Wahoo is the Official Smart Training Technology Supplier of the UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland. The global leader in smart training will support Elite and amateur competitors within the warm-up and cool-down areas for the road (individual time trials and team time trial mixed relay), mountain bike (downhill and cross-country Olympic), track, para-cycling track and Gran Fondo (individual time trial) events.
Explanation from Wahoo’s Head of Sports Science Neal Henderson…
Being able to perform at your absolute best requires proper training, equipment, and execution on race day. One aspect of race-day performance revolves around the warm-up for an event. While specific cycling disciplines and events may require some variations in the specific elements of a warm-up, nearly every pre-race warm-up is meant to get the athlete ready to perform optimally, right from the start.
At the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland, there will be athletes competing in cycling disciplines as varied as track, BMX (Racing and Freestyle), mountain bike and road. Whatever the discipline, all athletes will perform some kind of warm-up to be ready for their event. The primary goal of a warm-up is to provide a transition from rest to being ready to put forth maximal effort. There are aspects that are exclusively focused on physiology, though the warm-up is also part of the psychological preparation to be fully ready for the mental challenge of the race.
Most warm-up routines will last between 15 and 45 minutes, though on occasion they can be a little shorter or a little longer. The warm-up typically involves the following:
Several minutes of very easy riding
Several minutes of increasing intensity effort
One or more priming efforts
One or more controlled sprints or accelerations
Several minutes of easy riding.
Getting the timing right
In most cases, a warm-up will need to be completed 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the actual race…so timing the start of the warm-up is part of the calculus that athletes and their coaches make. Most Elite athletes will have performed many race-day warm-ups prior to the UCI Cycling World Championships and have a pretty consistent and specific routine to follow. One of the nice aspects of this routine is that there’s no additional stress or questioning once an athlete begins the warm-up process. This is quite helpful in staying relaxed while remaining focused on the upcoming event.
Many athletes will listen to specific music playlists that also help get them to the optimal level of excitement or relaxation needed depending on their personal needs.
A typical example
Warm-up routines are important for athletes competing at any level. For example, a 25-minute road time trial warm-up for an athlete with a 300W Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and 375W power at VO2 Max (Maximum Aerobic Power) might look like the following:
5 Minutes Easy < 150W
8 Minutes progressive from 160W to 300W, adding 20W each minute
Ex: 160W, 180W, 200W, 220W, 240W, 260W, 280W, 300W
2 Minutes Easy < 150W
1 Minute at MAP (375W)
2 Minutes Easy < 150W
3 X 10s controlled Sprint/Acceleration with 50s Recovery Between Sprints
5 Minutes Easy < 150W
For athletes who race mountain bike, the specific warm-up above will often be shorter as they will have ridden sections of the race course for a final preview usually an hour or so before their race. They might only spend 10-15 minutes with a few short 20-30s hard efforts even above their MAP to simulate/prepare for the start which is a nearly all-out sprint.
Track athletes, who often have multiple races in one day, often have one full warm-up for their first event followed by shorter warm-ups for subsequent races. One other aspect in many track events is the fixed gear standing start, so part of their warm-ups often include a short 10-15 second slow roll or even standing start effort in a big gear to simulate the high torque demands of the standing start.
At the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, Wahoo will provide KICKR ROLLR smart trainers at the warm-up zones. These trainers are ideal for pre-race warm-ups as wheels do not need to be taken off, there’s no need to worry about gearing or tyres, and different wheelbases can be adjusted to suit all size and type of bikes. All you need to do is put on your bike, adjust the wheelbase and tighten the front tire and you’re ready to roll!
Not only for the Elite
Even if you’re not trying to win the rainbow bands, having a specific warm-up routine will help you get the most out of yourself. Be sure to time your warm-up so that you finish with enough time to make any final adjustments to your equipment (I doubt most of us are as fortunate as Elite riders to have a soigneur hand us our helmets, booties, give us a towel to wipe down, etc.) and most importantly to get to the start line at the required time for either a bike check (track or time trial events) or to line-up near the front of the pack. While you might not be able to ride your bike as fast as an elite rider, you can warm-up for your event just like them!
Also Official Smart Trainer Partner of the 2023 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, Wahoo has been an Official Supplier of the UCI since January 2021, providing athletes participating in the UCI Road World Championships with a series of exclusive products installed in the warm-up and recovery areas of the event. The company also contributes to the UCI Solidarity Programme through the supply of state-of-the-art equipment and training analysis protocols to both the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) and its trainees, and to Continental Satellites and National Federations to support their development activities.