Five tips for training for the Tour of Bright
http://www.cycling-inform.com/articles/194/1/Five-tips-for-training-for-the-Tour-of-Bright/Page1.html
David Heatley
David Heatley is the director
of Cycling-Inform and co-creator of the RaceRight Cycling Camp. He has
medalled at national and regional events in By David Heatley
Published on 28-Aug-08
In 2007 the Tour of Bright organisers changed the race when they dropped the criterium on the Sunday and replaced the epic climb up Mt Buffalo to an even more epic climb up Mt Hotham. Mt Hotham has sections with gradients up to 10% and is around a 30 km climb. Combining this with the two stages on the Saturday; the Tawonga Gap loop and the 15.7 km rolling time trial course, the Tour of Bright is now even more suited to the cyclist that considers themselves a good climber. Here are five tips for training for the Tour of Bright. Click on the "Full Story link" to read more.
In 2007 the Tour of Bright organisers changed the race when they it dropped the criterium on the Sunday and replaced the epic climb up Mt Buffalo to an even more epic climb up Mt Hotham. Mt Hotham has sections with gradients up to 10% and is around a 30 km climb. Combining this with the two stages on the Saturday; the Tawonga Gap loop and the 15.7 km rolling time trial course, the Tour of Bright is now even more suited to the cyclist that considers themselves a good climber.
Here are a five tips for training for the Tour of Bright:
Focus on building your climbing strength.
The best way to do this is to start recording your vertical meters climbed for the week. You can use your polar HR monitor to record this information if it has the altitude function. Ideally you'll want to build up to around 3000+ vertical meters a week. The training starts with a base of low cadence strength work. The idea is to build the strength endurance required to climb the longer hills as well as the short acceleration that are required to "pinch" over the likes of the smaller Rosewhite Gap climb. You'll also need strength to cope with the big gradient changes encountered on the Mt Hotham stage while going over the Meg and then the other steep sections just past the control gates. Hill climbing repeats in big gears helps build strength for these steeper gradients. Much of this riding is done in the hill climbing position with your hands on the tops of the bars.
Work on your time trial.
You can loose a lot of time in your time trial so balance your hill climbing training with time trialling sessions. I find this is best done on the ergo or home trainer with set intervals that are performed well into your lactate threshold rate while riding in the aero position. We have a great home trainer e-book that describes these types of sessions (and a whole lot of others) which is available from our store. Click here for more information.
Get used to riding for extended periods at your lactate threshold rate.
As the hill climbs are all ridden at your lactate threshold rate you'll want to develop your ability to ride in this zone for all the extended climbs that you'll encounter when riding the Tour of Bright. As you complete your strength building phase of your hill climbing training you'll then want to start to develop your speed. As you get closer to the event migrate your training towards more VO2 Heart Rate Zone (92-100% of Max Heart Rate) intervals on the hills. The "One in Twenty" climb in the Dandenongs is one that is ideal for doing intervals and hill repeats on to build your speed. While not a direct replacement for time trial training, this will also help you with the time trial stage where you'll want to ride it well into your lactate threshold rate for the twenty or so minutes that you'll be time trialling for.
Ride the stages before the event.
There is no better training for the Tour of Bright than riding the stages as often as you can. Course familiarisation will help you pace yourself as well as providing you with certainty as to what's coming up next. Also, riding the gradients and the duration of the stages at race pace will improve your fitness specifically for the event. We run the Bright Boot Camp over the long weekend leading you to the Tour of Bright. The Bright Boot Camp is a safe way to ride the two road race stages from the Tour of Bright while being well supported on the road with our on road riders and support vans. Click here to go to our dedicated Bright Boot Camp website
Back up two intense long days together.
As the Tour of Bright is a stage race you'll be expected to perform at race pace for three races over two days. You'll want to train for this. Building good base early spring is very important. This helps build your aerobic efficiency. Then closer to the event you'll want to do intense race pace sessions back to back over two days to simulate the effort you are going to endure in the stages of the Tour of Bright. This could be in the form of a road race on both the Saturday and Sunday. Or, it could be an intense long training ride of around 100 to 120km at race pace (or motorpaced) followed by racing the following day. If you only have criteriums in your area leading up to the Tour of Bright then riding in your grade and then the grade above (if you are allowed and able to) on the same day is an ideal substitute for road races. If you live in Melbourne we can provide limited access to motorpaced sessions that are ideal for this. Please contact us for further information by clicking here
Where to from here?
Cycling-Inform offers personalised coaching services specifically for the Tour of Bright. For more information on our coaching service for the Tour of Bright please contact us by clicking here.
Don't forget our Bright Boot Camp and Guide to Home Training e-book as great tools to use in your preparations for the Tour of Bright.
Here are a five tips for training for the Tour of Bright:
Focus on building your climbing strength.
The best way to do this is to start recording your vertical meters climbed for the week. You can use your polar HR monitor to record this information if it has the altitude function. Ideally you'll want to build up to around 3000+ vertical meters a week. The training starts with a base of low cadence strength work. The idea is to build the strength endurance required to climb the longer hills as well as the short acceleration that are required to "pinch" over the likes of the smaller Rosewhite Gap climb. You'll also need strength to cope with the big gradient changes encountered on the Mt Hotham stage while going over the Meg and then the other steep sections just past the control gates. Hill climbing repeats in big gears helps build strength for these steeper gradients. Much of this riding is done in the hill climbing position with your hands on the tops of the bars.
Work on your time trial.
You can loose a lot of time in your time trial so balance your hill climbing training with time trialling sessions. I find this is best done on the ergo or home trainer with set intervals that are performed well into your lactate threshold rate while riding in the aero position. We have a great home trainer e-book that describes these types of sessions (and a whole lot of others) which is available from our store. Click here for more information.
Get used to riding for extended periods at your lactate threshold rate.
As the hill climbs are all ridden at your lactate threshold rate you'll want to develop your ability to ride in this zone for all the extended climbs that you'll encounter when riding the Tour of Bright. As you complete your strength building phase of your hill climbing training you'll then want to start to develop your speed. As you get closer to the event migrate your training towards more VO2 Heart Rate Zone (92-100% of Max Heart Rate) intervals on the hills. The "One in Twenty" climb in the Dandenongs is one that is ideal for doing intervals and hill repeats on to build your speed. While not a direct replacement for time trial training, this will also help you with the time trial stage where you'll want to ride it well into your lactate threshold rate for the twenty or so minutes that you'll be time trialling for.
Ride the stages before the event.
There is no better training for the Tour of Bright than riding the stages as often as you can. Course familiarisation will help you pace yourself as well as providing you with certainty as to what's coming up next. Also, riding the gradients and the duration of the stages at race pace will improve your fitness specifically for the event. We run the Bright Boot Camp over the long weekend leading you to the Tour of Bright. The Bright Boot Camp is a safe way to ride the two road race stages from the Tour of Bright while being well supported on the road with our on road riders and support vans. Click here to go to our dedicated Bright Boot Camp website
Back up two intense long days together.
As the Tour of Bright is a stage race you'll be expected to perform at race pace for three races over two days. You'll want to train for this. Building good base early spring is very important. This helps build your aerobic efficiency. Then closer to the event you'll want to do intense race pace sessions back to back over two days to simulate the effort you are going to endure in the stages of the Tour of Bright. This could be in the form of a road race on both the Saturday and Sunday. Or, it could be an intense long training ride of around 100 to 120km at race pace (or motorpaced) followed by racing the following day. If you only have criteriums in your area leading up to the Tour of Bright then riding in your grade and then the grade above (if you are allowed and able to) on the same day is an ideal substitute for road races. If you live in Melbourne we can provide limited access to motorpaced sessions that are ideal for this. Please contact us for further information by clicking here
Where to from here?
Cycling-Inform offers personalised coaching services specifically for the Tour of Bright. For more information on our coaching service for the Tour of Bright please contact us by clicking here.
Don't forget our Bright Boot Camp and Guide to Home Training e-book as great tools to use in your preparations for the Tour of Bright.