Return to Racing – Getting the Maximum out of a Minimal Season
We’ve all been looking forward to seeing the pro circuit back in action – or lining up on the start line ourselves. Now that select tri, road, mountain and gravel races are coming back online where public safety allows, many athletes are searching for ways to make the most of their limited season. We’ve looked at some tips to help transfer indoor fitness to outdoor results here and we’re now seeing more organizations address the complex realities of managing large-scale events in the COVID era.
Guidelines and Guidance
Many industry organizations have issued guidance and regular updates to athletes throughout the pandemic, and more so now that restrictions have lifted in certain areas. Cycling Canada, for example, has been clear about not wanting athletes to feel pressure to travel or compete for the remaining 2020 season. Other bodies are issuing regulations around upcoming events. The UCI has recently updated its events calendar and issued guidelines to help enforce ‘team bubbles’ and ‘peloton bubbles’ to protect riders and crews, including accommodation and travel guidelines. There are also mandatory measures that include the screening of all riders before and during competition, and rules around what the UCI has termed ‘risk zones’ for event registration, feed zones and award ceremonies.
On the tri side, Ironman has also released Return to Racing guidelines by closely studying what they call “physical touchpoints and proximal interactions” at their events. The new guidelines, they say, will reduce these touchpoints and interactions by up to 90% when compared to 2019 racing standards.
Getting Every Advantage
For teams and individual athletes looking for ways to eke out every possible advantage in the reduced season ahead, intense training camps and personal training tools are a must. While digital and tech-based training tools became more common in many athletes’ arsenals during the lockdown period, some of these tools can bridge over to real-world training as well. Many Argon 18 athletes use Notio to help optimize equipment, set-up and rider position, helping them get more speed for the same watts on the bike. An on-board aero sensor, Notio gives athletes the data they need to achieve the results they want. With limited time to reach those 2020 goals, it may be the right tool to maximise those marginal gains, and get ready for that return to the start line.
For a limited time and while supplies last, the Notio is being offered at 40% off to support 2020’s return to racing. Click here to learn more.
