The race of the two Tonys…
Interesting scenario today with 2 men off the front, followed by a large group chasing, then the bunch. Having such a hilly course tends to negate the benefit of riding in the group to some degree – less time utilizing the slipstream due to more time going up or down hill.
Tony Martin took the stage, eventually riding away from his breakaway buddy, while Tony Gallopin (and his larger group) had enough time over the peloton to take the yellow jersey.
Big Gear Training and Francesco Moser
While this is a hot topic amongst coaches, big gear hill reps have been used for some time (see this article on Francesco Moser using big gear hill training for the hour record in 1984). While some of the details have changed, the same basic ideas apply. Our Fitlab SFR intervals use low cadence, high force work to provide a range of benefits from strengthening connective tissue to improving force produced aerobically and improving core strength/stability. They are great ground work for higher intensity intervals later too (high force, high cadence).
Fitlab SFR details:
- Cadence 40-60rpm (start with 60rpm and progress to 40 over several weeks)
- Start with one or two sessions per week of 4 or 5 2min intervals with 2mins recovery
- Spin at 110+rpm for the first 15seconds of the recovery and around 100rpm for the remainder
- Progress around 30-60s per week up to a max of 5 or 6 7min intervals
Video highlights and live coverage links – huge mountain stage tonight!
