-Suit_Cofidis-1200x799.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Should you do it? Maybe, but with caution.<\/h3>\n
5. Shaving your legs<\/h2>\n
![\"Not](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2285745734-1200x800.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Should you do it? Up to you.<\/h3>\n
6. Taping over random bits of your bike, going bonkers over bolts<\/h2>\n
![\"Pogacar](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Pogacar-Bike-Check-6-1200x800.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
\n2. Mechanics at UAE Emirates-XRG have placed a sticker over the open end of Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s thru axle to fill a \u201cvoid\u201d which would create drag.
\n3. A Lotto-Intermarche rider is so obsessed with stripping weight from his Orbea that he\u2019s riding a prototype frame purely for its feathery frame bolts.<\/p>\nShould you do it? Why bother?<\/h3>\n
7. Peeing in water bottles while riding to save pulling off the road<\/h2>\n
![\"Tour](\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2223902699.jpg?width=2048&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\")
Should you do it? No. Just, no.<\/h3>\n