Professional cyclists are at the extreme peak of what’s possible within human performance. They train constantly, eat an extremely high-calorie diet, and are almost always on the go. And they need to be at this peak; events like The Tour de France are hard on the body, and only the cyclists that have learnt to push past their physical limits will ever make it to the end of the race and on to glory. The pressure is enormous, and most cyclists will spend countless months preparing for the big event.

In fact, the key to success in pro cycling is preparation – there are plenty of amateur cyclists that quickly bow out because they realize that they didn’t put enough training in. Training at the level of a pro requires a certain amount of dedication that not everyone can adhere to, but it does mean that their preparation processes are particularly interesting.

Creating A Routine

The first thing that a pro needs – and it’s often a manager or professional trainer that does this particular task – is a pre-performance routine. Routine is good for the human brain, it helps with focus, to keep attention only on specific tasks that need to be accomplished within a certain time frame. Typically for a cyclist, these routines generally mean going for a short ride around the neighborhood early in the morning, and then coming home to have a nutrient-dense, high-calorie breakfast, packed with plenty of whole carbohydrates to fuel the body for the rest of the day.

From there, the pro will get ready for the day, which will be about mimicking the lengths and conditions of the upcoming race that the athlete is going to be participating in.

Other parts of the industry will be churning on the runup to an event, and the pros will have to deal with contracts, sponsorship deals, and a hundred other unusual requests from fans; including asking for autographs, or for using their image on a book cover, or on the side of a real money pokies machine, or things even more obscure than that.

Race Day

Special preparations need to be taken for race day, too. By now, the training will be over, and the pro will be focusing entirely on the race. If they’ve participated before and know the route well, they will be able to visualize what kind of challenges they’re going to face and how to tackle them. This is a part of why it’s a lot more difficult for newer cyclists to do well in big events like The Tour de France.

A light breakfast will be eaten, usually bulk carbs like oats along with lots of coffee. Warm up exercises are never far behind, ensuring that the athlete’s muscles are not prone to seizing or tearing during their ride. All equipment will be double checked, the right liquids will be drunk, and they will head off to the starting line to get ready for the race to begin.