8 Biggest Lessons Of 'Le Tour' So Far

Podcast

September 7, 2020

Gerard and Jordan Donnelly on the biggest lessons from the Tour de France so far, for both cyclists and triathletes. Get Fast Podcast, Ep 38.

Get Fast Podcast, Ep 38, with Gerard and Jordan Donnelly

The Tour de France teaches everyday cyclists and triathletes plenty, because the pros face the same decisions you do on a bigger scale. Eight lessons stand out: have a plan B, use your losses, learn how to win, don't race underprepared, measure your effort, look after your recovery, limit small losses and fix your weak skills.

1. What should you do when your race plan falls apart?

Go to plan B. Mitchelton-Scott came to the Tour for stage wins. When they were handed the yellow jersey, their director, Matt White, came up with a new strategy each day, and they held the jersey for four days. Gerard says you need the same flexibility in a state or national road title.

Think it through before race day. What will you do if your power meter battery goes flat, or you puncture? Know how you'd use heart rate and perceived exertion instead.

Jordan's example: choke on water in the swim and you may not hold the same pace for the last 500 metres. Adjust your expectations and go from there.

2. How should you respond to a bad result?

Let it motivate you. Caleb Ewan's main goal was to win the first stage and take yellow. He stuffed up his sprint, then won a bunch sprint two days later.

Gerard says you have two choices: "sulk in the corner" or use it as fuel. Feeling sorry for yourself is fine for a second or two. After that, think about how you'll make sure it doesn't happen again.

3. Should you move up a grade as soon as you can hang on?

No. Learn how to win first. Some riders who come to TriVelo could hang on at the back of A grade. Gerard makes them ride C grade, so they're part of the race and not just spectators. C grade has good sit-on sprinters who are hard to beat, even if you're the strongest rider there.

In his words, "you have to have lots of mistakes before you learn to win".

4. Should you race if you're underprepared?

Gerard says no. He sees people start while sick or injured because they've paid for the accommodation and airfare, and they get a shocking outcome. The most important factor, he says, is "never going into a race underprepared".

You choose how much preparation you do.

5. How do you pace a long event?

Measure your effort across the whole thing. Gerard treats a triathlon like the three weeks of a grand tour, with the swim, bike and run as your three stages.

Swim: don't start too hard. You still have to ride and run.
Bike: don't ride well above your power numbers because you feel good.
Run: execute the first two legs well, run close to your best fresh run, and "you'll be hard to beat".

Nobody remembers who led the first 400 metres of an 800. And as Gerard says, "you can't do someone else's race".

6. Do small recovery habits really matter?

Yes. Eating your carbs at night, massage, plenty of sleep and rehydrating are the "one percenters". Gerard says all these little things start to count towards how you perform, and the most professional teams have them covered.

7. Where do races get lost when you aren't looking?

On the days that don't seem significant. In the Tour, one team attacked from the first kilometre in a crosswind and caught out many riders. Contenders lost time there through poor positioning.

The best climber doesn't automatically win. Stay alert on the parts of your race that look easy, and limit your losses there.

8. Can you afford to ignore your weak skill?

No. Cycling is "uphill downhill crosswind flat", and champions handle all of it. One rider was the fastest up the hill, then lost time on the descent and lost the stage. The fix is to go and practise.

Time trialling is the same. It's riding at threshold or above, which you should already be doing in training. If you ever break away in a road race, you'll need to ride solo.