Climbing Like a Tour Riderby Joe Friel | July 2013

“You can't fake it in the mountains. Either you can climb or you're dropped. That's it. Bottom line."

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Too Much Mass?Gravitationally challengedWe weren't all born to be climbers.

The best climbers:● Are typically shorter and lighter than average● Tend to have 2.0 pounds per inch of height or less● For a 5'10" athlete, that would only be 140 lbs. ● However, they don't do well on windy, flat courses or flat time trials where

gravity plays a small role

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What if you're not 2.0 lbs per inch?It's not all bad newsLet's say we have two Cat 3 riders...

Rider A Rider B

Weight 140 lbs. 185 lbs.

Height 70 in. (5'10") 74 in. (6'2")

Mass 2 lbs. per inch 2.5 lbs. per inch

Threshold Power 300 watts (2.1 w/lb) 360 watts (1.9 w/lb)

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On a long hill climb: When both climb at their threshold, the one with a higher power output per pound will pull away.-RIDER A WINS

On a flat course: Gravity is not a significant factor but wind is. Success in the wind is determined by power-to-frontal area ratio. When both riders are aero, there's only a small difference between small and big riders. Raw power prevails; 360 watts beats 300 watts every time.-RIDER B WINS

How to Climb Faster

Reduce MassOne side of the power-to-weight ratioEvery kg of excess fat costs you 3 seconds per km on a climb. So, losing 11 excess pounds can make you 3 minutes faster on a 12-km climb!

Downsides● Losing weight mid-season can

detract from recovery and training● Losing the wrong type of weight

(muscle instead of fat) will hurt climbing ability

● Weight loss is best done during the winter

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Build PowerWhat can you do right now to improve climbing ability?

Build FitnessThere's more to climbing than just power and mass. If your muscles fatigue and your lungs burn on every climb, you'll lose ground. The most effective way to become a better climber is to build the right kind of power.

“You can have the greatest power-to-mass ratio on the planet and not climb for beans if you have horrible aerobic-

anaerobic threshold fitness."

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Hill Cruise IntervalsA workout to improve climbing ability

● Find a hill that takes 8-12 minutes to climb● Look for a 4-6% grade (about the same as an interstate overpass)● Do 3-5 repeats up the hill keeping your heart rate or power at threshold1

● Recover only as long as it takes to descend● Do this workout 1-2x weekly● You will see measurable improvement in 6-8 of these workouts over a 4-

6 week period

1) Threshold HR or power is your maximum sustainable effort for one hour.

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TechniqueSeated or Standing?

Larger-mass riders (2.3 lbs. per inch or greater) are generally better off staying seated on long climbs.

Smaller riders (2.0 lbs per inch or less) generally climb better standing.

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vs

TechniqueCadenceKeep your cadence high even on steep climbs. This takes load off the muscles and increases aerobic-function load

Pedal strokeImprove economy with efficient pedaling:

● On the upstroke, keep heels slightly raised above the pedals, even when seated on a climb

● On the downstroke, drop your heels below the pedal

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Mindset

Your attitude has to back up the training.● Work on what's going on between the ears every day● Remind yourself: Even if you are "2.5", your climbing will improve as a

result of all the effort you're putting into it.● Tell yourself you love the hills, and most importantly...● Believe!

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ResourcesFor more cycling training advice:Visit the TrainingPeaks blog: blog.trainingpeaks.com

For power data from the Tour de France:See TrainingPeaks race analysis: trainingpeaks.com/tdf