Pros rack up indoor miles, ponder impact of time inside: Daily News Digest
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Hello again, CyclingTips readers.
As another week full of news regarding race postponements and cancellations comes to an end, some in the pro peloton are wondering how so much time away from the open roads could impact their form even when racing does finally resume.
According to L’Equipe, Groupama-FDJ performance director Frédéric Grappe is concerned that when the racing picks back up, the many pros barred from training outside will face challenges contending with those who have been spending time out on the roads. To solve this issue, Grappe has an interesting idea – enact a no-race period to allow riders to train back into form before competition resumes in earnest.
Whatever happens, it will likely be a long ways off, but it’s an interesting thought to take into the weekend.
Until next time, readers.
What’s news
| Groupama-FDJ performance director Grappe concerned about “two-speed Tour de France”
Frédéric Grappe, performance director at Groupama-FDJ, told L’Equipe that he fears a “two-speed Tour de France” upon the resumption of racing, with so many pros currently unable to train outside. It’s a concern that makes sense, considering the wide variety of measures countries around the world are to taking to combat coronavirus, even if it will be some time before competition picks back up anywhere in the world.
For Grappe, a possible solution would be the creation of no-race period prior to the return of racing, giving everyone a chance to return to form. As Grappe put it, “Training loads have to be gradually increased. A block of work to rebuild basic competitiveness last about four weeks. It takes at least that to get back to an equal level of fitness among riders.”
| Health Mate-Cyclelive manager Van Gansen faces another allegation of abuse
Cyclingnews reports that the UCI Ethics Commission has delayed the announcement of a decision on the case of Health Mate-Cyclelive team manager Patrick Van Gansen, who faces allegations of abuse, following the emergence of a new allegation.
According to Cyclingnews, a rider has filed a formal complaint alleging “violence and inappropriate behavior,” as well as saying she witnessed inappropriate behavior directed towards Esther Meisels, who has already filed a complaint. The new formal complaint is the fourth that the UCI has received in relation to Van Gansen.
| Bernal staying at home after negative coronavirus test
Egan Bernal has been in self-isolation in Colombia since returning home from Andorra last week, and the 2019 Tour champ has tweeted that authorities came to his house to conduct a test for coronavirus after he contacted them to inform them of his recent travel.
The result has since come back negative. Bernal says he will remain at home in self-quarantine out of precaution and called on fellow Colombians “not to take to the streets if it is not necessary.”
| De Vreese puts in 368km on the trainer
Speaking of staying inside, like so many others in the pro peloton, Astana’s Laurens De Vreese is spending a lot of time on the trainer right now. On Friday, he really kicked it up a notch: The 31-year-old Belgian spent more than 11 hours riding on Zwift en route to 368.94 kilometers.
The workout – whose title included the words “#OliverNaessenChallenge” [sic], possibly in reference to a 365-kilometer ride that Naesen put in earlier this week – took De Vreese on numerous virtual laps of the Yorkshire Worlds course. With a weighted average power of 212 watts, he burned nearly 9,000 calories along the way.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY NEWS DIGEST PODCASTToday’s featured image of Laurens De Vreese at E3 comes from Kristof Ramon.
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