BEAT THE BIKE

FIT FOR PURPOSE

6 Getting a proper bike fit by a professional is a great investment both in terms of improving your aerodynamics, ability to apply power to the pedals and to help avoid injury. If you’re opting for tri-bars, learning to ride in the aero position is crucial. The biggest mistake a lot of people make is that they don’t train their body enough to hold a TT position for 90km, so come race day they have to break from the aero position to stretch their back.

BUILD LEG STRENGTH

7 For me personally, I always struggle with leg strength and am continually trying to improve this area. This requires a lot of sessions with a low cadence and big power. For example, 6 x 5mins at 55rpm (revolutions per minute) with my watts at threshold power. I usually use a climb to allow me to make sure my cadence stays low and finish this session by doing some high-cadence spin-throughs to get the legs use to different rhythms. For example, 4 x 30secs at 110rpm.

STAY HYDRATED

8 Hydration-wise, I aim to drink two 750ml bottles on the bike. One of these bottles will be an electrolyte drink with the other being a concentrated mixture of six energy gels with water. The exact timings of when I drink each will vary on race profile and the race dynamics. But a key thing I do every race is to make sure I’ve drunk from the concentrated energy mix within the first couple of kilometres. If I’m racing in a hot place, I’ll add a hydration tablet to each bottle.

FIND A RHYTHM

9 My key pacing advice for middle-distance racing is to make sure you settle into a rhythm as quickly as possible. It’s very likely that for the first 10 minutes, you’ll push harder than you can sustain for the 90km. But when the adrenaline has worn off a little, it’s about settling into your target pace. Then it’s about staying focused, especially over the final 20km as your body starts to fatigue and your head starts thinking about the run ahead.

“The biggest mistake people make is that they don’t train their body to hold the TT position for 90km”

world champion advice MIX UP YOUR RIDES

10 Key to my 70.3 training are my rides on the TT bike. I do three rides a week on the TT bike (and three on the road bike). I do two short rides of 2hrs and then the long ride of 4hrs on my TT bike trying to hold the aero position. Javier Gomez, 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD champ