You have to prepare for a mountain cyclosportive and there are no passes nearby? We offer you some tips, so you don’t have to move house.
As the profiles of the various courses show, L’Alsacienne unquestionably falls into the category of a mountain cyclosportive, and events that requires specific skills by climbers. It appears to be a definite advantage to live in a mountainous region, but if like most entrants you do not, don’t lose heart. You can create training sessions that are similar to the constraints required on the passes.
Ride out of the saddle
During climbs, when aerodynamics are not vital, cyclists generally put their hands at the top of the handlebars or on the brake handles, with their chest straight and their pelvis a little further forward. On steeper gradients, they spontaneously ride out of the saddle, standing on the pedals, which uses their upper body and above all makes it possible to limit constraints on their quadriceps.
The aim is to get used to training with riding out of the saddle which, during the Vosges cyclosportive, you can also do on less steep slopes, to relax, avoid backache and manage the duration of exertion.
In practice :
Repeat a small circuit of 3 or 4 km with a slope of about 1 km which you ride out of the saddle. NB: try to keep your body stable, while your bike sways from side to side.
During the first few training sessions, choose the pedalling frequency that appears easiest to you. Later, you can have fun varying the gear ratio (for example alternating a climb in a high gear/low gear).
Build up your strength
The strength of your quadriceps, the muscles at the front of the thighs, is crucial. Built up specifically on your bike, it also improves intermuscular coordination, resulting in smooth and efficient pedalling. These exercises, which involve great effort in pedalling, require muscle tone in the trunk. Physical preparation, and in particular core training sessions, are an essential precondition. (Re-read our article on core training).
In practice :
During a longer ride with a maximum number of hills between 500m and 2km long, climb each of them with great effort, in a very high gear, resulting in a pedalling frequency of around 50 RPM. The aim is to stay firmly seated on your saddle without swaying your hips, with the upper body relaxed. Breathlessness may be noticeable, but must be controlled, the aim being muscular rather than cardiorespiratory. Forget about your milometer, smartwatch and other sensors for a while... and focus all your attention on your body movements and pedalling smoothly.
On the other hand, on flat sections between hills, try to pedal fast, at around 100 RPM.
The art of pace
Achieving a high elevation gain during a training session is possible by climbing several hills. This type of session based on changing your pedalling rate is very advantageous, but will not turn you into a climber. Climbing a pass requires exertion for several dozen minutes, and sometimes over an hour. Climbers master the art of pace. From the first few kilometres of the climb, they know how to find the right pace and hold it right to the top, without over-exerting themselves.
Training sessions at a steady pace develop your self-knowledge and cardiorespiratory stamina. They involve long and continuous exertion. If there are no passes nearby, prefer flat roads to hilly circuits. The best way to reproduce the muscular constraints of climbing a pass is to avoid stops and crossing villages as much as possible, as they may interrupt your pace and relax your muscles. Remember that during L’Alsacienne, for example when you climb the Col du Haag, there won’t be much time to rest!
In practice :
For example, plan two exertions of 15 to 20 minutes, or a single exertion of 30 minutes. Later on you can choose 2x30 minutes or a longer exertion of 45 minutes or 1 hour. The aim is to maintain a constant intensity. Your heart rate will be around 85%/90 % of your maximum heart rate. (Closer to 85% at the start of exertion and 90% at the end of exertion).
Use quite a high gear with a pedalling frequency of around 70 RPM, and if you have the choice ride into the wind.
We therefore propose three themes here to train for a mountain cyclosportive:
- Improve your riding out of the saddle
- Increase your muscular strength
- Work on your pace
Of course you will still want to personalise your practice. Lots of variations can be created in order to reproduce, as far as possible, the constraints of climbing a pass.
Éric GEHIN
Conseiller sportif Breveté d’Etat
DU Biologie de l’Entraînement
