Cycling Plus - Sportive Guide

TRAINING TIPS Be ready for your big event

FOCUSED FUELLING Prepare your ride nutrition

Sportive Guide

PERFECT SPORTIVE BIKE How to choose your ideal ride

Image from Maratona dles Dolomites

SPORTIVE GUIDE

TRAIN LIKE THE PROS Meaningful marginal gains

SPORTIVE GUIDE | WELCOME

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WELCOME With Spring finally creeping into view, it’s time to start looking ahead to a summer packed with

cycling. And whatever your goal event(s) this year, this Sportive Guide is packed with the advice you need to perform at your best.

We’ve got top tips from the pros, training and nutrition advice to get the most out of yourself, plus all the information you need to make the right gear and bike choices.

SPORTIVE BIKES 04 Bikes built for

comfort and speed, just the job for a long day in the saddle.

SPORTIVE GEAR 06 Everything you

need to ensure you kit yourself out properly for your big day.

TRAINING 08 We offer our 11

sure-fire training tips guaranteed to get you finishing faster in 2018.

NUTRITION 12 Fuelling advice for your big ride.

TRAIN LIKE A PRO 14 What can we

learn from the pros?

More than you might think...

RACE PACING 16 Words of wisdom to get your timing right.

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SPORTIVE BIKES SPORTIVE BIKES | WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Pockmarked roads and hours sitting on a firm, narrow saddle can be a painful experience.

But not if you choose the right bike…

You’ve signed up to your first sportive and, thus far, your cycling mode of transport’s been a slightly tiredlooking hybrid that’s scarred by rust and years in the shed. It’s time for something slicker and stealth-like but be warned: not all road bikes are created equal.

To make your journey to the finish line that bit more enjoyable, you’ll need an endurance bike – aka sportive bike.

The remit for sportive bikes is to cope – and do it comfortably – with long days in the saddle. How long is dependent on distance and your ability but, as an extreme example, the final finisher at the 2017 L’Étape du Tour [see pages 2425 for more on one of the world’s most popular sportives] took over 13 hours to cross the finish line. Based on a cadence of around 80rpm, that’s around 62,560 pedal revolutions, each one generated by your thighs, glutes and hamstrings. That’s a lot of chafing between body and saddle, so clearly comfort is key.

FRAME GEOMETRY

This is where geometry comes sharply into focus and where knowledge equals purchasing power. To the uninitiated,

there’s no discernible difference between a race bike and a sportive bike.

But focus your inner bike geek and you’ll notice a few subtle differences whose impacts punch far above their weight.

An out-and-out race bike sports a shorter wheelbase and a long reach to the handlebar. (The wheelbase is the distance between the centre of the front and rear wheels.) Shorter equals a more twitchy, more responsive ride, while that longer reach results in a more aerodynamic stretch. That’s great for speed but at the expense of comfort.

A sportive bike is designed with a longer wheelbase, higher head-tube and a shorter effective top-tube for a more sustainable and comfortably upright position. Take the Giant Defy sportive bike. Its wheelbase measures 100.7cm for the M/L model against 98.6cm for the same-sized Giant Propel race bike. Not huge but enough to change the nature of the ride.

FRAME MATERIAL

As for frame choice, advances in material technology and more sophisticated building techniques mean it’s rare to find a truly

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uncomfortable ride. However, there are a few generalisations that will help steer your purchase.

Aluminium, the heart of many affordable frames, can provide a slightly firm ride, though some riders appreciate this. Steel’s forged an unparalleled reputation for a compliant, almost cosy ride, albeit often at the expense of weight. That said, the likes of Reynolds and Columbus are pushing the boundaries and have dramatically cut weight while retaining comfort.

Then there are the materials of choice for the professionals – carbon fibre and titanium. Both provide beautiful rides at an impressive strength-to-weight ratio; both are relatively costly.

ADDITIONAL COMFORT

While geometry and material choice are the two primary factors when it comes to sportive bike choice, a smattering of top-end bike manufacturers have gone the extra technical mile. Take American bike behemoth Trek, whose IsoSpeed decoupler suspension system allows the seat-tube to move independently of the frame to boost comfort. Then there are Specialized’s Future Shock dampeners under the stem, again to elevate comfort.

Beyond comfort offered by the frame, there are further areas that you can tinker with to ensure your glutes and groin are in tip-top condition come the end of the ride. Cue our look at sportive gear essentials over the page…

Whyte Devon £999 whyte.bike A lightweight, multibutted alloy frame is finished with Shimano Sora shifting and TRP hydraulic, flat-nount disc brakes with 160mm rotors. Whyte own brand bar, stem, alloy seatpost and saddle complete the spec. The compact geometry makes for a more comfortable female-focused fit.

Giant Contend SL 1 Disc 2018 £1199.00 giant-bicycles.com Giant’s ALUXX SL-Grade aluminium frame makes for a lively, all-round ride. Shimano 105 gets you shifting and Giant’s Conduct hydraulic disc brakes are in charge of stopping. The D-Fuse composite seatpost will make things comfortable for hours in the saddle.

LAPIERRE PULSIUM 900 ULTIMATE £6599 lapierre-bikes.co.uk A lightweight carbon beauty that’s equally at home racking up the miles as unleashing speed. One elastomer absorbs road rattle, while Shimano’s DuraAce Di2 electronic groupset takes care of shifting duties.

The Zipp and Mavic components complete a top-end feature list.

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James Witts

Robert Smith

BIB SHORTS AND JERSEY Firm saddles designed to maximise power and reduce saddle sores are at odds with comfort, especially over longer rides. Cue bib shorts: these skin-tight swathes of Spandex feature a chamois padded at the groin to absorb stress; straps to prevent them riding up in the tuck position and insulation for warmth. As for jerseys, look for a garment that’s comfortable, warm but breathable. A fulllength zip offers the best ventilation.

Also look for ample pockets for storage.

A packable showerproof jacket is a good idea too.

GEAR ESSENTIALS | CLOTHING AND KIT

GEAR CLIPLESS PEDALS They take a bit of time to get used to but clipless pedals massively increase cycling efficiency. So called because there are no toe straps, clipless pedals use special cleats that bolt to your shoe’s sole to securely engage with the pedals.

Clicking in and out takes a bit of practise but soon becomes second nature – once you’ve quashed the fear of a slow topple at a junction, of course!

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SUNGLASSES Unless you want grime, grit, dust and insects plastering your eyeballs, a pair of sunglasses – or the rather grandiose alternative title of ‘performance eyewear’ – is a must. Arguably you could slip into any, but the benefit of cycling-specific types is that many come with interchangeable lenses so you can pair your optics to different riding conditions.

Typical combinations are clear, red for low light and mirrored for sunny days.

HELMET Whichever side of the helmet fence you sit on – and we’d recommend firmly nestling in the helmet camp – every single sportive demands you wear one. A wellfitted helmet is vital, so visit your local bike shop, try on a selection and go for the most comfortable.

Prices vary but all have to meet safety standards – usually, the more you pay, the lighter and/or more aerodynamic the helmet will be.

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CHAMOIS CREAM ‘And on the eighth day, God created chamois cream…’ Yes, the importance of this anti-bacterial, viscous substance can’t be overstated, reducing the inevitable friction between saddle and undercarriage that can result in a condition even more painful than a paper cut – namely saddle sores. Chamois cream is a worthy support act to the chamois pad in your bib shorts and comes in various forms including balm, powder and, of course, cream.

ESSENTIALS You’ve sorted your bike, now it’s time to complete your sportive setup for a more enjoyable ride…

BOTTLES AND BOTTLE CAGES You’ll need to pick bottles that will give you enough fluid between feed stations.

More expensive models tend to have better spouts that keep water in without spilling and make drinking easier.

Some are also designed to keep your water tasting like water not plastic, while others have extra insulation to keep drinks cooler for longer. Whichever you go for, ones with rubber spouts are kinder to your teeth.

Bottle cages vary in price from budget to bling, with the more expensive ones featuring integrated CO2 inflators, spare cartridges and tools.

MULTI-TOOL A multi-tool is ideal to make tweaks if a brake misaligns, a bottle cage wobbles free or your saddle slips. Pick one with a selection of hex keys and a Phillips screwdriver in case your derailleurs need adjusting.

SPARE TUBE Carry at least one spare tube. In the case of a puncture, whip the old tube out, check for foreign objects in the tyre, put a fresh tube in and inflate the tyre. Buy a tube with a long enough valve for the wheels you’re using as deep rims need an extended valve.

TYRE LEVERS To swap your tube, you need to ease the bead of the tyre off the wheel rim using tyre levers. Two usually suffice, but three would be ideal.

Choose plastic ones, which are less likely to damage your rims.

PUNCTURE PATCHES Avoid the hassle of carrying around a full old-fashioned puncture kit by investing in some good patches. Simply peel them off their backing paper and press onto the tube over the puncture.

SADDLE BAG You will need to carry all you need on your bike, and a saddle bag is a better idea than weighing down your jersey pockets. If you’re swapping between multiple bikes, those with Velcro or clips are a good bet.

Others come with plastic mounts, letting you easily secure and remove the bag.

MINI PUMP A good mini pump is a musthave on any ride. You need to find one that will, with a bit of hard work, allow you to reach a decent pressure to avoid further pinch punctures.

CRANK UP TO 11 A few minor tweaks to your training will

deliver impressive results, whether you’re

finding your feet or are a seasoned rider

11 | TRAINING TIPS

THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR… Nothing beats cycling with your mates but, without being a party pooper, don’t let them distract you from your sportive goals. “Weekend rides can compromise physiological improvements if the riders aren’t of similar ability, resulting in some (you) being spat out the back,” says Eddie Fletcher, head sports scientist at Wattbike (wattbike.com/uk). “Your group needs to be disciplined. If it is, these rides are worth it because they raise motivation and have you riding longer than you would solo.

“The key to these sessions is not working too hard. Aim for an average overall heart rate range equivalent to zone 2/3 (around 60-80 per cent of your maximum heart rate – you should be able to talk among yourselves, though not always easily) and cover mixed terrain. This should include hills, where the heart rate will rise into high zones.”

TRY THIS Try to add an extra hour to your ride to benefit from sharing the workload.

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Try to add an extra hour to your ride to benefit from sharing the workload

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Make steady rides more interesting by adding sprint intervals to them

MEASURED PERFORMANCE Objectively monitoring riding intensity, using heart rate, power or a combination of both, should be high on your list of priorities. “Without this feedback, you’ll ride too hard when you should be going easy and not push hard enough when you need to,” says coach Nikalas Cook. “Set accurate and personalised training zones based on a Threshold Test – you can find the protocol and a zone calculator on the British Cycling website (britishcycling.org. uk) – and use these zones to ensure you’re always riding at the optimal intensity for performance and training gains.”

If you’re with friends, the ‘sign sprint’ is a fun way of introducing these efforts

TRY THIS Power meters are becoming more affordable but heart rate monitors are cheaper and the easiest way to measure training intensity.

EASY WINS 3. KEEP IT CLEAN

4. ZIP IT UP

Cleaning and lubricating your drivetrain reduces friction, ensuring more of the watts you produce project your bike forward.

No one enjoys cleaning their bike, but faster riding is a good reason to get stuck in.

If you’ve unzipped your jacket on a hard climb, zip it back up before you ride on. Bike clothing is close fitting for a good reason: aerodynamics.

You’re slowing yourself down if it’s flapping in the wind.

INTERVAL INCENTIVE Steady rides, while important, aren’t the most efficient use of time if you’re pushed for training hours. Cue sprint intervals.

“You can boost leg strength and speed by using different gearing,” explains Dr Pete Giddings of Honed Coaching (honedcoaching. com), “but it’s important to give it full gas.”

For the first 10 to 15 seconds after a change in pace you’ll engage sprint muscles to keep up, so you need to train them. There’s also evidence that short duration, high-intensity efforts help to redistribute your glycogen stores more efficiently. The efforts act as a trigger to ensure that working muscles have a supply of energy.

“If you’re riding alone, introduce a

10-second sprint every 10 minutes and make it an all-out effort,” adds Giddings. “Look to complete eight to 10 sprints during the ride, so always ensure you leave enough time to recover properly so you can hit the right level every time.

“If you’re with friends, the ‘sign sprint’ is a fun way of introducing these efforts to your ride. You must have an agreement to only start the sprint with something like 200m to go, though, and you don’t need to sprint for every sign! You still need to build in recovery time between efforts.”

TRY THIS Changes in pace can happen at any time, so try to space your 10-second full gas efforts evenly throughout your longer rides.

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6. LES S IS M O RE Well, sometimes.

“Recovery is a key component of any well-devised training plan,” says Cook, “but is often neglected by riders who train in an unstructured way. Whether it is recovery from individual hard or

long sessions or from a solid block of training, your body only gets stronger when it recovers. Always aim to follow hard days with easy ones and, if you have put in three or four weeks of solid,

consistent training, schedule in an easier week with less volume.

Simply piling on the miles week after week can lead to hitting a training plateau, boredom and, in extreme cases, illness or injury.”

TRY THIS Build at least one rest day – do nothing – into your training week. This allows your muscles to adapt to the stress your training puts them under.

HAVE A PLAN

SKILLS TO PAY THE BILLS “It’s no use being able to deliver a set wattage for a set time on the turbo trainer if you then can’t replicate that on the road, in a group with your hand in your back pocket searching for a gel,” says Giddings. “For racers the ability to ride smartly and safely in a bunch is crucial, but it’s hugely beneficial to sportive riders as well because a good group working together can mean more mph for less effort.

“If you feel that holding a wheel in a bunch is a weakness, don’t try to correct it by jumping straight into a fast moving group and hoping for the best. Instead, get together with a couple of friends of similar ability who you trust and, taking turns on the front, practise riding at

close proximity until you’re comfortable with it. Once happy with that, head out with a bigger group and increase competence – and confidence – when surrounded by numerous riders.”

Giddings also suggests practising techniques such as pulling out and putting back your drinks bottle, eating, clipping in and moving from sitting to standing and back again. “Use your training rides to work on core skills as well as your strength and fitness and your performances will undoubtedly improve.”

TRY THIS On steady sections of your rides, practise taking your bottle, drinking then returning it to its cage without looking down.

Shaving your legs really does make you faster

“If you’ve established training zones and are following a structured training plan, every ride or session should have a clear purpose,” says Cook.

Wattbike’s Eddie Fletcher refers to the 2x20-minute training session that’s been at the heart of many training plans. This session involves riding 20 minutes at threshold (the maximum effort you can sustain for an hour), spinning an easy gear for 5 minutes and then doing another 20 minutes at threshold.

“I would build up to threshold over a four-week block,” says Fletcher.

“Ride week one at a moderate effort (zone 2-3), week two at zone 3 (the upper end of what’s comfortable) and week three at threshold, before returning to zone 2-3 in week four.”

TRY THIS Tailor the majority of sessions to a particular purpose and understand why you’re doing them. Motivation comes from knowing that what you’re doing is working.

EASY WINS

9. SHAVE SECONDS

10. GET PUMPED

11. LIGHTEN UP

Shaving your legs really does make you faster. In Specialized’s wind tunnel, it was found that shaving saved five riders an average of 70 secs per 40km. It’s a small sample, but it should see you reach for the razor.

Check your tyres, as the flatter they are the more rubber will be in contact with the road. That rolling resistance will slow you down.

Some riders race time trials on 120psi, but weigh up the comfort compromises.

Losing some weight from you will clearly benefit your cycling, especially uphill, but you can also ditch weight from your bike without breaking the bank.

Lighter wheels are a good place to start.

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James Witts

RIDE-DAY NUTRITION RIDE-DAY NUTRITION | FOCUSED FUELLING

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There are three key variables that will determine the success and enjoyment of your sportive: gear, training and nutrition.

We’ve already focused on the first two; now it’s time to chow down on the latter

The minutiae of a general diet is beyond the scope of this feature but you won’t go wrong if you follow the Healthy Eating Plate, created by nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health. This breaks down as half of your plate featuring vegetables or salad, but doesn’t include potatoes; a quarter of whole grains (carbohydrates) like brown rice; and a quarter protein – lean chicken and fish. Healthy oils like olive and corn varieties are

recommended, while water’s favoured over sugary drinks.

This lays a solid foundation to maximise your training time. But as your sportive approaches, there are further rules worth adhering to in search of personal peak performance.

CARB-LOADING

In the week leading up to your sportive, it’s important to taper – reduce training volume – to arrive at the start line fresh and fit. You’ll also need to think about food intake.

“Carb-loading means increasing carbohydrate intake, from foods like pasta, potatoes and rice, which are stored in your body as glycogen,” explains nutritionist Emma Barraclough. “These help fuel you for longer.”

Aim to consume around 8-12g of carbohydrate per kilo of bodyweight, depending on ride distance. So for an 80kg rider, that would be around 640960g carbohydrates every day in the week leading up to the event. “10g would mean three carbohydrate-based meals in the day with carb snacks in between,” says Barraclough.

In theory, packing in the food might sound a Godsend to weight-watching

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“Food in your stomach diverts blood from working muscles to aid digestion, so overeating will rob your muscles of vital oxygen. You’ll also cramp up because it’s a struggle for your stomach to digest when exercising.”

cyclists. The reality’s often different.

“Many struggle with that amount when they’re cycling less because of tapering.

It seems unnatural and can leave you sluggish. That’s why you can use carbohydrate drinks if needed.”

PRE-RIDE BREAKFAST

“When it comes to the big day, eat your pre-sportive breakfast around two to three hours before the off, aiming for 2g/kg body mass,” Barraclough continues. “That’s two servings – for example, porridge followed by toast. An energy drink along with a large serving of cereal or porridge is an option when looking to cut bulk.”

No matter how experienced you are, pre-ride is a nervous time. One common concern is that you’ve insufficient energy, tempting you to slurp down a gel, but don’t. The resulting sugar rush and insulin response will do you no favours until you’re working hard on the bike. As Barraclough says, “If you’ve carbloaded properly, there’s no need to take gels beforehand.”

AIM FOR 60G

Once you’ve started your sportive, you can end that gel amnesty. “Even with your maximum loading, you probably only have enough glycogen stores to last you about 90 minutes, but don’t wait until you’ve reached that point,” says Barraclough. “The longer you can preserve you own glycogen stores, the better you tend to feel. I’d suggest a gel or bar within 30-40 minutes and keep that regular feeding, so you’re hitting about 60g of carbs per hour.” That means one or two isotonic gels per hour plus whatever you’re drinking.

REAL-FOOD MENU

Quality, lab-tested sports nutrition from brands like SiS and Secret Training deliver optimum amounts of carbohydrates that your body can

absorb, assimilate and then feed working muscles.

On a ride lasting anywhere up to eight hours, flavour fatigue can kick in so complement your sports nutrition with real food. A couple of options that are omnipresent in the professional peloton are jam sandwiches – ideally with white bread to cut fibre – and homemade rice cakes.

“But if you’re really pushing hard and shifting up the intensity levels, as you would on a stiff climb, we’d recommend a gel or drink as it’s readily available energy,” adds Barraclough.

AVOID INDULGENCE

Feed stations often resemble one of Henry VIII’s banquets. Unlike Henry, don’t let gluttony get the better of you.

“Cakes, sandwiches, jacket potatoes – there’s a temptation to overdo it. But you’ll regret it,” Barraclough explains.

“Food in your stomach diverts blood from working muscles to aid digestion, so overeating will rob your muscles of vital oxygen. You’ll also cramp up because it’s a struggle for your stomach to digest when exercising.”

CAFFEINE BREAK

So you’ve fuelled nicely, your limbs are working with the efficiency of freshly lubed pistons but you’re still seeking that extra performance boost. It’s time for a caffeine hit.

“Caffeine’s a proven performance aid and works on many levels,” says Barraclough. Numerous studies have shown that caffeine increases power output, burns more energy from fat sources and even improves decisionmaking – appreciated when descending in a fatigued state.

Traditionally, it was thought that those who normally drink lots of caffeine should abstain when the sportive approaches, so that when you quaff a caffeinated gel during the ride, you’ll receive a bigger hit. More recent research has shown that’s not necessarily true. You still receive a psychological and physiological boost, it might just seem less perceptible than those who rarely drink caffeine.

Now you know how to deliver your own meals on wheels, practise your feeding strategy a few times in training, tinkering with amounts and products to suit. Happy grazing!

ON-THE-FLY FEEDING These delicious fruit flapjacks include oats, which are a great source of energy, delivered slowly to maintain blood-glucose levels. They complement the bananas, raisins and golden syrup, which release a more immediate hit of energy – ideal when faced with an intense part of the course, like a hill.

Ingredients * 150g oats * 180g banana * 50g raisins * 160g golden syrup * Orange zest * 1tbsp of squeezed orange juice * 0.5/1tsp of cinnamon Method Mash the banana and add to the golden syrup, orange zest, orange juice and stir.

Then stir in the oats and raisins before placing the mixture into a tray and spreading evenly. Bake at 180°C in a fanassisted oven for 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool and then portion into snack-size pieces.

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The Science of the Tour de France examines the training, nutrition and gear advancements seen in the professional peloton. This exclusive extract for Cycling Plus shows how you can integrate five marginal gains into your own performance…

PEAK POSITION, OPTIMUM SPEED

“We examine the rider’s pedal stroke, looking at factors like how their legs extend and what their posture is like,” explains Julian Wall of professional bike-fitter Cyclefit, who works with John Degenkolb’s team TrekSegafredo. “To simplify things, we’re looking at three key contact points in space – handlebar, saddle and pedals – and can then tweak those on the Fit Bike. Hands, bum and feet are key.”

The Fit Bike is just one cutting-edge piece of equipment in the Covent Garden bike-fitter’s armoury, along with 3D analysis, motion capture lasers and pressure pads that measure saddle and foot force. Cyclefit takes optimum bike position seriously, and with research from Spain revealing that a variation of just 0.5cm from optimal saddle position can lead to significantly higher energy expenditure – and subsequent lower speeds – over long rides, you can see why.

You can search online for credible DIY methods to determine a pretty accurate bike position, but they don’t match the accuracy of a performanceenhancing, injury-cutting professional fit. And with prices starting from as low as £100, it’s money well spent.

BEET YOUR PERSONAL BEST

“Some of the Dimension Data guys always have beetroot in their salad,” says the team’s sports scientist Dr Jonathan Baker. “They’ll also use Beet It, which is highly concentrated beetroot. It’s pretty unpleasant but you do notice a difference.”

Why are the likes of Steve Cummings and Mark Cavendish dabbling with this divisive root vegetable? It’s down to studies that show nitrates within the beetroot flow into a biochemical pathway within the body that converts them to nitric oxide. Studies have shown this conversion has the effect of reducing the oxygen cost of low-intensity exercise and extending time to exhaustion during high-intensity exercise.

How often? “Some of the riders have a vegetable smoothie every morning that includes beetroot, plus celery, carrots and lime. Or they’ll have Beet It every day. It becomes part of their routine.”

OFF-THE-BIKE TRAINING

“In the winter I spend a lot of time in the gym,” says multiple Tour de France green-jersey victor Peter Sagan. “I’m mainly working on my legs; that’s why the squat is very important.” Sprint supremo Marcel Kittel mirrors this squat love-in. “I do squats all year round – around 120kg.”

It’s not just the pros who’ll benefit from leg squats – you will, too. Squats activate myriad muscles that are constantly engaged during cycling, including the quadriceps, hamstrings and core muscles of the abs and lower back. A couple of 10-minute squat sessions each week will strengthen your system, as well as laying a bed of muscle fibres to soak up lactic acid on subsequent rides. Just mix up heavy weights and low repetitions (around six to eight, three sets) during the offseason before reducing weight and increasing repetitions during sportive season (three sets of 12-15 reps).

LEARN FROM

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WIDER = FASTER

“At the same pressure, a 25mm tyre is seven per cent faster than a traditional 23m model,” says Christian Wurmbaeck, product manager at Continental Tyres, who partners many WorldTour teams including Romain Bardet’s AG2R La Mondiale. “Why is down to improved aerodynamics.”

When it comes to road tyres, thinner used to rule the roost, the theory being that less contact with the ground results in lower rolling resistance. But recent research shows that at the same tyre pressure, the 25mm-wide tyre produces the same-sized contact area as the narrower tyre because while the narrower tyre flattens over its length, the wider tyre is flattened over its width. The 25mm tyre also fits flusher to your wheel rim, ever-so slightly smoothing out airflow, which cuts drag. A set of 25mm tyres is also more comfortable than the thinner pair – needed on the pockmarked roads of Great Britain.

“Squats activate myriad muscles that are constantly engaged during cycling, including the quadriceps, hamstrings and core muscles of the abs and lower back”

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RAPID RECOVERY

“Compression socks have a multitude of benefits,” says Akbar de Medici, medical director at Compression Advisory who has worked with a number of elite sporting teams. “They include improving venous return to accelerate recovery.”

While compression socks aren’t sartorially the most aesthetically pleasing item of apparel, as de Medici highlights there are performance reasons why the likes of Richie Porte are rarely seen without them. By increasing pressure on the calves, they act like a second heart, increasing the rate that toxins are flushed out as well as flooding the body with oxygenated blood – both raising recovery time post-ride so you’re at your optimum for the next one.

Fit is paramount because graduated pressure from the ankles to the calves is vital, so try before you buy. That’s why a customised set of compression socks is arguably the best option. And you don’t need to suffer the fashionable ignominy after every ride – just reserve for those tough efforts where your legs feel like jelly.

M THE PROS

There are plenty of tips you can take from the likes of TrekSegafredo, Dimension Data and KatushaAlpecin to unleash your inner winner…

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James Witts

Robert Smith

MEASURED SUCCESS MEASURED SUCCESS | PACING ADVICE

Helping you avoid going out too hard and too fast, we share our top tips to pace yourself…

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY The thump of your heart in your throat; back muscles that need stretching; a craving for salt – all these things and more inform your effort levels and nutrition status. A one to 10 scale of perceived rate of exertion is a great way to simplify this – try to avoid sitting above six out of 10 in terms of effort to save something in the tank.

TECHNIQUE AND EQUIPMENT A cassette with a 28-tooth sprocket on the back is a must for most sportives, along with either a 34 or 36-tooth small chainring at the front, depending on how strong you are.

If you’re fairly new to cycling, check your bike’s not sporting a 39 front and 23-tooth rear or you may find you’re walking more than riding during your chosen event.

START SLOW, FINISH STRONG Focus on keeping the intensity low for the first few miles and avoid competitive instincts on the day’s first climb. Once you’ve settled into your rhythm, you can decide whether or not you feel like pushing a little harder.

AVOID SURGING Most sportive riders don’t need to cover attacks or break away from a group, so think about managing effort – conserving on the hills, recovering on descents and avoiding spikes in effort.

MENTAL PACING Breaking the event down into smaller chunks is a great way to maintain motivation. Whether it’s 15-mile sections, to the next feed station or the distance to the local shops and back, completing several shorter rides rather than a single massive one is easier to get your head around.

CHECK YOUR DATA If you’ve got a GPS cycling computer, look back through training rides building up to your event, focusing on distance covered, elevation climbed and average speed. If you’ve been unable to break an average speed of 14mph, there’s little point in setting your sights on averaging 18mph on the day. Be realistic in your expectations and mindful of the terrain you’ll be encountering.

KNOW THE ROUTE Taping a route profile to your stem or, better still, uploading the event route to your Garmin to view a real-time profile, can make a massive difference to preparing for climbs and pacing your efforts.