In case you didn’t get the memo, 29-year-old Vincenzo Nibali of Sicily, Italy won the 2014 Tour de France last month. Rightfully known as the “Shark of Messina,” he was able to outperform 218 other cyclists to finish first in the world’s largest bike race. Nabili finished the race with a lead of more than seven minutes, which is the biggest winning margin since 1997.

But here’s something that you probably didn’t know about Nabili and his team: they were the only team at the 2014 Tour de France to bring their own licensed acupuncturist. Throughout the course of the physically enduring race, an acupuncturist treated Nabili and his team, usually twice a day. Nabili and his team would receive a treatment in the morning before they raced and another at night while they were relaxing and resting in the hotel.  continue reading »