If you haven’t heard of sportives and you’re into road cycling then here’s a quick wiki definition…
Cyclosportives are long distance, organised, mass-participation cycling events typically held annually
They are considered to be “non-competitive” – the rider is battling against the clock and the distance. However, these days, the times are often published and graded (e.g. gold, silver, bronze) so there is an element of competitiveness. But they are always friendly and fun events so a great way to get your feet wet in road cycling.
Now you know what they are (if you didn’t already), you need to know how to put in a legendary performance. This is my guide to doing just that. I will not cover training as there are many training guides out there. This is a simple way to maximise your performance, and trust me – if you follow this guide you will perform to the best of your abilities and probably exceed your expectations.
Get an Early Start
Sometimes you will have a specific time slot allocated to you, other times you will be able to leave when you like. If you have a choice in the matter you should always get an early start, for the following reasons…
- starting from the back means there is going to be a lot of slower riders in front of you. These will hold you up, you won’t be able to draft them because they are going slower than you. This can be particularly difficult on the hills when people tend to spread out across the road and zig-zag in an unpredictable way as they struggle with the incline. This will ruin your ascent as you will have to break stride and lose your rhythm.
- There will be less car traffic on the roads. There aren’t many sportives which block off the roads for cars entirely. Whilst events have a route which caters for this, you will at some point be on a road which has cars either whizzing by or worse still – frustrated drivers stuck behind a whole procession of cyclists where the only way to get past is to take a gamble! Early start = less cars, simple as that.
- Room for manoeuvre. If you are late and you were scheduled for an early start, the chances are you’ll be allowed to join in the next batch (although don’t rely on this). My first sportive was the London to Brighton charity ride (with some 20,000 riders!). We were on for the early start. As I lined up at the starting gate ready to go, I turned around and gave my rear wheel a squeeze – it was completely flat! I had gotten a puncture between taking my bike off the bike rack and gently riding to the starting line! I made a quick change but we had to go out with the next group. At the last sportive I did, some guy had overinflated his tyre too much and it exploded at the start line. Very embarrassing. Point is, stuff happens, traffic jams, wrong turnings on-route, punctures etc etc. There is nothing more draining than panicking.
Read The Rules Of Engagement
Many sportives have guidelines and rules. No matter how experienced you are, you need to read these. They often give information about checkpoints or timing chips (and how to install them), numbers, maintenance stations, broom wagons (hopefully you won’t need that :)) and so on. By knowing what to expect and being prepared for the event, not just the pedalling, you will be more relaxed and in control. Nothing will stop you from getting a good clean start and having a fun day.
Take The Appropriate Fuel
I know it’s obvious or common sense or whatever but this stuff really is vital. Don’t rely on the event organising fuel stops – even if they say they will. One sportive I cycled they said that there would be drink stations which were contained within checkpoints which were compulsory to stop at. I was only doing the medium route (60 miles) so I figured one bottle of fluid would be enough. Well, what the organisers didn’t mention was that on the medium route there were no compulsory checkpoints, just a mat that you had to ride over. It was a hot day. Needless to say the last 10 miles were very painful indeed. I had loads of food but not enough water. Big mistake. It was my fault entirely. Don’t try and save weight, take enough to keep you hydrated and full of energy.
Keep Eating
On that note, it’s important to say that you really do need to keep eating. Remember; this is not just about survival, this is about nailing an awesome ride. To stay on top of your game you need to keep eating. The start of the ride is always quite exciting with everyone jostling to get ahead. It’s all too easy to get an hour into the ride and realise that you haven’t taken in any fuel. It’s no good just carrying the fuel – you need to actually eat it. Start off well fuelled and begin eating as little as 20 mins into the ride. Sometimes I eat an energy bar in the first 5 or 10 minutes, they take about 30 mins to kick in so why wait any longer?
It Sure is draughty out there!
Cycling in a team is always going to be easier, you can share the work load and definitely put in a time that is far quicker than you would manage on your own. However, if you are cycling solo (which I normally do), don’t be afraid to draught other riders. It is expected and to be honest, it’s essential if you want to perform well. If you manage to find someone who is a similar pace to you (or preferably slightly faster), try to establish a partnership with them. Draught them for a while and then drop in front of them allowing them to draught you. If they are on their own too then they will definitely be grateful and you can probably use each other for the whole race.
Pace Yourself
For some reason, at the start of a sportive ride, everyone bolts off. It’s natural, everyone is excited and looking to get ahead. But it’s vital not to burn yourself out too quickly. Before the race, work out a manageable average speed to aim for and stick to it or just above it. Going as fast as you can for 10 miles will not get you the best possible time. At the start of the ride you will be in a big bunch, use this time wisely – let the group carry you along. You will find that its easy to maintain a high speed with little effort by surrounding yourself with good riders. As time goes on the group will thin out, hopefully you will be left with people who are a similar pace to you. You know what to do – use them as draught partners. It’s important to be especially careful at the start, there will be riders overtaking and undertaking you so always look before you move out or in. Try and look ahead as much as possible to avoid be sandwiched into a pot hole.
Learn To Descend
This is a really overlooked area. It’s no good being the best climber in a group if on the way down the hill everyone breezes past you. I overtake a number of people up hill but masses of people downhill. It’s not about being reckless, it’s about finding a good stable crouch position. Personally I use the drops for descending, it gives me a good strong braking position and keeps me nice and flat. Stay low but flat, tuck in your elbows and knees, keep your head straight ahead so that air flows over your helmet nicely. Once above 25-30 mph don’t bother pedalling, keep the pedals in the middle. Don’t take any risks, if your whizzing downhill on a road riddled with pot holes approaching a blind bend – now isn’t the time for your meanest aero position, just focus on getting through it. But if you can see ahead and feel good about the conditions then get low and think aero. You’ll be amazed at how effortlessly you breeze past people who are sitting upright and pedalling like crazy. It will carry you far and possibly someway up the next hill. It’s a much underused skill and involves very little effort.
Smooth Out Your Pedalling
On one sportive that I rode, I was cycling solo. After about 10 miles I teamed up with this other guy who was a similar pace to me. He was a good climber (his titanium bike probably helped a little as well) but not so good on the descents. On the flats I noticed that he had a pretty high cadence roughly 100 rpm and could push a decent gear meaning that he was really flying. I thought to myself…
Sheesh, there is no way I can keep up that pace!
But after a while it became clear that not only was I keeping up with him, I was able to overtake him and share the workload. I did not have as high cadence as him but what I do have is a smooth pedalling style. He was what I call a stomper. What did this mean, well over a 100 metre dash he would be faster than me at a push, but I was far more efficient. Thus greatly reducing the amount of energy expended to cover the same distance in the same time. After a while this began to show and I started to take the brunt of the work on the flats. Don’t get me wrong we made a good team – he offered some pace whilst at the front, bringing me smoothly up to speed and then I was able to maintain that speed when he dropped back.
So much emphasis is put on maintaining a high cadence to achieve efficient cycling. Don’t bother; ensure you are not grinding and focus on pedalling in a smooth motion, don’t try and think about lifting at the same time as pushing – your brain can’t handle it. Just try and make a continual smooth circle with your feet. It comes from your core, try and use your stomach muscles to support your back and just allow your feet to peddle as fast as they feel comfortable without making your bum bounce on the saddle. Once you nail a smooth pedalling style, your cadence will naturally start to increase. Don’t just try and peddle faster, it won’t improve your efficiency.
This is something that comes with practice but there’s no reason why you can’t apply it straight away. I’ll write a more in depth article on this in the future.
Get The Right Gear
So we all know that cycling gear can be expensive at the best of times. But having the right clothing will help tremendously. Let me put it another way; having the wrong clothing will hinder you so badly you’ll want to stop. Get shorts that fit you right and try them before the event. Get a jersey that fits right and try it before the event. Recently I have not been buying pro-replica jerseys, they look great but I don’t think they perform as well as a well made Assos or Gore jersey. They are a bit pricey but even if you only have one pair of really nice shorts just for race day you’ll really appreciate it. After 50 hard miles, any niggling pain really starts to play on your mind, and your body. You’ll be in enough pain as it is :)
Recover!
OK so it’s obvious that you need to recover. But how will this help improve your time? Well…
- If you recover right then you’ll be even stronger for next time and,
- There is something about the sensation of knowing that waiting for you at the finish line is a nice big bottle of your favourite recovery drink or snack to make you push that little bit harder at the end of your ride.
Try it, you’ll see that I’m right, and your body will thank you for it. Don’t bother to carry it round with you though, keep a fresh bottle in your car or at the finish line so it’s ready there waiting for you. Don’t forget to stretch.
Conclusion
All these steps are simple and perfectly implementable. Most of them are nothing more than common sense but I promise, if you apply them all then you will put in your best performance yet. If you include it with a good training routine you’ll be unstoppable. If you’ve never tried a sportive, you really should give it a go. There are loads dotted around the country (and even abroad). Most events have short medium and long routes so there is something for everyone. Having an event to aim for is a really great way to focus your training.
Above all, have fun and cycle safe. Please let me know if any of this advice helps you.