As specialist endurance athletes, the resting heart rate (RHR) of a Tour de France cyclist is very low.
According to Bicycling’s 2022 analysis of elite riders’ performance, women on team Canyon//SRAM Racing recorded RHRs ranging from around 35 to 60 beats per minute (bpm), with some riders even lower.
A 2022 sleep study conducted at the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, followed a group of riders before, during and after the race, tracking metrics including RHR and recovery.
The researchers found riders averaged an RHR of around 45.8bpm before the race. That elevated slightly during competition – particularly after harder stages – as fatigue began to take its toll.
Similar numbers across the sport
Public data from across the sport shows similar numbers. On the men’s side, according to a 2026 report shared via his sponsor, Whoop, Mathieu van der Poel has an average RHR of around 38bpm, with a recorded low of 34bpm. The lowest ever recorded RHR in cycling is claimed to be Miguel Induráin, who sat at 28bpm.
Few sources in cycling share up-to-date figures, but similar numbers can be found across other endurance sports.
In a 2008 interview with The Guardian, British marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe – who went on to win the New York Marathon that year – said: “I take my pulse every morning. It’s usually 38 to 40 beats per minute,” placing her in the same range as an elite cyclist.
Variations in RHR between riders can be explained by – among other factors – genetics, body size and training history. As illustrated in the aforementioned 2022 study, RHR can fluctuate from day to day depending on factors such as fatigue, illness and dehydration.
That’s why teams tend to track trends over time, rather than focusing on a single daily number.
RHR can be a helpful indicator for monitoring performance across a three-week race. Rising RHR, like that seen during the Tour de France Femmes study, can be a sign of accumulating fatigue, prompting adjustments to recovery strategies or even race tactics.
How do you compare?
According to the British Heart Foundation, a normal RHR for adults is usually between 60 and 100 bpm, although it varies depending on age, fitness and health.
That puts even the upper end of the range for pro cyclists well below the typical RHR for the general population. The lowest figures are far below what most people will ever see.
