FINE TUNING TRAINING AND PRACTICE
SEBASTIAN WEBER: Sprinters have become more specifically sprinters and so have sacrificed a little bit of endurance. For example, André’s power output increased 15 per cent over the past 10 years – that’s what you need to do to keep up. When he first went to Lotto we built two teams who raced each other at training camps. One was the actual lead-out and the other was there to smash their tactics, disrupt it. The benchmark was the lower the effort André made to that point, the better. It was extremely positive training.
KITTEL: I think a rider in general needs to find out over the years what is good for him. I always did specific sprint training but no top-secret things. I just integrated sprints into my ride, went to the gym… in the end it’s all about being in top condition so you can show your strength and power. I’ve changed coaches and tried different training methods but the result is always the same. If I train good, sleep good and eat good I will be very fast.
BENNETT: Sprinters have to have a much bigger engine nowadays. So many sprinters can climb as well, so not only do you have to be able to read the sprint and be quick and be smart you have to be really strong as well.
VIVIANI: I always put the track in my preparation, it’s short but it’s really highquality work. I do a lot of standing starts. It’s easier to motor-pace without a superbig gear. You go at 100, 110rpm, then every five minutes do a good sprint, go from 100rpm to 130 in one lap really full, then back on the motor-pace. It’s like a proper motor-pace I do on the road, but... fixed gear is the main thing, because if you go [with] 100rpm you go 100rpm one hour, you can’t change from 50, 60, 80 then 100; you go there and you do it at this speed, at this rpm. When you go into the last kilometre on the road, I need to analyse everything in a moment: who is doing a lead-out in front of me; if I am in a good position; the corner coming up; where the wind is coming from; whether a sprinter is coming from behind who I could use as a lead-out. These things you need to analyse in two seconds and do the action. The track helped me mentally with that part, to be always ready to take the decision at the right moment.
The track helped me mentally, to always be ready to take the decision at the right moment Eli aVi via ni