SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY IN CYCLING

The biggest performance gains in cycling are now coming in the realm of psychology. We look into the mental aspects of success

The biggest improvements in professional cycling are starting to happen on the mental side rather than the physical. Procycling looks at how teams are working with psychologists to unlock better performances

Professional cyclists probably have at least one screw loose, somewhere. Simply to make it to the ranks of the WorldTour, men’s or women’s, you need to be prepared to work – and work hard – with precious little guarantee of even earning a sustainable living, let alone success. You have to stay motivated and make sacrifices with a smile on your face while playing an all too reptileridden game of snakes and ladders. It’s a distinctly abnormal pursuit; ‘normal’ people don’t make it to the top of the world’s toughest sport.

Given that psychological barrier to entry into the pro ranks, it’s tempting to assume that anyone who earns a living pinning a number on their back already has the right drive, focus and lust for competition. Common sense dictates that cyclists’ brains must surely come hardwired to succeed.

Maybe this explains why sports psychology has been largely passed over in pelotons past. But while aerodynamics, nutrition and training have been refined to the nth degree, the gains ever more marginal, sports psychology could now emerge as the new frontier of the scrap to find advantages in an ever more tightly packed bunch of talent.

It’s a vast and complex area but the simple role that sports psychologists can play in helping riders understand their brain processes and modify their behaviours can affect swathes of the sport. Stress, motivation, confidence, focus, performance under pressure, visualisation, injury rehabilitation, crash recovery and simply being able to rest and recuperate; to riders and teams that can understand and exploit it, psychology can offer enormous benefits.