How to prepare for a cycling race or ride

Once we have planned the calendar of competitions or events in which we will participate, and we have planned the training, it is time to get down to work and start training to successfully achieve our goals. Gradually, the weeks will progress and the trials will approach. In this article, what we are going to do is to give you some indications to prepare for a race or a cyclotornids ride. As important as having trained, is to study very well the race and what we are going to do during it to leave the minimum of factors to chance.

1. Study the route and its profile

First of all, it is important to study the route of the race and its profile. Based on this, we will prepare the intensities that we are going to carry at each moment in order to be able to run the race safely based on our preparation. In this way we will avoid reaching fatigue or decreasing our performance during the race. At this point it is also very important to know if there are dangerous points along the route. In this way, we can exercise caution and avoid taking any unnecessary risks.

2. Effort distribution

Once we have studied the profile of the race, we proceed to distribute our efforts and strength. This distribution will be key to effectively organise meals during the race, i.e., to plan the right food for each stage of the race.

3. The weather

Another very important factor to take into account is the weather, the climatology that will accompany us during the race. Depending on this, we will have to adapt our kit, the clothes we are going to wear to avoid problems during the race and to be able to compete more comfortably.

4. Competitive trials: opponents

Once we are clear about all this (and whether it is a federated or team race), it is important to study each participant or each team. Know what strategies they are going to follow and study if it coincides with ours and we can help each other (or even take advantage of it). Or, on the contrary, if we are going to be harmed by the strategy we want to achieve.

Alexis Gandía

Physical trainer of the Pro Team Burgos BH team