Razor or hair removal, what choice do cyclists make?

The body hair of cyclists, or rather the lack thereof, is a source of enduring fascination for laypeople. And questions related to it come up repeatedly when those involved discuss their daily lives as professional athletes.

" As soon as we meet someone from outside the cycling world, it's one of the first questions we get asked," smiles the rider Paul Ourselin, currently competing in the Vuelta for Cofidis, " but for us, it's something normal not to have hair on our legs, because we grew up in this environment, it's not really an issue. It's even a trait of belonging that has an aesthetic side and above all a usefulness. "

Since " the end of the interwar period and more likely after the Second World War ," as cycling historian Pascal Sergent puts it, there have been many reasons to ride over hills, like Ventoux or Revard, and across valleys like Azun or Ajol, with hairless legs. Samuel Bellenoue, a performance manager who has worked for several French teams and is currently a consultant for the startup Bike Speed ​​Lab, details the three main reasons: " In the event of a fall, the cyclist's skin rubs against the ground, and if there is hair in the middle of the wounds, it can tend to get infected a little more easily. The other important point is that when massaging, on shaved skin, it feels much better. Finally, there is also a significant gain in watts." We had fun quantifying it and between a shaved and oiled leg versus a hairy leg, it can fluctuate between 5 and 15 watts gained, at 45 km/h. It's not bad because a little razor stroke is not that complicated, whereas a threshold session is a little more!

Former Bouygues Telecom and FDJ rider Olivier Bonnaire. (L. Baheux/L'Équipe)

And while the method for achieving baby-soft hocks doesn't have any impact, it remains to be seen which techniques are preferred by those involved. " I use the good old razor ," says Paul Ourselin. " Since I'm not very hairy, it's simple, quick, and doesn't hurt. I do it once a week, in the shower, from the bottom up, with a Gillette whose blade I change before it rusts, so as not to catch tetanus (laughs). But in the peloton, there's the One Blade, which is all the rage. There are even guys who do touch-ups just before the start. "

Far from being obsessed by this constraint of his profession, Clément Braz Afonso, a young puncher from Groupama-FDJ who is discovering his first Grand Tour during this Vuelta 2025, nevertheless needed the fatal weapon from Philips, no later than 15 minutes before the team presentation last Thursday. He says: " On the question of shaving, I'm perhaps not the best student. Let's say that at home, I can let myself go, but when I'm with the team, I make the effort. However, before the Vuelta presentation, I had quite a few things to do and I realized at the last moment that I wasn't very "presentable." I told myself that no one would notice and that I would do it the next day, before the start. But David Gaudu, one of my leaders, spotted me. And he said to me: "If you don't respect the Grand Tour, the Grand Tour won't respect you." I'm not superstitious, but in 10 minutes I shaved dry to get a bob. It's super practical, it suits me well. And I think I'm going to stick with it... even though my girlfriend already told me she wanted to pull my stripes (laughs).

An exercise that the experienced Bryan Coquard, Cofidis sprinter, has already tried: " I thought it could be a time saver, partial hair removal, so I tried it twice, but it was too painful. And yet I'm not a softie, because I already finished a stage of the Tour with a broken finger! Afterwards, in organizational terms, the razor is more practical for me because I very often forget my things in hotels. So when I need it, I take what I can find when I go shopping, without a favorite brand. A quick shower, with soap and water and off I go! I think there are really many of us who continue to do it like that, after all."

Of the two teams surveyed before the Vuelta, the figures are indeed clear. Both Groupama-FDJ and Cofidis, of the eight riders lined up by each team in this last Grand Tour of the season, all lean towards shaving. " Guys who wax are rare, but I know one who did it with a laser ," confides Paul Ourselin, like a mocking informant. " It's Fabien Grellier. "

Shaved skin makes post-race massage easier. (S. Mantey/L'Équipe)

Caught in the crossfire, one of the road captains of Team Total Energie, who is finishing the Tour du Limousin, details his big leap towards permanent hair removal: " I shaved until I was 19, but I always had problems with hair regrowth, especially spots. When I got massages, it was really painful. Sometimes, I even had areas that couldn't be treated because the physiotherapists work really deep down. On long stage races, it was still a penalty. So I took the plunge. I had to wait until winter because you can't be tanned. It took me 4 sessions, I was in terrible pain, but now I'm very happy! "

An approach that remains marginal despite technological progress and changing morals in this field. Winner of 3 stages of the Grande Boucle in the 2000s, former FDJ sprinter Sandy Casar attests to this: " When I started out, there was only the razor. Later, sometimes, I used Veet sprays for women. It was quick but took up too much space to carry. Hair removal, especially laser, came more towards the end of my career. But the only one who had to wax that I remember was Philippe Gilbert. " It was quite successful for him, even if his racing knowledge must have something to do with it.