The pros at the Vuelta a España show how important teamwork, the right tactics, and proper mountain management are. Here is how you can use these strategies for your own training.
A road race like the Vuelta a España is the perfect lesson for your own road training. Under extreme conditions, it shows how crucial smart pacing, adapting to unforeseen situations, and the right behavior on climbs are. Whether you are preparing for a gran fondo or simply want to make your rides more efficient: the tactics of the pros can be directly transferred to your training.
How quickly you can overextend yourself on a climb was demonstrated on Stage 9 of the Vuelta at the Alto de Aitana. According to reports from Radsport-News, the Decathlon-CMA CGM team around leader Felix Gall went into the climb very offensively. His domestiques set a high pace, but in the end, the attack fizzled out. Gall lost contact with his direct rivals like Enric Mas and Primoz Roglic in the finale.
Gall openly admitted after the race that they might have wanted it a bit too much with the "sledgehammer" approach. For your own training, this means: do not tackle climbs too aggressively. If you burn all your matches at the beginning of a climb, you will lack the strength at the summit or in the finale. Instead, pace your energy well and ride your own tempo, rather than letting yourself be overstimulated by the group or your own ambitions at the start.
That even the best preparation can end in chaos was shown on Stage 10 to Elche de la Sierra. As reported by Cyclingnews and Sportschau, the Visma-Lease a Bike team controlled the race for almost the entire day to set up a sprint for Wout van Aert. But in the extremely chaotic final kilometer, late attacks by breakaway riders ruined the plan. In the end, Bastien Tronchon took a surprising victory, while a disappointed van Aert finished fourth.
In the amateur sector, too, things rarely go according to plan. A sudden change in wind, a road closure, or the drop-out of a riding companion require flexibility. How to deal with unexpected changes was also demonstrated by the young rider Ella Sabo at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic. According to Cyclingnews, her team had to reschedule at short notice due to illness. Sabo adapted, rode tactically smart, and secured a podium finish in the end. For you, this means: stay flexible during training or rides. If an interval does not work out because of traffic or terrain, do not force it, but adapt your session spontaneously.
A look at the profile of Stage 11 of the Vuelta illustrates how important training transitions is. According to Radsport-News, the Alto de Aledo awaits there around 30 kilometers before the finish – an eight-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 4.5 percent, which gets steeper towards the top. After the summit, however, there is no pure rolling out, but a rolling plateau and a 15-kilometer, gentle descent on which the riders must keep pressure on the pedals continuously.
Many recreational athletes only train climbing and immediately switch to recovery mode at the top. However, the pros show that the race is often decided only after the summit. Use this for your training: get into the habit of not immediately letting your legs dangle after the crest of a hill. Train the transition by keeping the pace high for a few minutes directly after the climb and actively continuing to pedal even on gentle descents.
Your takeaway: Pace your strength wisely on climbs, avoid the sledgehammer approach, and keep the pressure on the pedals even after the crest.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.