How to cope now the Tour is over

Feeling empty and lifeless? Are your sleep patterns disturbed? Wondering why Matt and Robbie aren’t talking to you any more? You’re suffering from Post-Tour Syndrome. Here's how to ease your way back into everyday life.

The peloton approaches L'Arc de Triomphe on the final stage of the 2017 Tour de France/ Source: Getty

Post-Tour Syndrome is no joke. Us Antipodean spectators may not have it as bad as the riders themselves, but the sudden loss of our nightly cycling fix can come as a shock to the system if you don’t manage it properly. This five-step program will help you readjust to non-Tour life…. well, mostly.

1. Get some sleep

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been operating on between three and six hours of sleep a night. Even with the rest days and the odd tactical nap during sprint stage, that’s a whole lot of sleep debt built up for those of us in the #couchpeloton.

So, first and foremost, GO TO BED. Get an early night and sleep for at least ten hours. Everything will look a little brighter in the morning. 

2. Clean up your diet

Late nights watching skinny pros dancing up climbs goes hand in hand with fatty foods (French Cheese!), sugary treats and booze. Just check out this parade of #toursnacks shame from the final stage (tasty, tasty shame).

It’s time to clean up your diet. Lay off the vino for a couple of weeks. Eat liberal amounts of fruit and vegetables - perhaps even (shock horror) a salad. Why not make use of some of Gabriel Gate’s recipes, like this wholesome chicken and capsicum casserole. Put some good fuel into your body and the jet lag feelings will soon recede.

3) Reconnect with friends and family

Remember your long-suffering partner and/or your kids? The people who’ve been putting up with your grumpy mornings, mid-afternoon energy slumps and overexcited speculation about whether Matthews or Kittel will take the green jersey?

Well, it’s payback time. Make a special effort to treat your nearest and dearest, whether that’s taking them out for an alfresco lunch, a trip to the zoo or even just a walk in the bush. It’ll remind them that you’re not just a Tour zombie, as well as reminding you that other things exist than a three-week bike race in France.

4) Ride your bike

It’s been cold and dark for ages. Chances are the inclement weather plus the 2am finishes have meant that your bike has been left abandoned more mornings than not.

It’s time to change that. OK, it’s still chilly in the mornings but sunrise is getting earlier and spring is becoming more than just a distant dream. So, pull out your trusty steed, get your local bike shop to check it over, and get riding - even if it’s just to and from work.

5) Watch more cycling

You’ve done all the above and you’re still pining for the sight of Froomey et al in the Pyrenees and Alps, there's only one solution. Keep the streak going.

First up, racing is a little light in the weeks immediately after the Tour, so we suggest reliving the race with full stage replays on SBS On Demand. We recommend watching stages while you’re on the home trainer - that way, you can pass off your Tour addiction as ‘training’… at least for a little while. Here’s the replay of stage 1 to get you started.

Also coming up on SBS are the following races to help you get your cycling fix:

• 29 July: BMX World Championships. Rock Hill
• 13 August: Crescent Vargarda
• 19 August-10 September: Vuelta a Espana (shown in full on SBS)
• 24 August-10 September MTB World Championships, Cairns
• 17 September-24 September: Road World Championships, Bergen

Follow these five easy steps, and you’ll soon be cured of Post-Tour Syndrome - and you'll be able to start getting ready for next year's Tour de France. Can Froome make it five, or will Porte finally spoil the party? Let the speculation begin now!