HOW TO HANDLE THE HEAT LIKE… MARCEL KITTEL
The double winner of the Dubai Tour is one of the coolest riders around, here’s how...
However the proposed new United Arab Emirates Tour 2019 pans out, as the Dubai and Abu Dhabi events merge to become one seven-stage desert classic, there’s a high likelihood that one rider won’t be too put off by the change. Marcel Kittel, the German who now races for Team Katusha–Alpecin, has a knack of handling the heat. The winner of back-to-back Dubai Tours in 2016 and 2017 while with Quick-Step Floors has shown his mettle when it comes to ensuring a balance of hydration, heat-escape and high octane left in the tank.
His mastery of the sprint and ability to cope with conditions has secured him stage victories in the Abu Dhabi race and even win on some of the hotter days on the Tour de France. His second impressive 2017 stage victory (Vesoul to Troyes) came when the peloton had to contend with scorching heat and a rogue parasol that blew into the pack. Here’s how to take a leaf out of Kittel’s book and ride well in the heat… BE PREPARED 1 The biggest mistake most people make is to take on a big event or race in a different climate to the one that they have been training in. Heat increases both perceived effort and your body’s reaction to exertion. It isn’t always possible to go on a hot weather training camp to acclimatise, so try to create a similar environment at home. Ride on an indoor trainer with the use of a fan, so that your body increases temperature fast. If your body gets used to hard, sweaty indoor sessions, you will be better placed to deal with the heat outside. GET FLUID 2 It might sound obvious but your body is about 60 per cent water, and during a hot ride you can lose up to one litre of fluid per hour. A significant drop in fluid will result in impaired performance and, in extreme cases, severe illness or death. On long hot rides it’s vital to drink often; the hotter the conditions the more you need to drink. Pros get the luxury of being provided fluid on the go, but as amateurs you need to factor in regular water stops to your long, hot rides. TAKE PROTECTION 3 Sunburn doesn’t just burn your skin it can also exacerbate fatigue and increase your body’s demand for fluids. In extreme cases it can lead to sunstroke which elevates the temperature of the body and induces
DON’T TRY AND HAMMER IT OUT AT THE SAME INTENSITY WHEN IT IS REALLY HOT
confusion and delirium. Cream up at the start of your ride with high quality once-a-day, sweat-proof sunscreen, such as Premax Sports Sunscreen 50+, premax.co/uk. PACE YOURSELF 4 Don’t try and hammer it out at the same intensity when it is really hot. Not only will your heart rate be elevated by the heat as the body pumps more blood around to keep the skin cool, but your ability to output power will also fall. Be mindful of your perceived effort and recalibrate your numbers. We are not robots so things like your training zones and threshold parameters will change in different environments. WET THE HEAD 5 One of the best feelings when you get overheated is to tip some water over your head, through your helmet, when you are riding or have stopped to take a break.