{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01868399675060926, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.553191489361702, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Anxiety and Performance on the Tour de France and Tour de France Feminin

Abstract We examined the predictive relationship between pre-competition state anxiety and subsequent race performance among male and female professional athletes participating in the Tour de France and Tour de France Feminin bicycle races. Our results differed for men and women. Male cyclists reporting high self-confidence and low state anxiety performed better than their competitors reporting high state anxiety and low self-confidence. Female cyclists who reported high self-confidence performed worse than their competitors reporting low self-confidence. Departure of pre-race state anxiety, from a self-reported anxiety level experienced prior to a previous best performance, was predictive of poorer performance independently of each female athlete's absolute level of pre-race anxiety. Our results are partly consistent with a relaxation model of enhanced performance for the men and Hanin's Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning model for the women. Experimental and applied interventions for managing anxiety with top athletes in cycling should consider gender differences, self-confidence, and the anxiety-performance history of each athlete.