Adam Hansen on how he trained for grand tours
For sure - I was responding to a comment about how Pro’s are able to unleash such good efforts at the end of a long day in the saddle, using the above mentioned article as an example of what metrics Pro’s care about (FR).
April - Sepp Kuss
There is really a clear shift to more intensity. Across the board (with the exception of distinct recovery rides), e.g. endurance at a higher intensity, plenty of tempo, not just more high end intensity. And (almost) no racing. Interesting.
Next few days will be interesting, Jumbo-Visma in altitude camp. Plenty of riders post their rides, this should allow to get an idea on how Roglic prepared for the TdF
Gesink, the last two days are in the camp. Taking into account the effect of altitude this is plain riding at AeT for acclimatisation
or Kuss
or Hofstede
so it seems like a lot of sweetspot/tempo?
no, this seems right at AeT so far (w/r to the training camp)
today more climbing at tempo
Altitude training camp
1: climbing @ AeT
2: climbing @ AeT
3: easy day
4: climbing @ Tempo
not sure if there were some tests in the beginning, a lot of standing around after those efforts. I simply book it as endurance/tempo with stuff
1: climbing @ AeT
2: climbing @ AeT
3: easy day
4: climbing @ Tempo
5: endurance/tempo with stuff
long endurance day at AeT/tempo and low altitude.
1: climbing @ AeT
2: climbing @ AeT
3: easy day
4: climbing @ Tempo
5: endurance/tempo with stuff
6: long endurance/tempo (low altitude)
new bike & rest day
1: climbing @ AeT
2: climbing @ AeT
3: easy day
4: climbing @ Tempo
5: endurance/tempo with stuff
6: long endurance/tempo (low altitude)
7: easy day
For some context, this is from Wiggins biography. Some of it will apply to JV’s camp as well.
…
so far JV’s camp is more like the first Sky camp.
secret training day, probably 4x8min at 104.3% of 60min power with 2min rest.
on a more serious note, can’t really say anything based on the available data. VAM does not tell a lot either.
1: climbing @ AeT
2: climbing @ AeT
3: easy day
4: climbing @ Tempo
5: endurance/tempo with stuff
6: long endurance/tempo (low altitude)
7: easy day
8: no power data uploaded
They all went out for a second (solo) ride in the afternoon. Once again w/o power upload. Bummer.
Today looooong day, at and around AeT/tempo.
: climbing @ AeT
2: climbing @ AeT
3: easy day
4: climbing @ Tempo
5: endurance/tempo with stuff
6: long endurance/tempo (low altitude)
7: easy day
8a: no power data uploaded
8b: no power data uploaded
9: looong @ AeT/Tempo
just checking Bernal, he seems to be on form. Most of his April rides were uploaded, a critical phase in his Giro prep. Unfortunately no uploads for the post Tirreno-A second half of March period.
Threshold!
recovery day
1: climbing @ AeT
2: climbing @ AeT
3: easy day
4: climbing @ Tempo
5: endurance/tempo with stuff
6: long endurance/tempo (low altitude)
7: easy day
8a: no power data uploaded
8b: no power data uploaded
9: looong @ AeT/Tempo
10: easy day
I appreciate you posting these and they are fascinating to observe.
I’m curious how you use these or if there are any specific things that are notable trendwise (if you are open to sharing)
I must admit I don’t really use this information, I’m just interested in how these guys train. Notable trends: neither trains polarised
And there ist not that much above FTP work. Threshold is hard as it gets mostly.
This “endurance with stuff” describes it pretty well. And depending on the team it comes in different flavours. One important aspect is the high number of races. There is a lot of racing going on.
Probably the main learning for me is that it may not matter what session one does. 4x8min or 3x12 or whatever, does not matter in the long term. For my races I have to build fatigue resistance and this is something these guys do. They all come with huge engines, it’s the fatigue resistance component the seem to focus on. “Endurance with stuff” is a pretty solid concept for this.
I find it interesting that they do little above threshold. Arguably the best all round riders at the moment do loads above I.e. WVA, VdP, piddocks all race cyclocross, XCO etc with masses of V02 and anaerobic at least in certain parts of the year