Tour de France cyclist rode 136.6-kilometres on a 'rest day'

Jayco–AlUla rider Chris Harper logged a 136.6 kilometre ride on the Tour de France rest day, covering over twice the distance of most of the peloton, after nine days of racing.

The Australian rider casually left the automatic "Morning Ride" title on the activity, in which he covered the distance in a little under four hours, at 36 kilometres per hour/22 miles per hour.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly's Adam Becket ahead of Tuesday's stage 10, Harper said: "It's pretty normal for me, pre-race or rest day, I probably do a little more than other guys. It's an individual thing, some guys like to chill out and I feel better if I go out and spin the legs for a little bit."

Highlighting the psychological benefits of going longer, he added: "when you tell yourself you don't have to ride, then you get a bit tired."

Monday's rest day came after nine days of racing, during which the peloton has covered 1513km. 

Nearly all riders racing the Grand Tour will head out to log some miles on the rest day, to keep their legs spinning, with most heading to a cafe as the destination of choice.

However, the vast majority cap this at a distance in the region of 40 to 50km.

The result is that Harper spends his rest days riding solo, but whilst noting that this was "unfortunate", he added "[when] you spend three weeks in a bunch of 180 guys, it's not bad."

Behind the 29-year-old Harper, the next longest rest day ride posted on Strava by a Tour rider was King of the Mountains leader, Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), who covered 73.4km. DSM's Bram Welten was next, riding 54.9km.

Harper is at the Tour to play a domestique role for team leader, Simon Yates, who sits at 27th on the GC, 15 minutes 57 behind leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). Harper is in 33rd, at 21-11.

Perhaps the most creatively titled ride was Wout van Aert's "Defensive strategy, even on the restday", the Visma–Lease a Bike rider poking fun at criticism which was levelled at the team following its protective style of racing during stage nine.

Visma's leader, Vingegaard, marked attacks from Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step), as opposed to taking a pull or launching his own assault, prompting the best young rider Evenopoel to state "sometimes you need balls to race".

The race resumes on Tuesday, with a 187km flat stage, the next rest day coming on Monday 15th July.