Bernhard Eisel's Diary: Being a Tour de France reporter is really demanding

Recently retired Eisel, a Spring Classic winner and seasoned Grand Tour rider with multiple UCI Pro Teams, is providing on-site reporting capturing all the key moments as they happen, and in the first of his Tour diaries, the 39-year-old speaks of the demanding nature of his new role.

"I'm at the Tour de France and I'm here doing interviews with the riders at the start and the finish and I have to admit it looks much easier when you're a rider," says Eisel.

"But they are enjoyable and interesting days and Stage 1 was a great day - complete carnage in the rain and Sunday's stage around Nice, going over Col de Turini and Col d'Eze and witnessing new bonification sprints where we saw Julian Alaphilippe and Adam Yates up there plus Marc Hirschi.

"It is great and, while watching and getting ready for the questions I will ask these guys, I feel super nervous for them.

"It really is an adventure for myself and at the same time I start thinking, 'if I come back it's too late', because I'm definitely not going to get in shape anymore to do a Tour de France in my life again.

"Now I know how much work the media guys actually put in to put all this footage out and all the interviews and all the behind the scenes info... it is real work and it's really challenging with the riders. But I have to admit I really enjoy it."