During the battle against the clock on stage 18 of the Vuelta a España, the pros showed how to pace your efforts perfectly. Here is how you can use this tactic for your own training.
The individual time trial is considered the most honest discipline in cycling: there is no drafting, no tactical games in the peloton – it is just a duel against the clock and your own body. On stage 18 of the Vuelta a España 2026, exactly this challenge was on the agenda. Over the 32.1 kilometres from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera, the pros had to pace their efforts perfectly on a flat, fast course. For recreational athletes, this race provides valuable lessons on how to find a steady pace and keep your composure even after making mistakes.
According to reports from Radsport-News and Cyclingnews, the route along the Andalusian coast offered mainly long straights and few technical difficulties – an ideal course for powerhouses and specialists who can push constantly high wattage. Switzerland's Stefan Küng secured the stage win in 35:22 minutes, just ahead of the Briton Callum Thornley and João Almeida.
What is interesting for recreational athletes, however, is not just the absolute best time, but how the riders built up their performance. Küng explained after the race that in such a fast time trial, you have to be fully focused right from the start. He openly admitted to having a difficult phase after the second climb and misjudging a few corners. His salvation: he quickly found his rhythm again. That is exactly what made the difference in the end. Anyone who gets hectic and overpaces after a mistake or a brief phase of weakness loses valuable energy.
Another lesson in damage limitation was delivered by overall leader Enric Mas. According to Sportschau, the Spaniard was predicted to lose significant time to time trial specialist Primož Roglič beforehand. But Mas surpassed himself: he lost only 33 seconds to the Slovenian and successfully defended his red jersey. While his rival Felix Gall lost a significant 1:28 minutes to Roglič, Mas kept the deficit in check through a controlled and stable race.
For your own training or your next amateur race, this means: do not let yourself be intimidated by the supposed strengths of others. A cleanly executed step-by-step plan, where you guide yourself by your own wattage or heart rate values, will often get you to the finish line faster and more safely than trying to match the pace of the competition right from the start.
If you want to improve your performance on flat or slightly undulating routes, you can adopt the following strategies from the pros:
Your takeaway: Pace your efforts in a controlled manner right from the start and immediately return calmly to your own cadence after small mistakes.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.