Colnago - What makes this bike so special?

As a racer my whole life, I have always been very detail oriented in the equipment I rode.  However, much of the time I was limited to using options that my team was sponsored in. Today, while I now have to pay for my equipment with my own money, I get to choose what I ride.  Even more exciting is that I view my time riding as a way to find better ways to teach and educate others about cycling.  

CINCH Cycles is a new extension of CINCH where now I can provide the best cycling equipment and service to cyclists of all levels.

Why did we choose Colnago as our brand of bike at CINCH Cycles?  It’s simple, because with Colnago design and quality come first.  The brand is legendary in the sport of cycling because of these ideals.  Few bike manufacturers invest the amount of money and resources into this dimension as does Colnago.  In fact, over the last years the leadership chose to invest in the advanced design of the V3Rs instead of running advertisements.  The only advertisement they did was supplying this bike to the UAE World Tour Team, which, handedly WON the Tour de France with the V3Rs.

So who is the leader of this operation?  None other than the legendary 88 year old Ernesto Colnago. 

 So what makes him different from the rest?

To begin, he founded Colnago much like I did with CINCH, in the face of adversity.  As a teenager Ernesto was stricken with poverty of post-war Italy.  He knew bicycles would be the way out for him.  He started with chasing the pro cycling dream, however that came to a quick end when a crash in a race left him with a broken leg.  Without money, he needed to find another way to earn income, however he was injured and needed to work from home.  Ernesto began by creating his own wheel building and assembly business which evolved into making frames.  He was performance focused with his design from the beginning and used his expertise to help legendary Italian cycling pro Fiorenzo Magni resolve a problem with his bike position. 

Colnago did such a good job that earned him a job as a professional team mechanic with his team where they went on to win the Giro D’Italia.  He then started developing his own brand, Colnago, at the request of a young Eddy Merckx who wanted the best equipment.  Colnago knew how the bike needed to perform at the highest level from his experience working with the best in the Giro.  His relationship with Merckx took his craft to a new level.  "I did the Giro d'Italia 25 times as a team mechanic and learnt to listen to the riders and then build their bikes. When you spend years with a perfectionist like Eddy Merckx, you learn how to do everything," Colnago stated.  With Colnago’s bikes Merckx went on to a legendary career.

But nowadays we all ride carbon fiber bikes right?  So is Colnago a legend in this territory as well?

The answer is a definitive YES.  In fact, Colnago created the first carbon fiber bikes!  Colnago states:  "But who invented carbon fibre bikes? Who? Colnago! Who first fitted disc brakes to a high-end carbon road bike? Colnago! Who first understood the benefits of a straight fork? Colnago! I've never copied anyone. The people who churn out carbon fibre bikes from the molds in Asia, should thank me for introducing carbon fibre bikes and helping them make a load of money." Wow!  

Colnago began creating top level carbon frames in 1981 and has never looked back since. Just three years into this new venture Colnago partnered with Ferrari to learn the best methods and have access to the highest level of carbon fiber made. The legendary Mapei team’s success was largely built on Colnago’s top carbon fiber frame which proved its early strength and performance being the first carbon fiber bike to win Paris Roubaix in 1995.  A feat that at the time most people thought was impossible! 

Quality and performance must go hand in hand according to Colnago. "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike, what's under the paint and in the joints, they just look at the appearance. At Colnago we're not interested in the quantity of bikes we sell, we're interested in the quality of the bikes we sell."

I’ve been riding high end carbon bikes for a long time, and I think quality is something I did not think much about, I even took it for granted.  I can honestly say I have found a crack or broken every frame brand that I have ridden over the last 20 years.  But I was sponsored and it just was replaced.  Honestly, I also just thought it was part of the territory.  But according to Colnago, quality should not be an afterthought. The reality is saving some money up front is later lost in money to replace the frame and time lost riding it as you must wait for the next one! 

"Colnago costs a few hundred Euro more but our frames don’t suddenly break," Ernesto argues bluntly. "I met hundreds of people who have had a Colnago for years with never a crack or break. Maybe I've made the mistake of making my bikes too strong.”  I think he is implying that since his bikes don’t break, they don’t need to be replaced as often, lower sales.

Colnago goes on to say, "The difference is like buying a cheap jacket from a fast fashion brand and buying a made to measure Italian suit. In truth, there's no comparison because you end-up throwing away the cheap garment after a few washes. But people end up paying the same price for a poor quality frame because they don't realize the true quality and the true value of a Colnago."

"We use a high quality carbon fibre, the same that Ferrari use for their F1 motor racing cars. The quality is certified, they cut the tube and look at the lugs to check the layup and the quality. People still visit us and see how C64 bikes are made. They're amazed by what they see."  

I have to say, after riding both the V3Rs and the C64, the difference in quality and performance is obvious. I have never felt a bike accelerate quite like this.  With only a small increase in power you can feel the bike jump forward at a higher speed.  When I stand, it feels like my body weighs 20 lbs less as my energy to push down on the pedals just sends the bike forward so efficiently, making me feel like I am weightless.  I mean, you all are also probably gonna call bs on me for saying this, but even riding the trainer feels better and easier as the bottom bracket does not sway side to side as I pedal like my previous frames. Ok, ok, I’ll stop.  But the bottom line is these bikes ride like the legendary artist designed them to.  I am proud to kick off our new extension of CINCH with Colnago!!!!

 

Thanks for sharing this experience with me!

Tom Danielson

How to Excel in Competitive Cycling Using The Seven Stages of Race Success

A lot of people call me up and say they want to win races, ok, we go over their last couple of races. "I was dropped in the beginning, or "I finished with the group, but I wasn't able to sprint for the win." 

I hate to be the one to tell them Santa Claus isn't real, but the truth is they aren't ready to consistently win races yet. Cycling isn't as black and white as people make it out to be. Where you just add more power to your FTP and boom, you start winning. There's a path you must follow to get from where you are now to the results you want. The problem is that the road map hasn't been defined until now. 

One framework I like to use when working with my athletes is, The Seven Stages of Race Success. These are the seven thresholds you must pass and exceed to eventually reach the end goal, which for many of us is a race result. Each stage requires a different focus and skillset that you need to master to ascend to the next level.

The Seven Stages of Race Success

Stage 1. Distance Completion - You can complete the distance on the event using your current PowerTrain Zones. This isn't just about only being able to ride the distance but do so within the competition context. For instance, in a criterium, do you have the explosive needed out corners, threshold zones to move up in the peloton, and medium zones to hold your position and carry momentum and complete the race?

Stage 2. Race Opening Selection - You are able to stay in the peloton for the first decision selections, but fall off the group in the middle of the race. In the race opening, everyone is trying to find their legs and see who the players are. A lot of people are throwing attacks and pulling hard, really driving up the pace. This is where riders often give up mentally or physically; they can't maintain the pace. Eventually, riders that are left will call a "truce" at this point the race slows down dramatically. Stage 2 is just about making it this transition phase, even if you have to sit up after.  

Stage 3. Race Flow Selection - You can make the mid-race selection but fall off when the pace picks up in the Race Close. The "race flow" is just like it sounds riders are focused on riding smoothly and working together to move the peloton along. There are usually fewer attacks and riders. This section of the race serves as a reprieve from the race's initial efforts and ramp-up to the race's close selection. However, when the pace picks back up you are dropped. 

Stage 4. Race Close Selection - You can stay with the final selection in the Race Close and make it to the finish. The end or crucial section of the course. The key in this section is to make that final group despite the surging pace and accelerations thrown by the other riders. Many experienced riders are stuck here, unable to be in the mix. This stage was frustrating to me and I found a key mindset shift that is pivotal to progressing from this stage, “ownership.”  Riders who get stuck here are in limbo BECAUSE they make excuses.  “I had bad legs.”  “I was unlucky.”  “The course isn't for me.”  Heard these before, maybe even in your own head?  Well, don’t let these voices creep in.  Own your shortcomings in Stage 4 and you will quickly progress as you know that these shortcomings are what will take you to the next level, Stage 5.

Stage 5. Race Close Animation - You can make the final selection in the Race Close, and you can attack, cover attacks from the group, and or sprint in the last. However, you are unable to get a result.  I remember this for me being a key component that launched me into the winner category.  You see, feel, and taste the strategy, skills, and ability needed to win. You see you are there, now you just have to work a little harder to improve specific things.  This is the appetizer you need!

Stage 6. Race Close Result - You can make the final selection in the Race Close, and you can attack, cover attacks from the group, and or sprint in the last. Now, you can get a result, but not yet the win.  I call this stage the “00:00:00.” This is what I remember most about first coming up on a fresh finish line that no one yet has crossed.  The clock shows “00:00:00” below the finish line because it measures the time you are behind the winner. So you see with your own eyes what exactly it looks like to win, even though you just fall short with a good finish right there with the winner.

Stage 7. Race Close Win - You can make the final selection in the Race Close, and you are able to attack, cover attacks from the group, and or sprint in the last. You can get the win.  Yes, finally, that victory you have dreamed of!  If you followed these seven Stages to get to this point you are likely going to repeat more victories, or more commonly, move up to a higher category and start the Stages again.  It is important no matter the path you take that you commit to the sport, to the mastery, instead of obsessing over the result.  Mastery will always bring fulfillment along with results.  Obsessing over results has little substance and more often than none will lead you away from continued success. 

Before you get started in this process reflect on each of these things and figure out what needs to improve. Where are you now? Are you able to complete the distance, but when the gun goes off, you find yourself off the back of the peloton? Or are you finishing with the pack every race but unable to compete for the win?

Think about the races at your level. There's an apparent reason you are in the stage you are in. Figure out the cause and craft your game plan around getting to the next stage.

As you will see, real race success based on these stages takes focus, hard work, and time. You must focus on these seven at your current level and concerning your Rider Type. For example, you may be competing in a mass start gravel race. In this case, the "Peloton" is your age group or category, not the entire 5,000 person field. Focus on finding other riders in the same group, and then this becomes the peloton where your seven stages begin. A good strategy is to choose events that fit your Rider Type to go through these seven stages. While you still can eventually master all seven steps in all types of events, you will find a faster, more fun path focusing on activities that suit your genetic abilities.  

Once you reach the top level of your category, you can start the process over again. For example, I have taken one of our coaches, Quintin, through the 7 Stages within USA Cycling for Category 5,4,3,2, and 1. Now he is on a pro-team hovering in Stage 2, but I have no doubt the will get to Stage 7 because he has done it five times before. This framework works for any type of race and for any ability of rider.

It's been my life's mission to define the sport of cycling. Which I believe is the first stepping in teaching people of all levels how to master it. Frameworks like The 7 Stages of Race success that you can use to crush your events and master the sport of cycling. 

If you'd like to go into more detail on these 7 phases then listen to our podcast on the 7 stages of race success! 

This Article was written by Tom Danielson 

If you truly want to improve in the competitive sport of cycling you first need to learn who you are in the sport.  For me, coaching a sport, and for the athlete; learning a sport, begins first with simply understanding the sport.

What’s crazy to me is that if we look at the history of the sport, the cycling world does just the opposite!  The majority of cyclists I see believe that they first need to get fit, get lean, and go fast BEFORE they can begin to learn the workings of the sport of cycling.  While this seems like a sensible strategy, it's a poor one. Why? Because people end up wasting time learning bad techniques and often trying to master the popular FTP blanket approach to cycling. 

Just raise your FTP, lose a bunch of weight, and then go faster.  Right? Wrong.  Too often I see athletes and coaches alike holding themselves back right from the start, obsessing around the simple and general concept of FTP, or functional threshold power.  This approach is physically expensive, not sustainable, and does not translate to truly getting faster and better in the sport of cycling.  Athletes and coaches get led off course chasing the pot of FTP gold under the rainbow and go off course learning and master the true intricacies of the sport of cycling.

Cycling is a sport just like many of the popular ball sports we are all familiar with.  There are different players, there are different roles, and there are different techniques.  Most of us start ball sports at a young age where we have coaches that teach us different techniques.  But in cycling, many of us find it later in life, and because of that we tend to rely on our buddies, or the strongest riders in our local community, to learn from.  With this method we typically skip over learning all the techniques and concepts, and instead focus on what we can feel: power.  We feel where we fall short compared to others, and we tend to focus on trying to get more power in hopes we will be able to be as strong as them.  Listen to me: it’s a trap.

While power and strength IS important, it is not all created equal.  There are different techniques behind delivering power, different styles and combinations in executing that power, and different durations that are used for the power.  Just like in ball sports, cycling also has different positions.  While this is almost always overlooked, it is so true and it can be so liberating to find the position in cycling you both are made for, as well as enjoy being.

My Personal Rider Type Discovery

I will never forget the day I figured out what kind of rider I was. I had been racing mountain bikes for a couple of years and had done pretty well. I trained a lot with my friend Neil. I looked up to Neil because he was older and stronger than me. We would ride rain or shine, usually on the trails near our houses. 

To get to the trailhead, we had to ride up a long road climb (long by Connecticut standards is around 6 minutes). But every day on our way to the trailhead I would get excited and gun it up this climb. One day I did my thing and looked back; Neil was pretty far behind. As he caught up, I could hear him breathing hard. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Dude, you are a climber.” With my limited experience only in mountain biking, I stared blankly and asked him, “What’s a climber?” He said, “You know, a skinny guy that goes up hills fast.” He then pointed to my legs and told me they were long and skinny—good for climbing. Then pointed to my barrel chest and said that it was also good for climbing.  

I stood there dumbfounded and thought to myself, you mean this strange body of mine has a name and a purpose? My mind was blown, and my world changed forever. More specifically, my perspective of myself within the sport changed. Before coming to this realization, I had turned myself inside out during training and even more so in racing, trying to be the absolute best at every aspect of mountain biking. If the race course was flat and I was beaten, I would assume I had a bad day. If someone was faster than I was on a downhill section, I would beat myself up for not being good enough and resolve to train even harder. Mentally, I was completely worn down, and physically I was spreading myself too thin in my quest to be the best at every dimension of the sport. 

But when the way I viewed myself changed, a whole new world opened up to me. Instead of trying to go fast during the entire race, I changed my pacing strategy so I could go bananas on the hills. Before the races, I would pick out all the climbs and plan my moves. If some guys were faster than me on the downhill, I knew I had to go that much faster on the climbs to beat them. I had a solution to my problems, whereas before I thought the answer was that I just wasn’t good enough. Game changer!

The Four Rider Type in the Sport of Cycling

From years of analysis as a professional athlete and coach, I’ve concluded that there are four different types of riders in the sport. Some rider types present an obvious contrast, such as the difference between a climber and a sprinter. Some may share specific attributes but have subtle differences that completely change their approach to training and winning races. 

The four Rider Typers are: Puncheur, Climbing, Classics TT, and Classics Sprinter.

These four Rider Types work in all areas of cycling (road, mountain, gravel, cyclocross, track,) however, I will use road to detail them out as it is the simplest way to understand the differences.  The easiest way to explain the Rider Type is to consider this: If I were a team director and I wanted to sign you onto my Tour de France team, what position would you fill? 

Different types of riders specialize in different races and individual stages, and they vary widely in shape, size, and abilities, as well as in personalities. But all play a valuable role in a Tour de France team. Each team in the race will have identified its targets and will create a group to help achieve these goals, which are usually focused around their team leader—the rider they feel is most capable of winning the competition they are targeting (such as general classification, points, or King of the Mountains). Each is a tool to be used very intentionally. 

Professionals don’t go to a race like the Tour de France wondering what role they have or with anything less than an outline of their strategy. Likewise, you shouldn’t go to your race or ride without knowing precisely what you are trying to accomplish and, more importantly, how you are going to do it. 

There are countless ways to win a race. With so many types of races these days, such as hill climbs, gravel grinders, endurance time trials, stage races, and criteriums, there’s something for every kind of rider to love. You don’t even need to be of a certain rider type to be successful in events that are conducive to that rider type. When I was racing, I witnessed firsthand a great example of this truth at the 2009 Tour de Suisse, won by Fabian Cancellara. In case you haven’t heard of him, Cancellara is a gold-medal-winning Olympic time trialist, a one-day classics specialist, and a stellar domestique for his teammates who have general classification aspirations. The Tour de Suisse is a nine-day stage race that ends two weeks before the Tour de France starts and, along with the Critérium du Dauphine, is seen as an ideal race for riders to test their form before the July showdown. Cancellara was born in Switzerland, so this race obviously meant a lot to him, but it’s a mountainous race with many strong climbers at their peak fitness, so, not being a natural climber, he had to be calculated in his approach to this race. Day one of the race was the prologue, a very short, intense time trial effort. He won it outright by 19 seconds. It was impressive that he put that amount of time on the second-place finisher in such a short distance, but it was not entirely outside of his wheelhouse of specialties. 

Cancellara is a 6'1," 180-pound ball of muscle, so he’s much more suited to time trial efforts than to floating up mountains. What impressed me was the way he rode the climbs. He had his team drill it on the flatter parts of the race, making it hard for a break to get away. Even when he was isolated with just climbers, he would accelerate on the troughs of the climbs, forcing us all to accelerate hard to keep up so we were gassed for the steep sections. He made it all but impossible to attack. When he did get disconnected on the climbs, instead of panicking or trying to go with the climber’s attacks and then subsequently blowing up, he just let them go up the road and brought them back steadily in a way that suited his rider type. Cancellara did lose some time to the GC riders over the next few stages, and was third going into the last stage, a time trial. But then he absolutely demolished the TT, winning by 1:27 and taking the overall! It was clearly an impressive feat, considering the type of rider he is . . . and he accomplished it by staying true to his Rider Type.

What Rider Type are you?  Let’s have a look at each one to see which one sounds closest to you!!!

Rider Type - Puncheur 

The Puncheur is an explosive athlete who uses their power in short bursts on climbs 2 to 8 minutes in length. They are the most feared riders on these short climbs due to their ability to drop both the sprinters and the mountain climbers with incredible bursts of power uphill. They thrive on rolling to shark-tooth-profile rides, but are able to hold their own on flat, high-speed routes because of their strength. Puncheurs also can use their short but explosive power bursts to do well in short TTs or long, hard field sprints. These riders are quite well built, as far as cyclists go, with broader shoulders and bigger legs; they tend to seem the most balanced physically. Their attacking style of riding often comes into play near the end of long stages as the day’s break is being reeled in, or in stages that end in a short, steep climb. Puncheurs are the Hollywood actors of the group. Puncheurs are all about the show. That’s not necessarily a negative thing. They just love a platform to showcase their abilities. They are great storytellers and don’t subscribe to what everyone else is doing. They love the thrill of putting it all on the line. But at the end of the day, they are in it for the experience and notoriety. They don’t stress too much about the end result. But they are confident in their abilities and perform with panache. Puncheurs are highly aware of their strengths and don’t fall into the trap of comparing themselves to other rider types. They will try for the win and if it doesn’t happen, they chill out and wait for the next chance. Even if they are dropped, you won’t see them pouting or throwing their bike into the bushes. They are out there having a party, whether it’s off the front or in the grupetto. But they aren’t willing to take on a role that’s not the leading role. You won’t see a puncheur racing for 18th place. They want to be the star of the show, and if they don’t get the opportunity, they accept it and look for another role. But they aren’t going to become an extra in someone else’s film. 

The Makings of a Puncheur:

Pro Rider Examples:  Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, Coryn Rivera 

Physique: Shorter, solid frame, muscular, ideal center of gravity.

Physical Strengths: Explosive speed for longer efforts, strong at producing power both in and out of the saddle, prefers variable-pace riding, can do short explosive efforts, and is a good sprinter, strong on short climbs, and strong in very short time trials. 

Physical Weaknesses: Powerful sustained efforts on the flats, crosswinds, multi-day stage races or hard efforts, long time trials, and endurance and recovery are not as good as that of the climbers or GC riders.

Mental Strengths: Aggressive, determined, resilient, strong mental endurance, and intense short-term focus.

Mental Weaknesses: Often too focused on other riders, struggles with intense focus for long periods of time, and uncomfortable with physical pressure on long climbs.

Ideal Races/Events: Endurance events with short, punchy climbs, short time trials, criteriums, and shorter road races with explosive uphill finishes.

Ideal Race-Winning Strategy: Explosive, surging race that comes down to a small group in the finish. Ideally the finish is an uphill in which the puncheur wins the sprint from the small group. 

Rider Type - The Climber

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The Climber is the most romantic rider in cycling’s culture. The climber uses their unique style and body dynamics to ascend roads that most others fear. These featherweight riders seem almost as if they are dancing up the big climbs. They thrive on longer, mountainous ascents where the speed drops and drafting benefits are limited. Pacing and clearing lactate are vital. Due to their low weight, climbers are able to put in repeated accelerations to drop heavier rivals. Their high endurance levels enable them to recover quickly. The climber is an artist, highly creative and usually the most introverted of the types. They are gifted people with all the talent in the world. Whether that talent translates into any real results is up to the individual. Some use their talents to become extremely successful, while others never sell a single piece of work. Climbers are just fine riding alone and prefer to ride hills at their pace, their way. Each has a unique style. Preferring to plan their moves and react to terrain rather than other people, they race against the course and are not interested in other people’s opinions. They have a quiet confidence. Climbers express themselves through their bike, painting pictures on the climbs with their signature styles. In fact, you’ll rarely see two climbers with identical riding styles. Sometimes you will see climbers converting into a general classification rider, becoming the leaders of their team. These types of climbers resemble more of a musical artist rather than a painter—they’re more like a lead singer in a rock band: Think Axl Rose, Mick Jagger, and John Lennon. These riders like to put on a show. They are most comfortable when they are center stage with their bandmates surrounding them, putting on the performance of a lifetime. But there’s a lot of pressure that comes from being “the guy.” When things don’t go their way, they can become emotional. They animate the race with their colorful personalities and flair. A lot of times you will see them hiring their friends as teammates or a family member on the team staff. Their entourage helps them feel supported, which is key to their success and sometimes failings. Climbers are arguably some of the most successful riders in the sport, but without a team of trustworthy people around they are predisposed to self-destruction. 

Pro Rider Examples: Egan Bernal, Alberto Contador, Katie Hall, Marco Pantani 

Physique: Smaller stature, lean, lightweight 

Physical Strengths: Strong power-threshold zones, strong endurance, favors out of-the-saddle riding to develop power, prefers explosive riding, can change rhythm quickly, strong on all types of climbs, and strong multi-day recovery. 

Physical Weaknesses: All time trials, flat roads, crosswinds, rough roads, and sprint finishes. 

Mental Strengths: High pain tolerance, aggressive, determined, intense short and long focus, and strong mental endurance. 

Mental Weaknesses: Executes on impulse and emotion, Often overly driven on emotion 

Ideal Races/Events: Mountaintop finish during stage races, mountainous one-day events, hill climbs.

Ideal Race-Winning Strategy: Attack! Climbers embrace pain and love to attack. They are the first to attack in the most difficult spot on a climb and then solo away. If that doesn’t work, they attack, follow, attack . . . until the elastic snaps. 

Rider Type - Classics Time Trial Rider

 The Classics Time Trial rider is an endurance-centric athlete who matches this ability with unmatched short, explosive power, creating a unique ability to time trial. They are the hard men and women of cycling who embrace difficult terrain, harsh conditions, and adventure. They can ride solo off the front of a group, climb medium-length hills well, time trial strongly, and ride at a high level in the peloton. This rider is like an engineer, who is methodical in their approach to almost everything in life. They love to analyze data and solve complicated problems and  are rarely seen out of control. They approach situations with logic rather than emotion. They rarely go into competitions without a solid plan that they’ve forged through research and experience. They have a very specific way of doing things, which lends itself to a certain degree of stubbornness. If this develops, they can get in their own way. Whether it’s at a spring classic or a gravel event, these athletes are gritty and are not shaken easily. The 

Makings of a Classics TT 

Rider Pro Rider Examples: Fabian Cancellara, Bradley Wiggins, Chloé Dygert Owen, Thomas De Gendt.

Physique: Taller, muscular, long femurs.

Physical Strengths: Strong endurance, powerful, favors in-the-saddle riding to develop power, prefers steadier riding overall, explosive ability, can do both short explosive efforts and longer sustained TT-like efforts, and steady shallow climbing.

Physical Weaknesses: Long sustained climbs, long climbs with terrain changes, and multi-day stage races or hard efforts.

Mental Strengths: Gritty, determined, resilient, strong mental endurance, and intense short focus. 

Mental Weaknesses: Often too focused on other riders, struggles with intense focus for long periods of time, and uncomfortable with physical pressure on climbs. 

Ideal Races/Events: Rolling endurance events, events with rough terrain or difficult weather conditions like rain, wind, cold, and or mud, short and long time trials, and endurance time trials. 

Ideal Race-Winning Strategy: In a hard, long race of attrition, break the group down to a select few. Win with a strong solo attack or ride away from the other riders. 

Rider Type - Classics Sprinter

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The Classics Sprinter is an endurance-centric athlete who converts unmatched short, explosive power into a potent sprint. They are also hardmen and -women of cycling who embrace difficult terrain, harsh conditions, and adventure. They can make the key selections on short climbs, crosswinds, or rough terrain, and can ride at a high level in the peloton. Then, this rider closes the deal by beating everyone in a finish-line sprint. The career most similar to the Sprinter is a fighter pilot. We’ve all seen the film “Top Gun,” right? To be a fast jet pilot, you must be confident and quick, and able to do what’s needed, even when the going gets tough. If you’re a fighter pilot, you have to be ready to fight and stay calm amongst the chaos. You have to have the right height-to-weight ratio to fit in the cockpit— and be ready to jump out in emergencies. Fighter jets can go more than twice the speed of sound, or 25 miles in a minute. Only the best pilots in the world can fly a plane that fast: You have to be able to think and act very quickly. You must be comfortable flying in the pack but also flying solo. Classics sprinters frequently have to put out giant efforts at big speeds in a very chaotic and dangerous environment. They hide in the peloton, conserving energy and waiting until it’s their turn to launch. They rely heavily on their teammates, but ultimately it’s up to them to get the job done. They cover moves, following the train to outsprint the less-explosive riders at the end of a grueling race. They do not give up easily and might try lots of different approaches until they get the result they want. They have a keen ability to read the race and react accordingly. Their downfall is that they are often overconfident in their own abilities, so they don’t always do the necessary positioning to set themselves up for the win. They aren’t afraid of situations others would deem dangerous, so they are predisposed to taking risks unnecessarily, leading to crashes. Classics Sprinters are ready to risk it all in the name of glory. 

Pro Rider Examples: Tom Boonen, Peter Sagan, Kirsten Wild, Greg Van Avermaet 

Physique: Shorter, more solid rider, muscular, ideal center of gravity.

Physical Strengths: Strong endurance, powerful, strong at producing power both in and out of the saddle, prefers non-steady riding, explosive ability, can do both short explosive efforts and is a good sprinter, good on short, explosive climbs, and strong in super-short time trials. 

Physical Weaknesses: Long sustained climbs, long climbs with terrain changes, multi-day stage races or hard efforts, and long time trials.

Mental Strengths: Gritty, aggressive, determined, resilient, strong mental endurance, and intense short focus.

Mental Weaknesses: Often too focused on other riders, struggles with intense focus for long periods of time, and uncomfortable with physical pressure on climbs.

Ideal Races/Events: Endurance events on rolling terrain, events with rough terrain or difficult weather conditions like rain, wind, cold, and mud, gravel races, short time trials, criteriums, and shorter road races.

Ideal Race-Winning Strategy: Explosive, surging race that comes down to a small group in the finish, from which this sprinter will win the sprint.

Now that you have seen the four Rider Types in detail, does one stand out the closest to you.  It’s ok to feel like you are a cross between two.  In general I find that most people have one genetic Rider Type and then one Rider Type tendency.  What I mean by tendency is that this is where mentally you tend to go when under pressure to make a real-time decision.  

For an example, I often find Classics Sprinters riding with Classics TT tendencies.  Attacking themselves rather than waiting to follow attacks from others.  Thinking they can solo away rather than focusing on the simple need of making the front selection then winning the sprint.  I see the same with Puncheurs having Climber tendencies.  Attacking at the bottoms of long climbs, rather than being patient, trying to follow, and then winning the climb with an explosive effort.

To help you further hone in on your Rider Type, and your Rider Type tendency, I have created a quiz for you to take.  After you are done, check the results.   The dominant Rider Type you answered is likely your Rider Type, and the second most selected one is your tendency.  However, I have found some athletes answer with their tendency as the dominant Rider Type.  The best way to truly know the difference is to critically look at your past cycling performances and what you deem to be your physical strengths and see how they best line up with the Rider Type details.  

Give the Rider Type quiz a short below and see how you stack up!

Rider Type Quiz

Read each question and please select the letter of the answer that you believe best describes you.

Which occupation do you feel would best suit your strengths?

a) Mechanical engineer
b) Hollywood actor
c) Artist or Creative
s) Fighter Pilot


Choose the description of a physical make-up that best describes your own

a) Taller, athletic build, well-defined muscular definition, long femurs, high overall strength, gains muscle easily, sensitive to weight gain.

b)Shorter, muscular, small frame and bone structure, moderate muscle mass, moderate weight, smaller shoulders, low and stable center of gravity.

c) Small and thin, small frame and bone structure, lean, minimal muscle mass, low muscle definition, light-weight, small shoulders, fast metabolism.

d) Moderate height, athletic build, high muscular definition, very high overall strength, gains muscle easily, sensitive to weight gain.

Choose the set of strengths that best defines you as a rider.

a) Excels in longer sustained TT-like efforts, powerful, favors in-the-saddle riding to develop power, prefers steadier riding overall, moderate explosive ability, prefers steady shallow climbing.

b) Excels on short explosive climbs, able to sustain high-explosive speed for longer efforts like 2-4 minutes, strong at producing power both in and out-of-the-saddle, prefers non-steady riding, high explosive ability, can sprint well, strong in short time trials.

c) Excels  on moderate to steep long climbs, strong in sustained threshold zone riding, favors out-of-the-saddle riding to develop power, able to change the rhythm strongly.

d) Excels in sprints, powerful, strong at producing power both in and out-of-the-saddle, prefers non-steady riding, explosive ability, can do both short explosive efforts, good on short explosive climbs, strong in super short, prologue like time trials.

Choose the set of mental strengths that best describes your own.

a) Calculated, numbers oriented, gritty, determined, resilient, long attention span, often introverted.
b) Adventurous, adaptable, unpredictable, positive, intense short focus, often extroverted.
c) Creative, high pain tolerance, emotional, long attention span, and often introverted.
d) Clever, aggressive, impulsive, resilient, intense short focus, often extroverted.

Choose the set of ideal events for you.

a) Events with challenging terrain, tough conditions, longer time trials, endurance focus.

b) Events with short punchy climbs, short time trials, shorter races, explosive uphills.

c) Events with long climbs, hilly terrain, steep gradients.

d) Events with flat and more rolling terrain, criteriums, less selective, favorable to a larger group to arrive at the finish together.

Choose the ideal race strategy that you would be most likely to win if you were competing against riders in similar ability to you.

a) A long, hard race of attrition breaks the group down to a select few.  You attack the small group you are with and win solo on flat/rolling terrain.

b) A hilly race that reduces the peloton to a small group from aggressive riding. You win solo or in a sprint of a small group on top of a short, punchy climb.

c) A mountainous race, you find yourself with a group of strong riders on the final climb.  You repeatedly attack on a long climb in the most difficult place and solo away away from everyone.

d) A flat to rolling race where the peloton or a smaller group stays together.  You stay with the group and win the sprint in the end.

Choose the professional cyclist that you feel is the most similar to you in riding style, personality, and physical characteristics.

a) Fabian Cancellara or Chloe Dygert

b) Julian Alaphilippe or Marianne Vos

c) Alberto Contador or Katie Hall

d) Tom Boonen or Kirsten Wild

Results

Mostly A’s - Classics TT Rider

Mostly B’s - Puncheur

Mostly C’s - Climber

Mostly D’s - Classics Sprinter

Learning and then training like your Rider Type will make a huge difference in your long game cycling progression.  Get out there and crush it!  ALL IN!

Coach Tom Danielson

If you enjoyed this article then you'd love Tom and Kourtney Danielson's Book Cycling on FORM

Eight of My Climbing Secrets That Will Take Your Climbing to New Heights

Climbing Secret #1 - Train Upper Body Technique for Powerful and Efficient Standing ​ ​

Climbing Secret #2 - Eat the optimal nutrition before your training ​ ​

Best Climbing Legs Pre Ride Recipe - "Eggs and Legs"   In our coaching group we lovingly refer to this post-ride recovery meal as "Eggs and Legs." An incredibly simple rice bowl that gets the job done every single time. If I am a bit delirious from a training ride this is always my go-to. The basis for the recipe is your favorite rice and eggs combo. With already prepared rice this meal comes together in less than 10 minutes. Feel free to adjust the toppings and amounts  to make it your own and fit your macros. Purpose: Replenish glycogen storages lost from training and aid in muscle recovery.  Composition: Calories: 635  Protein: 19 grams Fat: 19  grams Carbs: 81  Fiber: 6 grams Timing: Post-ride within 45-90 minutes  Ingredients -  2 scallions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup cooked rice 1 tablespoon of Bragg's aminos or soy sauce Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoons olive oil 2 large eggs 1/2 avocado, chopped 2 tablespoons of kimchi  Hot sauce (for serving) Instructions: Mix scallions, rice, and aminos in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into skillet; season with salt and pepper and cook until whites are set around the edges, about 1 minute. Flip eggs and cook to desired doneness, about 30 seconds for a runny yolk. Add rice to bowl among bowls; top with eggs, avocado, kimchi and hot sauce.

Climbing Secret #3 - Use a Mindset Shift to Overcome the Tough Moments and Intervals ​ ​

Climbing Secret #4 - Train With Climbing Specific Workouts ​

Climbing Strength Gym   Purpose: This workout’s focus is to work on and build your standing foundational strength to improve your climbing.  Work the upper body technique listed in the video above the best you can.  We are using two key climbing PowerTrain Zones, the Low Threshold (PTZ5) and the Threshold (PTZ6).    To create your zones for this workout please visit our PTZ calculator here: https://cinchcycling.cc/pages/zone-calculator   Please input your 10 minute power into the “High Threshold” space provided and then use the Zones calculated in this workout.   The Workout: 1 hour 15 mins warm up   Standing Power Climbs Body Position Gym 3 x 2 mins 1 min Standing  (PTZ5) 50 - 70 rpm  1 min Standing (PTZ6) 50 - 70 rpm   3 mins recovery between each 2 minute interval.   Seated/Standing Transition Power Climbs Body Position Gym 3 x 5 mins 2 mins Seated (PTZ5) 50 - 70 rpm 1 min Standing (PTZ6) 50 - 70 rpm 2 mins Seated (PTZ5)  50 - 70 rpm   5 mins recovery  between each 5 minute interval.   Standing Technique Sprints 5 x 15 second Standing MES (All Out)  Sprints  1 min rest between each sprint

Climbing Secret #5 - Use Off-the-Bike Strength and Activation Work to Get More Power ​ ​

Climbing Secret #6 - Use Music to Get Into the Zone ​

I love to use music to coach the connection between mindset and physical effort.  I made this one hour music mix to help get into an intense mindset for intense workouts.    Give it a listen for your next challenging workout here: https://soundcloud.com/cinchcycling/fire-lightning-mindset-mix-vol-ii   *Warning... It's intense!

Climbing Secret #7 - Read My Book Cycling On FORM ​ ​

CYCLING ON FORM ​ If you are interested in learning more about every aspect of the sport of cycling then you should definitely check out CYCLING ON FORM.   ​ This book is a MUST read for every cyclist that is interesting in expanding their cycling knowledge because becoming a better cyclist isn't just about increasing your threshold. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Enjoy your cycling more with the knowledge, training plan, and nutrition advice inside Cycling on FORM by Tom & Kourtney Danielson. ⁠   In this book you'll find an 8 week training program,  a complete body position guide, and the 3 Sigma Nutrition Program.

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