But there is no absolute rule. “The length of the outage is, in fact, very personalexplains Gaëtan Bille, trainer of several cyclists, including Arnaud De Lie. A runner is subjected to a lot of mental stress during the season and, this year, the end of the season was marked by very bad weather. This wears even more. Depending on a rider's end-of-season schedule, we adapt the period and duration of the break. Often, I recommend a period of 20 days.”
Bad surprise for Arnaud De Lie on his return from Singapore: “A slightly messy arrival at the airport” (VIDEO)
2 What is a good break? “A complete disconnect and fun”
“The cut is a complete disconnectionsummarizes Gaëtan Bille. And it’s above all in the head. I would even say that the cut is more mental than physical.”
“Letting go of the bike and going on vacation is the best way to cut down, in my opinionpoursuit Flying. It helps you rediscover the desire to go for miles.”
During this period, you can still integrate activities into your schedule. “There are guys who like alternative sports, like running, or more fun ones, like padel or that kind of thing, continues Gaëtan Bille, founder of Concept Performance Cycling. But watch out for injuries. In this period, we are mainly looking for fun.”
But you shouldn't be ashamed of completely stopping your cycling activity. “Some people need to do a bit of mountain biking to tell themselves that they are not overly detraining. But again, it's mostly mental. The idea is above all to not be saturated for the big workloads which will arrive in January or February.”
3 Can we eat what we want? “You have to have fun”
During the break, the pro cyclist is necessarily less careful about what we eat. “This is when you have to have funindicates Gaëtan Bille. Now, we must not exaggerate. I ask my runners that 2 to 3% of the total weight is not exceeded. Because when you start again with more than four or five extra kilos, it will take a long time to get back in shape. So I would say that you have to watch your diet… but not on a daily basis.”
It is also the period when those who like it can consume a little more alcohol than during the season. “If a guy's pleasure is to drink two bottles of wine, now is the time to do it (smile).”
4 Does everyone cut? “Young people who don’t cut will last less”
We are seeing this more and more: some young people are cutting less and less, or even no longer at all. “But how long will they last operating like this? s'interroge Loïc Vliegen. We see many 16 year old runners who are already doing the job like pros. Going too fast can be counterproductive.”
Burn-out, a threat for the peloton: “Apart from the bike, I no longer see anyone”
“These are current issues and we know the risks, particularly burn-out, that this can causeadds Gaëtan Bille. In the development teams, we see young riders who are already a little saturated. We have the impression that they are going to train like someone taking their car to go to Brussels, in traffic jams. The fun and pleasure side is important so as not to fall into routine. Cycling is a sport where you have to go so far in pain that your head has to be cool.”
Axel Merckx's column: “There are high risks of burnout”
5 How to resume after interruption? “Don’t look at your watts”
After the break, it's time to resume. “I like to divide the schedule into periods of 20 dayssays Gaëtan Bille. After the 20 days of theoretical cutoff, there is a period of 20 days where I advise my runners to resume slowly, without looking at the watts. It’s also an opportunity to vary the pleasures, with mountain biking or gravel. This period is also conducive to physical tests and material tests, on velodromes, etc.”
Also comes the work in the gym, to prepare the body for the strength work which will be integrated into the block of 20 days that follows. “And the next step is increasing the volume.” It is generally done in Spain. “The body recovers better in this type of climate than in Belgium. A long outing in the rain and at 5 degrees will inevitably force the runner to draw on his reserves and take a little longer to digest.”
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Going to train in the sun is also good for the head. “We know that the classics period often takes place in somewhat complicated weather, so spending the whole winter in the cold could lead to a feeling of being fed up.” And destroy the benefits of the cut.
