Dr Matt Rabin has been a team chiropractor and nutritionist for Cannondale-Garmin for the past eight years. In addition, Matt has worked with the Great Britain and US cycling teams at the World Championships and the Australian squad in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Most recently, he has co-written a new book alongside Robert Hicks, health and fitness deputy editor at Cycling Weekly, titled The Pain-Free Cyclist: Conquer Injury and Find Your Cycling Nirvana.

It covers topics such as preparation, injuries, rehab and ailments with insight into the regimes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Rohan Dennis, Dan Martin and Tyler Farrar among others.

Here Matt shares some of his top tips and stories from the frontline of pro-cycling.

What does your day job with Cannondale-Garmin entail?

As a chiropractor it is my job to stay on top of any small sign of injury during a race, manage those as they arise and continue to help and assist with advice between races.

Aside from injuries, when cyclists feel like their biomechanics aren't working properly or they feel shifted or twisted on the bike, I will assess and find out where the problem lies.

I also assist on the nutritional strategy of the team to ensure the riders are appropriately fuelled and hydrated when they race.

Professional cyclists spend hours each week in the saddle, how does this impact on their bodies?

Because they are sitting down it doesn't impact their bodies that much - just like a couch potato.

It can, however, cause issues with bone mineral density for pro cyclists years down the line. This is something which can be avoided with cross training.

More common issues come from abrasion with the saddle such as chafing and sores. Potential aggravation of that area can also lead to erectile dysfunction in some cases.

Clean shorts, properly washing the shorts, possibly using chamois cream, making sure the saddle size fits and is horizontal rather than tipped backwards, as well as resting from riding at the first sign of irritation can all help.

What are the most common scenarios you are dealing with?

It can range from lower back, neck and knee pain to simply not feeling comfortable on the bike.

Things like road rash after a crash typically the doctor would take care of, but any other ache and pain experienced while riding - assuming it is not gastrointestinal related - would tend to fall under my remit in the first instance.

My job is to try and work out a diagnosis and move away from the pain and injury.

Cycling is a sport where the ability to suffer is akin to art form. If a rider has a bad crash, how do you patch them up to continue?

You have to do what you can to get them back on the bike the next day as comfortably as they can be.

The doctor would patch up the road rash and I would work on them physically including mobilisations, soft tissue myofascial release work, some stretching manoeuvres and advice on exercises to prevent the body from seizing up and becoming an issue.

Then, in the days after the initial crash, I would continue to work on them looking for improvement. This sort of work can often be the difference between them completing a three week Grand Tour such as the Tour de France or needing to quit with pain or injury. Obviously, if the crash is too bad, they won't be able to continue.

What is the toughest scenario you have had to deal with in your job?

The Tour de France is the biggest race in the year. When a rider crashes they can undo a lot of hard work and preparation that has led up to that time.

In most normal situations you would recommend a few days rest, but pro-cycling doesn't allow this. The first week of the Tour is always littered with crashes. Getting the riders that do come off through this first week back in good shape is probably the toughest aspect of the job.

Are there some races which are harder on cyclists physiologically than others?

One day races take their toll and Paris-Roubaix is probably the worst, although the Grand Tours - and the Tour de France in particular - put the biggest strain on the body.

Everyone is fit, everyone is ready; there is a lot of stress and everyone is hungry to do well which makes it extremely demanding physiologically and emotionally for the riders.

What are the key items in your arsenal?

Good hands-on skills and an ability to tell what is serious and what is not, knowing when to jump in and when to step back; these are the biggest assets I would say I have.

Having a big toolbox with all manner of approaches from stretches, manipulations, mobilisations, ice and kinesiotape helps too.

What are the biggest misconceptions about what you do?

That chiropractors just crack backs. When you work in elite sport there is far more to it than that.

Will you be at this year's Tour de France?

I will do the first half of the Tour de France this year and it will be the eighth one I have been at. Normally I would do two of the three Grand Tours each year: this will be my 16th Grand Tour I think.

What can mere mortals like the rest of us learn from professional cyclists?

The discipline needed to succeed and the ability to set a target goal and work towards it. No cyclist was born with a gift to do it. Those at the top are talented and they work for hours, day in day out, in all conditions to hone their skills. Their dedication to their craft is to be marvelled at.

The Pain-Free Cyclist by Matt Rabin and Robert Hicks is published by Bloomsbury, priced £16.99