Dea l with the presure
One thing that I’ve learned the hard way is that it is a good idea to run lower tyre pressures on wet days and steep roads. It has cost me races in the past, and since learning I’ve had mine down as low as 60psi for the famously steep Catford race.
Rolling resistance is negligible at the speeds you’ll be doing up a steep climb, but the energy you’re wasting if you’re struggling for traction and your tyres aren’t in proper contact with the road is huge. Anyone who has got out of the saddle on a steep climb on a wet, mucky day will know the feeling of losing traction and momentum, so do what you can to avoid it. Rob Gough climb down into smaller segments. This is especially true of long cimbs, but can also be useful on shorter, sharper ascents, where the worst sections of gradient will actually make up only a small part of the climb.
When you recce the hill you will be racing on, pay attention to how the gradient varies between the bottom and the top and plan your attack. It can pay to give it your all on the steepest sections of the climb, where you know others will struggle, and then have a micro-recovery on a flatter section where you can maintain a higher pace even as your level of effort eases slightly.
On longer climbs it can be good to break it down into bite-size chunks just for the psychological boost of ticking them off as you go. Make sure you leave enough to change up near the top and sprint for the line!