VÉLO-POSTE Issue 05 Cycling stories from South Australia
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Photo : The Big Guy
CRITERIUM DU DAUPHINE
& Time Megeve Sportive
supported 9 day French cycling holiday has This fully everything you would hope for. Wonderful days riding some of the classic climbs of the northern alpes, watching the world’s best cyclists race in the World Tour lead up event to the Tour de France, the Critérium du Dauphiné, and participating in a cyclosportive like no other. Your cycling prowess will be put to the test at the ever popular Time Megeve Mont Blanc Cyclosportive. This cycling event attracts over 3,000 riders and 2014 will be the 11th edition. This has proved a very popular tour for the past 2 years, Race Action, Ride the Cols, Participate in a Sportive & Relax in hand picked locations.
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This magnificent package is full of excitement and challenge while balanced with luxurious accommodation, superb cuisine and all while relaxing and immersing yourself in the French way of life. For an amazing cycling holiday with a twist, this one is for you. Non-riding partners are also extremely well catered for with chaperone van support and ample activities every day.
Locations include Lake Geneva (11th Century Chateau) Lake Annecy, and the famous ski village Megeve.
DATES:
3rd June – 11th June 2014
GROUP SIZE:
Maximum only 14 guests
START/FINISH: Geneva, Switzerland (Geneve Airport) COST: $5295 CLICK TO BOOK HERE So m uch included, take a look our extensive procyclingtour inclusions, including dinners and premium accommodation please visit our website on www.procyclingtours.com or offered, ring Steve or Michelle on 0412231198 or toll free 1800 822 165.
Cover Photo : Chameleon Photography
Contents 06 Introduction 08 Second Sunday, 7:30 November 24 Second Sunday, 7:30 December 26 Chopper is dead 32 Rapha Gentlemen’s Race 48 Mon Domestique 50 Superflat 66 The rest of us 76 Bowden Elite Team Series 96 Over the shoulder
Great cycling now fits in your hand luggage Adelaide’s world-class cycling now has a bike hire service to match. All you need to experience great cycling away from home now fits in your cabin bag, VÉLO-PORTE takes care of the rest. Whatever the reason for your visit to Adelaide, for business or pleasure, we provide : / Fondriest TF3 1.2 rental bikes with Di2 / door-to-door delivery within CBD / helmet, tube, tyre levers and pump / Shimano, Look or Speedplay pedals / Mavic Cosmic SL wheel upgrade / Garmin 800 GPS computer upgrade / local knowledge
Contact us now to book a bike. * Bike with Cosmic SL wheel upgrade
www.velo-porte.com
info@velo-porte.com
+61 (0) 432 542 560
Facebook/Veloporte
Nous parlons Français á VÉLO-PORTE!
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Introduction
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They say a picture tells a thousand words. This issue is packed with great photographs that capture the essence of riding and racing in South Australia.
The other feature in Issue 5 is an idea I’ve been wrestling with for a little while now.
A big thanks goes out to all the photographers and contributors who have helped bring this together in a very short time.
A 3 Peaks training log, or blog, that looks at how an average recreational cyclist with a full time job, family, a growing business and this mini magazine can transform his cycling with very limited time for the mammoth ride in March.
A number of factors have been working against getting this one out and those who paid attention to the ‘Coming Soon’ section last month will see that not all things have gone according to plan.
I may regret this but I’m putting it out there to hopefully help motivate me and maybe even you. Enjoy.
Photo : The Big Guy
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Chewing gum and chewing stems
Second Sunday, 7:30 Every second Sunday of the month the SPACE bunch meet at 7:30am on Rundle Street. The plan is to ride hills one month then flats the next with a view to finding new loops and hidden roads. November was a trio of hilly loops with some chewing gum and others chewing stems.
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Second Sunday, 7:30am SPACE ride - November Ride Report
This is the one of the shortest ways up but not exactly the easiest.
November’s SPACE ride is a repeat, so to speak, of the October course. The ride is split into three loops with a variation on the normal Norton Summit Climb to get the legs warmed up.
3 Loops
LOOP #1 After the regroup at the Summit Hotel we head left behind the Post Office down Colonial Drive. This loops around linking Green Valley Rd, Valley View Cres, Nicholls Road and back onto Colonial Drive.
The roll out takes us up The Parade to get us to Penfolds Rd then right at the Tower Hotel up Magill Rd to the left hand exit onto Norton Summit Rd. At the first hair-pin on Norton Summit Road we head right up Valley Drive then right again up Ridgeland Drive. Woodland Way and Teringie Drive take us back onto Norton Summit Road. This is the one of the shortest ways up but not exactly the easiest.
It’s a short but sweet diversion with some interesting sights along the way. ipib featured this section of road on Wednesday’s Legs some time ago and I’ve been meaning to plug it into a SPACE ride for a while now.
LOOP #2 Loop 2 takes us over Lofty via Ashton and Greenhill Rd. We then drop down through Picadilly and along to Summertown to retrace our route back to Ashton. This is where the fun begins
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LOOP #3 From Ashton we drop down into the valley on Lobethal Road which delivers us at Hunters Road. More descending takes us to the base of Knotts Hill which is a test for anyone on any day. Knotts Hill becomes Pound Rd and eventually hits Marble Hill Road where we loop back down onto Norton Summit and back into the city for the cafe stop. The Rymill Park Kiosk is now the regular spot for the SPACE bunch.
Details Date 10.11.13 Time 7:30am Where Felici, Rundle Street Distance 64km Climbing 1700m Disclaimer All participants ride at their own risk and must ride within their limits and obey the road rules.
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Let’s try that again, shall we?
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November’s SPACE ride was a repeat of the washed out October course. The unseasonally average Spring weather was still lingering and the morning air was cool but thankfully stayed dry. Sixteen turned up for the 3 Looped ride and true to form, not many had studied the map. “What do you mean straight up Norton?’ was a the quote of the day. Not many had read the map, even less had ever ridden up Valley Drive. Getting to ‘Loop 1’ was almost the hardest part of the day.
The first loop around Colonial Drive was fantastic. Finding, what felt like, new roads to most of just off the beaten track was a bit of an eye opener. I’ve been tracking someone using this loop as an extension to his Norton - Lofty run on STRAVA and had read about it on Wednesday’s Legs but had never turned left at the Summit Post Office before this ride. Do yourself a favour and roll around it the next time you have a chance, it won’t disappoint. The roads are quiet and the scenery is worth the detour alone.
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By the time we started Loop 2 our numbers had already dwindled. The usual time pressures of life off the bike had caught up with a few early on. The second loop took us up over Lofty via Woodshill Road. A classic and a favourite. I never get tired of cruising through this section that switches almost instantly from rolling vineyards to tall gum tree lined climbing with ocean views. The elevation rose but the temperature dropped. It was cold and it was November. The climb today was ‘Not Normal’. Screaming down through Picadilly and on to complete Loop 2 back onto Woodshill Rd was a roller coaster with a bit of a side wind knocking on the forks.
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Numbers had dwindled again and we were down to 7 of the original 16. Most of the 7 rolled down into the valley to climb up Knotts & Pound. The scenery changes again from the gum lined Lobethal Road to the sharp descent down Hunters to the base of the climb. The steep valley walls are wrapped with tall straight pines that always makes me thin of Scotland. Some call it Little Italy, I have another name for it. The climb back up to Montacute Road is always a tough one. The sharp left (watch the gravel if you take it wide) means you never have much rolling speed when you hit the bottom.
False flats on this section are at 8% before you get out of the trees into the open valley. From the top chuck a right and roll back down Norton Summit onto the Parade and back into town. The SPACE goup has made the Kiosk at Rymill Park it’s regular finishing spot. Plenty room and zero cars.
False flats on this section are at 8%.
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The guys at the Rymill Park Kiosk do a great breakfast and I’m told a good coffee too. (I never touch the stuff) Every time we pull up there are extra chairs brought out if needed and heaps of room to park the bikes. Check it out the next time you’re down that way on the weekend. It’s the perfect way to end a classic morning in the hills.
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Second Sunday, 7:30am SPACE ride - December Ride Guide
3 Years of SPACE
December takes us back into the hills for the SPACE anniversary ride. Apologies for the extremeley short notice but our PC is on it’s last legs and this issue almost didn’t make it out at all. Keeping it simple: 7:30 am meet at Rundle Street - Cafe Felici 7:37 am roll out Cafe and birthday cake at Rymill Park Kiosk. It’s almost exactly one year since we launched VÉLO-PORTE too so a double celebration. Click on the map for more details
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Chopper is dead, long live the chopper.
Words: Photos:
Mark Matthews Mark Matthews and Tim Loft
Adelaide really is the cycling mecca, even Koen de Kort said earlier this month that it would have to be one of the best places in Australia to ride a bike. Why is that though? Is it the fact that we have awesome hills, a stunning coastline, an off road shared path network stretching from the hills to the sea, with another that will end up being the length of the metro coastline? It could be all of these, but it could also be the number of cycling tribes we have here, each with their own reasons to love the Adelaide cycling scene. One of those tribes is Chopperstyle BC, a family friendly group whose bikes and trikes are not for the weight weenies. The club formed just over two years ago, and have been holding regular rides ever since. Most of the rides are family friendly, except for the occasional Friday night ride, which may take in a few of the refreshment establishments around town where members enjoy sampling a few frothies, and talking bikes, bike bits, and what their next bike project might be.
“only those who ride a chopper can qualify to earn a patch.”
Our most recent ride was on Sunday, 24 November, and saw a group of us meet at Elder Park, and take the River Torrens Linear Park up to Athelstone. This was a first for a number of the group, as generally we ride around the City or along the Coast. Hills and heavy bikes don’t always go together, unless of course you are descending, in which case move aside, as these fat tyred bikes hold the road much like a motor bike! Our bikes might not be the fastest on the road, or even off the road, but you can bet they turn heads wherever we go. Sunday was no different. We have an awesome mix of bikes, some of them are factory built, some are hand crafted, and some have started life as a frame, with the rest of the components being added over time, but all of them are much loved by the people that ride them. A little unlike some of the tribes though, as long as you don’t mind a nice slow cruise and having fun, anyone is welcome to join in, regardless of what you ride or wear. This means we’ll often have fixies, mountain bikes and even recumbents joining us on our adventures, but only those who ride a chopper can qualify to earn a patch. This might sound funny to some cyclists, but much like roadies like to wear their club or team colours, chopper and cruiser riders around the globe all have their own woven cloth patches that they wear. These have to be earned, and the way you earn this one is by doing eight club rides, and a Belair or Mount Lofty drop within a twelve month period. The next club event is on December 8th, and includes the annual poker run leaving Mt Lofty summit at 11:00am, and a Show and Shine event at the Ed Castle from 1:00pm til 5:00pm. Feel free to join in, share some frothies with friends, talk bikes, maybe even enter a bike into the show and shine if you like!
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Rapha Gentlemen’s Race: Adelaide 2013 Nobody said it was going to be easy. Photos from a long day in the saddle. For some.
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Cycling Adelaide limited edition print These high-quality posters are individually numbered, Giclée printed using archival based inks on 270gsm Archival Smooth White Paper. Orders have closed for pre Christmas delivery but contact Gus through mondomestique.bigcartel.com for more details on future print runs.
“Gus said, ‘I love cycling and I like good design and history and the golden era of cycling and Australian tourism. Pulling these ideas together I commissioned Veloposters.com to create a special one off limited edition poster to celebrate cycling in Adelaide’.
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Watermarked version shown for copyright reasons.
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A long cold winter Most of you will know Corey Roberts and his photographic blog Supeflat that captures everyday cyclist getting out there each morning, when he can squeeze it in, in and around Adelaide. I’ve met Corey in the dark on Norton Summit when he could hardly hold his camera straight it was so cold. I recently asked him if he would like to put any of his favourite shots into VÉLO-POSTE and sent me a few to choose from. What struck me about the shots he provided, and the ones I have selected, was they were all shot over what seems to have been the longest Autumn and Winter. There are no blue skies and not much bare skin in these images but I love how they represent the other side of cycling is SA. When you are getting up at 5am to ride in the dark for 2 hours, when the sun pops up but doesn’t provide any heat and when you realise it’s not better or worse riding in winter it’s just different. Suck it in!
superflat
superflat
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The Rest of Us There are many ranks in the world of cycling from the Pro Tour riders, Olympians and World Champions through to the NRS and local graded racers. Then there’s the rest of us. Everyday cyclists who are out there every weekend for the simple love of riding. We only race the clock to get home ‘in time’ and the UCI points we collect are mere credits in the ride bank.
This is about us.
‘I’m hi-jacking this one’ To quote Matthew Keenan
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“Well you’re not getting any younger, and with that dodgy knee of yours you may as well give it another go next year. It’ll probably be your last chance” To most this may have been taken as huge insult, but to me it was the best thing that could have been said. It was a green light. Clearance to go back to Falls Creek and have another crack at the 3 Peaks Challenge in 2014. Earlier this year a group of us rode the 235km 3 Peaks Challenge in the High country of Victoria. The decision to ride was made in September last year to afford us a lengthy build up of long hard k’s to prepare us for hell in March. I now have a jersey that says ‘Finisher 2013’ on the back although every time I look at it I think it should say ‘Survivor’. The course this year was changed due to the disastrous fires that swept through the area a few weeks prior. The amended route was, on paper, an easier course than the ‘real’ one, leading to much conversation about whether it was hard enough? On the day temperatures ranged from 16 at the start at Falls Creek to 41 in the valleys below. These conditions changed the post ride blogs and banter to question whether or not it was the hardest of all the 3 Peaks? Those who rode saying yes, those who didn’t still call it the 2.5 Peaks. All I’m saying is you had to be there. Any ride of this length and amount of climbing, over 4000m and nearly 70km of up, needs to be approached with some caution. This year I’ve decided to do things a little differently. Time is more precious with a full time day job, a full time family, this news letter and a growing business VÉLO-PORTE.
With just over three months to go it’s time to get serious with my training. Most importantly time to get smarter about it. With less time to get out on the bike and log long K’s, weekend after weekend, every second is definitely going to have to count. Decision one is to do the ride. Decision two is to do it smarter this year. Decsion 3, I may regret this but here goes anyway, is to record how I’m going and eventually how I go on the 9th of March 2014.
I may live to regret this but here goes anyway. The journey of getting from where I am now to where I need to be will be documented for all to see as part of a monthly ‘warts and all’ training log in these pages of VÉLO-POSTE. Each month I’ll describe what I’ve been up to in my build up, how I’m feeling, how heavy I am and what adjustments I’ve made to equipment along the way. I’ve been told off for my multi disclaimers in issue 04 but I’m about to lay down another one. I’m probably not going to win the 3 Peaks. This is not about winning. It’s about an average cyclist achieving a realistic goal with limited time, using the best possible resources. I need to understand where I am at now and what I need to do to get to where I have to be. First things first, the only way I’m going to achieve my goal is by getting some smart people to help me out.
Before we get to the smart people I’ll give you a few of my details to put things in context up front. This is the first step to ‘putting it all out there’.
My bike is set up as my perfect bike, not necessarily my dream bike. A Felt F1 ‘pro-race’ level frame set with Ultegra groupo and Ksyrium Elite S wheels.
Age: 41 Years riding: 10 on road bikes (MTB before) Height: 178cm Weight: 81 Kg Ave. KM’s per week: 183 Year to date KM: 8185 Elevation Gain: 100,000m + (just) Best time up Norton: 16:03 Lately up Norton: High 17’s to mid 18’s
This is the type of bike that would fit into the category of ‘if you had to have one bike what would it be?’
The last few numbers are obviously less ‘average’ than the top ones. These are a result of last years training for the 3 Peaks and trying to keep things ticking over through winter for decision time.
It’s good enough to win races, so they tell me, but comfy enough to ride to work and I love it. I have a 12-27 on the back, because of the afore mentioned ‘dodgy knee’, and standard cranks up front. Last year I swapped to a compact crank about a month out from the ride on ipib’s advice and will do the same again this year. A note and a plug. The bikes pictured above are some of our VÉLO-PORTE rental fleet. If you see me out and about on the Felt or one of our Fondriests please feel free to say hello. Happy to chat and ride. So, time to find some smart people.
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Steve Cunningham procyclingtours.com procyclingskills.com
It seemed logical that if I was going to get some help on this journey the best person to ask for it would be the guy that won it this year, Adelaide’s very own Steve Cunningham. I bumped into Steve and Michelle Cunningham just after the rider briefing the day before the 3 Peaks. I asked him what he was aiming for the next day? The answer was delivered through a now familiar devilish smile. ‘Sub eight hours would be good’ Well below eight hours it was and first place. Pretty good. Steve has agreed to give me some coaching with a view to transforming my cycling. His mantra of ‘Cycle smarter, not harder’ pretty much sums up how I aim to tackle this. Our initial meeting to discuss my training was at Cibo on a hot night before the veterans criterium race at Victoria Park. I told him what my goal was and again that smile appeared “don’t you want a sub 10 jersey?”
Obviously I do but I know the next few months are going to be full on so I need to be realistic. We chatted about my weaknesses, my approach to last year’s training and the ride itself. Without even turning a pedal I reckon he has already saved me half an hour with some, what seemed to be obvious now, tips on riding the 3 Peaks. I need to careful how much of what Steve tells me I put in here as, at the end of the day, his knowledge is his business. I fully respect his intellectual property so I’ll apologise up front if some of this comes across as a little vague. We have already caught up for our first ride which I’ll write up as part of the next issue. In short though I can tell you that the STRAVA PR’s lit up like the Lobethal lights when I got home. “What’s your biggest weakness?” “My biggest weakness is probably descending” On Monday I cracked my fastest time ever down Norton with Steve behind me shouting instructions that I could just hear in the wind. Not a bad start.
Dr Andrew Vogler (PHD)
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Accredited Sports Scientist (Physiology) Adelaide Human Performance
Reflecting on my build-up late last year and early this year it was based mostly on advice from guys who had ridden the 3 Peaks before, blogs, general training research and a wholesome fear of the ride itself. There’s nothing like the thought of 235kms and over 4000m of climbing in one day to get you out of bed and onto that bike in the morning.
of us, recreational cyclists. The process was daunting at first, fascinating in the middle and hellish at the end for a few not so short minutes.
One of the many things I lacked in this year’s training campaign was science. I didn’t really know much about how I’m actually made up and what my body can do well or not.
The numbers you are about to read are about as normal as you can get. One of the first things Andrew said to me when I finished was
There’s been a whole lot of discussion about pro cyclist’s numbers and data over the last few years. What’s normal? What’s not normal?
“you’re almost a perfect average” I knew a couple of guys who had done something called VO2 max and Anaerobic Threshold testing but didn’t really know what it meant. After a relatively quick research session on the web and a couple of phone calls I was booked in to Adelaide Human Performance to get pushed to my limit and measured from head to toe to understand how I’m put together and what areas I need to focus on to improve. I have completed session one with Dr Andrew Vogler to measure everything before the critical 12 week build up and will put myself through it again before the ride to hopefully measure the progress at the end. Andrew offers this testing to both elite and to, the rest
This is for the rest of us average cyclists.
What is anaerobic threshold?
As the intensity of exercise increases from rest to maximum effort, the body’s demand for energy increases. When the demand for energy is greater than what can be supplied by the aerobic energy system, the anaerobic energy system (or lactic acid system) is used to supply the extra energy. Our body therefore becomes increasingly reliant on anaerobic energy as exercise intensity increases. As lactic acid is a by-product of the anaerobic energy system, blood lactate levels increase as more energy is supplied by the anaerobic system. This is why blood lactate levels rise as the intensity of exercise increases. An anaerobic threshold determination looks at the interaction between the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. Blood lactate levels are measured from small drops of blood (from the fingertip or ear lobe) to determine how quickly blood lactate levels increase during exercise. The test identifies the aerobic threshold (the workload where blood lactate levels begin to rise) and the anaerobic threshold (the maximum workload before blood lactate rapidly accumulates).
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The aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are used to calculate personalised training zones (heart rates, speeds, and power outputs) that indicate the ideal training workloads for your current fitness level. The aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are also very sensitive to fitness changes, and are actually more effective at detecting fitness changes than VO2max. Adelaide Human Performance Athlete fitness test information: Anaerobic threshold determination
Of the two parts of the test the first is the ‘least’ painful. You gradually build up power over multiple four minute blocks. A steady power output must be sustained over each four minutes with a one minute rest after each. As you are resting Andrew takes a spot of blood from you to test your lactate levels. The first few blocks feel like a bit of a warm up and the last few are definitely an ‘effort’. When you get to the end of this section you are ticking over and can feel your legs are working pretty solidly. A five minute rest then all it’s on! I started the first minute at around, and my memory is not great on this bit, 300w average. I must admit I did expect a break after each minute but no. Each minute the screw is turned to raise your power output by 25 and sometimes 50 watt steps. For the last minute when you’re at full gas and he shouts “OK now empty the tank”, this is when you really bury yourself. The intensity is at it’s highest for the about 45 seconds then those words you’ve been screaming to hear “ok that’s it done.” I must admit I surprised myself a little in this and it
was as much a sense of achievement. It felt good to know you can push harder even when your legs are burning, your lungs are imploading and your heart feels like it’s about to come out your ears. Andrew offered to do a VO2 max test at the same time as the anearobic threshold test.
‘VO2max represents the body’s maximum rate of oxygen consumption; it indicates how quickly aerobic energy can be produced. The human body uses oxygen to produce energy from aerobic metabolism, so the faster oxygen can be supplied to the aerobic energy system, the faster energy can be produced. As the ability to rapidly produce aerobic energy allows an athlete to sustain a higher workload for longer, VO2max is a key determinant of endurance performance.’ The other aspect of my session with Andrew was to measure my body composition. This is where the utensils come out to poke, prod, squeeze and pinch you confirming two things I’ve been in denial about for years. I’m shorter than I thought and fatter than I thought. Not a great start. Here are the test results to act as my benchmark. I’ll be tested again at the end to compare my ‘progress’.
confirming two things I’ve been in denial about for years
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Comments: Your VO2max places you in the top 28% of men your age. Your lactate thresholds occurred at 60% and 86% of VO2max, which shows you’ve developed a good level of muscular endurance and fatigue resistance. There is scope to improve both these areas as your cycling training progresses, although your LT1 threshold has the greatest potential for improvement. So by using the provided training zones to optimise the intensity of your cycling training, and by progressively increasing the volume of your training, your cycling performance will certainly improve. The training effects from each training zone represent a continuum where lower-intensity, longer-duration training sessions (T2 training zone) have a greater influence on developing muscular endurance, whereas higher-intensity, shorter-duration sessions (T4 and T5 training zones) have a greater emphasis on developing fatigue resistance and anaerobic fitness. This means there is some cross-over between training outcomes from each training zone, and that the T3 zone provides a general purpose training intensity that influences muscular endurance and fatigue resistance fitness qualities.
An interesting finding from your fitness test was that your actual maximum heart rate (HRmax) is higher than your age-predicted maximum. Age-based estimates of HRmax have a margin of error of 5-12% depending on which prediction equation is used, meaning it’s quite common for an individual’s true HRmax to differ from their age-predicted max. Based on your age-predicted HRmax (179 beats/min), your true HRmax should be between 162-197 beats/ min (95% confidence limits), so your actual HRmax of 193 beats/min is within the expected range. Regarding the training zones, the provided heart rate zones are the most practical way to control your training intensity, so a heart rate monitor can provide valuable feedback about your exercise intensity during training. The speed zones are also suitable for this purpose, although environmental conditions and terrain will influence the relationship between cycling speed and the physiological load. As your fitness improves, your performance speed will increase for a given heart rate, which means the current heart rate and speed zones will be appropriate for the next 3-4 months. So beyond this timeframe, you may need to increase your exercise intensity to maintain an optimal training stimulus, or undertake another fitness test to update your training zones.
There is scope to improve
The graphs presented on pages 1 and 2 provide comparisons between your results and the ‘ recreational athlete average’ from other triathletes or cyclists that have performed cycling tests with Adelaide Human Performance. Thus, the presented ‘average’ is not representative of all recreational athletes and should instead be viewed as a general benchmark for the fitness level required to be competitive in local endurance events. VO2max: was measured as 44.7 ml/kg/min, which shows your aerobic fitness is in the top 28% for men aged 40-49 years. This is virtually identical to the recreational athlete average. VO2max is a trainable characteristic; 1-2 sessions per week of high-intensity training (zones T4 or T5) stimulates cardiovascular adaptations to increase blood flow (and oxygen delivery) to the muscles, and several lower-intensity, longer-duration sessions (zones T2 or T3) stimulate slow-twitch muscle fibre adaptations that improve oxygen utilisation within the muscles. As your cycling training has been consistent for some time now, it’s likely that your VO2max is approaching your genetic ceiling. If that’s the case, your VO2max may only display small improvements as your training progresses. However, if your previous training hasn’t expressed your full potential to maximise your VO2max, optimisation of your training intensities (using the provided training zones) and gradual progression of your training volume could improve your VO2max by as much as 5-10%. Submaximal results: Compared with the recreational athlete average, your submaximal heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BLa) and oxygen consumption (VO2) results were higher (HR) or similar (BLa and VO2) for a given power output. A decrease in submaximal HR is an important adaptation to fitness training; it shows that your cardiovascular system is stronger and your blood volume is higher, which both maximise oxygen delivery to your muscles and support aerobic energy production. Although your submaximal HRs were higher than the recreational average, this is probably due to your higher than average HRmax, rather than being a sign of below-average cardiovascular conditioning. If your submaximal HR results were expressed as a percentage of your HRmax, your results would be virtually identical to the recreational average. Your BLa response shows how hard your anaerobic energy system is working to supplement the aerobic energy system in providing the energy requirements for exercise. Submaximal BLa levels also decrease for a given workload as fitness improves. This is because aerobic fitness improvements decrease the demand for anaerobic energy production, meaning less BLa is produced. Training also improves muscle fatigue resistance (which relates to muscle’s ability to clear acid), so this also decreases BLa. Your submaximal VO2 response is similar to the recreational athlete average, which suggests your cycling economy is within the normal range. Cycling
economy is a subtle fitness characteristic that tends to improve with training volume (weekly distance) and training experience (years of consistent training), although pedalling technique can also influence cycling economy. LT1 (aerobic) and LT2 (anaerobic) thresholds: Your LT1 and LT2 thresholds occurred at 60% and 86% of VO2max, respectively. The relative intensity (%VO2max) of these thresholds provides an indication of your muscular endurance (LT1) and fatigue resistance (LT2). High lactate threshold results show that a faster cycling speed can be sustained for a set distance, or a set cycling speed can be sustained for a longer duration. The relative intensity of your LT1 threshold is similar to the benchmarks provided by elite athletes and recreational competitors, whereas your LT2 threshold is better than the provided benchmarks. But in this case, the data from the elite competitors doesn’t provide an ideal benchmark, as the data doesn’t reflect an elite cyclist’s peak fitness. When elite cyclists are near peak fitness, the relative intensity of their LT1 and LT2 thresholds is above 65% and 85%, respectively. Indeed, relative intensity results above 75% (LT1) and 90% (LT2) are possible based on results from individual athletes. Based on the relative intensity of your LT1 and LT2 thresholds, your top-end fitness (LT2) is slightly stronger than your bottom-end (LT1), which suggests an increased emphasis on longer-duration sessions using the T2 training zone would be beneficial. Your power output (and speed) at the LT1 and LT2 thresholds is 144 and 251 W (28 and 35 km/h), respectively. This is similar to the average from recreational athletes of 157 and 245 W (29 and 34km/h). Power output results at the LT1 and LT2 thresholds are influenced by VO2max improvements and muscular adaptations that improve oxygen utilisation and BLa clearance. Thus, LT1 and LT2 threshold results can continue to improve even after VO2max adaptations have been maximised, meaning threshold results are better at tracking fitness status in well-trained athletes compared with VO2max results.
This is not a generic self diagnosis. Let’s see where it goes from here. So over the next 12 weeks, or so, I know where I’m starting from and I what aspects I need to work on. In simple terms, I have to lose a bit of weight and work on increasing muscle. My focus will be on the lower end of the training zones initially to help drop the weight and build some power in the legs. Both Andrew and Steve have both picked similar aspects that need improving through very different means. It’s a huge confidence boost to know they are there and that they are helping me to dial this journey to exactly what I need. This is not a generic self diagnosis. Let’s see where it goes from here.
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Bowden Elite Team Series This year’s Bowden Elite team Series is almost wrapped up with only rounds 9 and 10 left to run. Round 9 is a time trial up Norton Summit tomorrow (Sunday 8th). Round 10 brings the series to a close on Sunday 15th with the Bowden Kermesse. Check the series website for more details: www.bowdeneliteteamseries.com.au
Kevin Anderson from Chameleon Photography has kindly contributed these photos—a snapshot of the first few rounds.
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 01 Criterium race around North Adelaide Won by Robert John McCarthey (Bowden/SASI)
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 02 ‘Hell of the North’ in Wallaroo Won by Alex Edmondson (The Bike Station/Watermark Glenelg)
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
Round 03
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Leo Simmons (Veneziano Blefari) at the ‘Hell of the North’ in Wallaroo
Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 03 Kadina criterium Won by Luke Davison (The Bike Station/Watermark Glenelg)
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 04 Kadina criterium
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 04 Josh Harrison (Bowden/SASI) Scott McPhee (McNeill Logistics Cycling Team)
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 05 Team Time Trial McNeill Logistics Cycling Team
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 05 Team Time Trial Winners – Bowden/SASI
Photo : Chameleon Photography
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Round 05 Team Time Trial Team Lightsview
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Photo : Chameleon Photography
OVER THE SHOULDER 96
As cyclists we spend a lot of time looking over our shoulder, checking for cars, making sure we have or haven’t dropped someone, watching for a competitor gaining on us and occasionally just taking in where we’ve come from. Each month we want to leave you with a parting shot that celebrates the rich history of South Australian cycling. These images are kindly curated and provided by Mario at Aussie Velos. www.aussievelos.net
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South Australian amateurs pose with officials, unknown to them at the time some would go on to become Australian champions and the elite of the sport.
WEIGHT NO MORE The Emme 695 is finally here. Hand made in Italy and weighing only 695 grams, the Emme 695 has evolved from Project Emme 2 and represents the pinnacle of the Bottecchia 2013 Collection. It has all the style and performance you’d expect from Europe, with much less weight. Limited numbers of the Emme 695 are now available in Australia through Euride, so be quick.
E X C L U S I V E LY D I S T R I B U T E D I N A U S T R A L I A B Y E U R I D E . + 61 8 8365 8666
operations@euride.com.au
www.euride.com.au
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