Author: Cristina Conacel
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Hilly Road Race Training: Strategies for Climbers
Hilly road races are among the most challenging and rewarding events in cycling. Success requires more than sheer fitness—it demands climbing efficiency, pacing discipline, and the ability to respond to attacks and surges on steep gradients. Preparing for these demanding races involves mimicking race conditions and refining your climbing techniques. This post explores a structured…
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Training Strategies for Success in Flat Road Races
Flat road races may lack the dramatic climbs of mountainous courses, but they are anything but easy. These events test a rider’s ability to sustain high power outputs, maintain aerodynamic efficiency, and tactically outmaneuver competitors. Success requires a mix of steady-state endurance, explosive sprint power, and sharp tactical instincts. This blog will explore a structured…
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Optimizing Criterium Training: Sprinting Out of Corners for Peak Performance
Criteriums (or “crits”) are fast, tactical cycling events that test a rider’s ability to handle sharp corners, maintain high intensity, and unleash explosive power repeatedly. The hallmark of a criterium is its rapid accelerations out of corners, which demand peak anaerobic power and recovery efficiency. This blog explores a highly effective criterium-specific training workout involving…
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The 8-Mile Time Trial: A Guide to Building Anaerobic and Muscular Endurance
Time trials, often called the “race of truth,” are a cornerstone of cycling. They strip the sport down to its essentials: you, your bike, and the clock. Among the various forms of time trial testing, an 8-mile course offers a perfect balance between anaerobic endurance and muscular endurance assessment, making it an ideal training tool…
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Mastering Sprint Workouts: Hill Sprints and Criterium Sprints for Cyclists
Sprinting is one of the most exhilarating and demanding aspects of cycling. It requires a unique combination of explosive power, efficient technique, and strategic execution. Two highly effective sprint training methods—hill sprints and criterium sprints—are integral to developing the speed, strength, and endurance needed to excel in competitive and recreational cycling scenarios. In this post,…
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Building Explosive Power: Incorporating Jumps into Your Cycling Training
Cycling success isn’t just about endurance or speed; explosive power plays a critical role, especially in scenarios like sprint finishes, quick accelerations, or breaking away from the pack. Developing this kind of short-term, high-intensity power requires targeted training, and incorporating jumps into your regimen is one of the most effective ways to achieve this. In…
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Optimizing Cycling Performance Through Focused Interval Training
Interval training is the cornerstone of advanced cycling performance. By alternating periods of high-intensity effort with strategic recovery, these workouts are designed to push your limits, build strength, and prepare you for real-world challenges on the bike. From aerobic endurance to hill-specific reps, each interval type targets unique aspects of your physiology, making them an…
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Group Ride Dynamics: Enhancing Flexibility and Performance in Your Cycling Routine
Group rides hold a unique place in a cyclist’s training routine. They offer camaraderie, unpredictability, and the potential for spontaneous efforts, making them both enjoyable and challenging. For those in Build, Peak, or Race periods, group rides can be an excellent tool to hone skills, push limits, or simply recover actively, depending on how you…
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Threshold Training Explained: Boost Your Cycling Endurance and Power
Threshold training is one of the most effective tools in a cyclist’s training regimen, offering significant gains in endurance, power, and speed. By targeting your functional threshold power (FTP)—the highest intensity you can sustain for an extended period—you can push your performance to new heights. This post explores the science behind threshold training, provides practical…
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Optimizing Cruise Intervals: A Complete Guide to Boosting Cycling Performance
Cruise intervals are a cornerstone workout for cyclists aiming to improve their threshold power, aerobic capacity, and overall performance. By training in structured intervals that push your limits without exhausting you, cruise intervals allow you to build endurance, strength, and speed. This guide dives into the fundamentals of cruise intervals, explores variations such as hill…