The extreme mountain stages of the Vuelta a España impressively show how important the right pacing is. This is how you pace yourself optimally on the climb.
The queen stage of the Vuelta a España from La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil was a tough one: over 186.8 kilometres, the pros had to tackle almost 5,000 metres of elevation. In professional sport, such extreme conditions ruthlessly show who can pace themselves correctly and who cracks in the end. But you do not have to be a pro to learn from the tactics of the stars on such tough mountain stages. The right pacing also decides on your own rides whether you reach the summit with a smile or have to give up completely exhausted.
According to reports from Cyclingnews and Sportschau, overall leader Enric Mas showed a masterclass in defensive riding on stage 20. Although he was repeatedly attacked by his rivals like Richard Carapaz and was isolated at times, he remained calm. He rode his own pace and controlled the attacks without overexerting himself. Even when Felix Gall attacked on the final brutal climb and took a few seconds off him, Mas remained calm and secured his overall lead.
For your own training, this means: do not let other riders throw you off your rhythm on the climb. If someone overtakes you or ups the pace, do not try desperately to hang on. If you overdo it at the start of a climb, you will pay for it dearly later on. Know your own performance limits and stubbornly stick to your comfort pace.
Sometimes our physical condition also sets clear limits. Four-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič had to learn this the hard way. After a training accident with a car in July, his preparation was severely restricted. On the decisive final climb, he could no longer follow the attacks and lost valuable time. He simply did not have the necessary form to attack at the very front.
If you head into the mountains after a break, an injury or simply with fewer training kilometres, do not expect miracles from your body. Adapt your goals and your speed to your current fitness instead of measuring yourself against old personal bests.
Sepp Kuss showed an impressive comeback, moving up from 11th to 5th place in the general classification through aggressive riding and perfect team tactics. As Velo reports, Kuss emphasised after the race how crucial his teammates were to this success. They helped him in the slipstream and pulled him up the steep ramps when his legs got heavy.
Even if you are mostly out alone or in a small recreational group: use the slipstream on the flatter sections before the climb or coordinate within the group to take turns doing the work at the front. Riding together makes it easier, and you save valuable energy for the steepest sections.
Your takeaway: Ride long climbs stubbornly at your own comfort pace and do not let faster riders tempt you into too high an initial pace.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.