Cycling
Improve your road cycling goals with Anton Palzer's training camp tips
Professional road cyclist Anton Palzer tells us how going on a training camp can boost cycling performance. Get his views on how to get the most out of such a trip.
Riding your bike in the sunshine is what every committed road cyclist wants. Professionals and amateurs alike are drawn to warmer climes to put in some hard work in pleasant conditions. Places like Mallorca, other Canary Islands and southern Spain are a particularly big draw.
A pro road cyclist like Anton "Toni" Palzer from the Bora-Hansgrohe team will go to camps throughout the year to gain condition, stamina and form with a targeted and intensive training regime. This is then taken on to major races like the Tour de France, where Palzer as a domestique will be able to help his team-mates throughout the weeks of racing. Palzer believes non-pros, amateurs and those wanting to take their cycling to the next level can also benefit from training camps, and he's keen to pass on his views on how to make the most of the experience.
With sunshine on your back, training becomes all the more pleasant
© VeloImages/BORA - hansgrohe/Red Bull Content Pool
01
The reasons for doing a training camp
A few days of focused cycling will do wonders for fitness and stamina and is ideal if you're building up to riding for a sportive or going on a long road cycling trip. A camp will see you go out on consecutive days for long rides, sometimes for five or six hours. You can of course train at home but by travelling to a training camp destination you may find there are no outside distractions. You may also find the state of the roads are a whole lot better and offer differing challenges.
At a training camp you can fully concentrate on four things: sleep, eat, train and recover. This is no cycling holiday let's not forget. In terms of location, Palzer recommends 'the southern part of Europe'.
"I've been to Gran Canaria twice, where the temperatures can be more or less the same for six hours during the day you train. The body can quickly get used to it. Tenerife and Mallorca [with its climbing] also offer worthwhile terrain for cyclists.”
Just one of the reasons why Mallorca is the perfect cycling holiday spot
© sergeigussev/Flickr
Due to the hard intensity of the training there will be stress on the body and so you want to make sure everything off the bike is taken care of. The pros of course have every minute detail taken care of by their teams. For the rest of us, it's best to stay in a hotel where they have facilities that mean you can focus on your training. Simple things like laundry facilities can help so much. Some hotels are keen to welcome cyclists and in places like Mallorca, there are specialist places that actively cater for cyclists looking to come for a camp.
02
Before the training camp
Before you start, you should think about the following things in preparation:
- Do you fly or drive
The advantage of a flight is that you can travel further and so places that have warmer climates become possible. The logistical effort of taking your bike on a flight is of course greater than you would if you take it by car but going to a training camp by car may take you longer to get to your destination.
- Rent a bike or take it with you
If the infrastructure at your training camp destination is geared towards road cyclists, you may be able to rent a road bike locally. The advantage here is that you can travel by air and not worry about packing your own bike.
- Go alone or go with a group
If it's only about the individual training goal, going to a training camp alone can make sense. If going alone you will need a high level of motivation to train every day. You will inevitably get more and more tired from day to day at a training camp and this is where being in a group can motivate you and make training a more pleasurable experience.
Palzer personally likes to ride alone: “I feel most comfortable alone because I can focus 100 percent. When it comes to group rides, it's very likely that from day to day you may not have good legs. Here every rider should be honest with themselves and not want to keep up with the group at any price if speeds get too high.”
Anton Palzer, arm in arm with his team-mates
© Sprint Cycling Agency
03
In the training camp
To improve fitness, endurance and stamina ideally the training camp should be around seven days. A classic training structure should have two training blocks with a targeted activity that looks to improve specific skills like climbing, sprinting or power outputs. There should be a rest day in the middle.
If you have a little more time, you can emulate the program of Palzer: "Two weeks is ideal for me to be able to train in blocks of three and to set the right stimulus for your own body. At a camp that is specially designed for altitude training, it can sometimes be three weeks.”
In the end, the training program is as individual as the goal you want to prepare for. It's up to you whether you want to go out and do certain activities or how hard or intensive the riding training is. Palzer's own regime is clear.
"I'm an early riser in the team. I get out of bed at 7am, drink an Expresso and then go jogging. This activates the body for later training on the bike. Important: do not choose long-running routes that last two hours though.”
Go at your own pace and not anyone else's
© Steve Fleming
04
Common mistakes in training camp
The superlatives - too fast, too long, too hard - are often responsible for a training camp not having the desired effect. Palzer knows that all too well. "Not recovering properly, eating too little and dogged determination are mistakes that, in the worst case, cost you a lot of muscle mass." Despite all the euphoria you can have in a training camp, you should think long-term and not overdo anything. Only then can you benefit from a performance boost after the training camp.
"Basically, I know my own body feeling. If you don't feel well don't ignore it and take a day of rest."
Make sure you don't overdo it on the training camp
© Sprint Cycling Agency
05
After the training camp
After the warmth, the sun and the many carefree training kilometres, everyday training awaits you when you get back on home roads. Palzer says you should keep your expectations in check on seeing the benefits from the training camp.
“Nobody should think that they can uproot trees immediately after the training camp. That can be extremely overwhelming. Instead, slowly get back to your normal riding workload.”
Test out how you've improved when you get back onto home roads
© Helge Roeske
You should also allow your body to adjust again after returning home, especially if where you are returning to is a lot colder. At this time you may be particularly susceptible to illness but Palzer has some advice on how to counteract this.
"With a healthy sleeping rhythm and the right diet (including protein shakes) you are less susceptible to catching a cold as your training intensity increases. After a session in cold temperatures, I also immediately jump into the shower."
