Today sees the start of the Pro season proper down in South Australia, at the Santos Tour Down Under (if you don’t count the Tour de Luis… and who is!?). Although the ‘People’s Choice Classic’ criterium has already been run the road stages start today and incorporate 6 stages which definitely suit the type of sprinter who still has it in the tank after a climb.

André Greipel took the People’s Choice Classic in a sprint against Matthew Goss after Lotto-Belisol bossed the final few laps and Greipel’s win never really looked in doubt in my opinion. The criterium is a little tease at what is coming but the stages of the main race should certainly see some more upsets due to the UNISA Australia team (the University of South Australia squad) taking part who always show well in this race with young talent and also the knowledge that if anyone other than a super strong sprinter wants to win this race they will need a lot of early season savvy, team work and also luck to stay away.

Looking at the stages and knowing how this race usually pans out the favourites are all big sprinters who can mix it up on short climbs. These are also guys who don’t need a big train and can survive on their own, picking off the best wheel from other teams and surviving on instinct alone. Simon Gerrans (GRE), Edvald Boasson Hagen (SKY), André Greipel (LOT) and Marcel Kittel (ARG) are the four main riders I would suggest will be vying for the top spot overall if the racing goes according to plan.

Due to time differences, the Santos Tour Down Under will be shown at all sorts of different times depending on your local provider. The race begins around midday in South Australia so it may be best to try and pick up the highlight show rather than a live feed but if you’re feeling wide awake ProCyclingLive are displaying links to feed you can watch the race from.

Hope everyone enjoys this season, it’s going to be a great year of racing!

Stevie

As regular readers will know I am a big fan of The Sufferfest training videos. They’ve seen me through some dark, wet winters and this year in particular the indoor winter training I’ve been doing has meant I’ve hit January feeling stronger and fresher than ever. As someone who spends a lot of time off the bike trawling the internet for articles and new up and coming ideas I was really pleased to see the new face of indoor training… 3LC. They were kind enough to send me two of their training DVDs to test and I have been very pleased with what I’ve found!

3 Legs Cycling

Based in the Isle of Man, 3LC has cycling passion running through their veins as cycling has been so popular over the years on the small rock off the north-west coast of the UK mainland. The committment shown by local riders and coaches has paid off and many riders have gone on to compete on both World Tour and Pro Continental teams; with the most being Mark Cavendish. For a population as small as 80,000 the number of top flight riders the island has produced in incredible and shows the emphasis they put on quality training and dedication to the sport. There are currently 5 DVD’s in the range that are aimed at improving your peak fitness for all aspects of cycling whether it be sprinting, climbing, time trialling, criterium racing, sportives or triathlon racing and to make the training even more beneficial, 3LC.tv treat you to a great line up of Pro riders. Current World Road Race Champion Mark Cavendish and Peter Kennaugh of Team Sky are heavily featured in the series and their enthusiasm and energy is hugely compelling and the aim is that they will help you achieve your goals even quicker.

2 Legs Good, 3 Legs Better…

As already mentioned, there are currently 5 DVD’s in the range which ‘Sprinting’, ‘Road Race’, ‘Time Trial’, ‘Climbing’ and ‘Ladies Road Race’ and I have been lucky enough to test the ‘Road Race’ and ‘Sprinting’ sessions. I won’t list all of the different areas each DVD covers but click on the links above and you can see a detailed description of each DVD. What I was really pleased about was that the type of training done whilst watching the 3LC training DVD’s is very similar to what you experience and can achieve from other similar training aids. I don’t see this as a bad thing at all as it means the training I have been doing has been the type of thing that the Pro’s do and thus should be beneficial for me. What is different about the 3LC training DVD’s and what sets them apart from everyone else is the way they train you through interaction with Pro’s and coaches.

The 3LC training DVD’s are like a group spinning session with some of the worlds strongest and most inspirational riders as well as proven top-level coach, Peter Kennaugh Snr. Unlike other training DVD’s that use pounding soundtracks and beautiful vistas to keep you entertained and motivated, 3LC uses the personal touch of qualified coaches and the sight of top-level riders feeling the pain just as you do. There are some great moments of banter and chatting between the on-screen riders which is a nice way to pass the time. The DVD’s use the very useful measurement of ‘relative perceived exertion’ (RPE) and cadence to push you to your limits. This means that you won’t out-train the DVD and become too strong for the workouts… you just go up a gear or too and you are able to do the same workout but at a much harder level. This gives the DVD’s a great longevity and should keep you coming back to them year after year, however close to Mark Cavendish’s rainbow bands you get!

You also get a comprehensive warm down session with some stretching techniques which again tells me one thing… these training DVD’s are for WINNERS. These are not just for the recreational roller rider. If you want to be winning races and competing against your friends, you need to train the Manx way and follow the lead of the Isle of Man riders.

Watching these videos, for me, feels like a much more social way of training. Sometimes I do want to pull the blinds, pump up the stereo and push my body to its Suffering limit but when I know I need and want a session where I can push myself but also feel like I’m training and improving with others… 3LC is definitely the DVD I’ll be reaching for.

If you want to win… train with the best!

Stevie

As you are probably aware, I am the new guardian angel of the #bikeschool posts here at LovingTheBike.com and wanted to kick things off in a big way this week. I’m hoping to introduce some exciting new content and ideas to these weekly #bikeschool articles and I felt it was only right to treat you guys to something a little special.

A Note from Darryl: I’m stoked to officially welcome Stevie to the Loving the Bike team, and invite you to check out his #bikeschool posts each and every Tuesday.  He is also our UK correspondent and will often be bringing us cycling goodness from that part of the world as well.

L’Enfer du Nord

By Stevie

It’s clear we all have a special kind of appreciation for bicycles, whatever shape, size or flavour they come in and I for one am a big fan of professional cycle racing. With that in mind it would be sacrilege to not make a passing mention to one of the greatest one day races in the calender that will hit you right between the goggle-balls this weekend… Paris-Roubiax.

Great riders such as Louison Bobet, Eddy Merxkx and Bernard Hinault have received at least one ‘sett’, a cobblestone from the very pavé that they haul themselves across as well as more recent winners, Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara. True to form in cycling, the great races and the greatest of riders are never forgotten by fans and peloton alike and by early April each year magazines, blogs and Pro-team buses are filled with talk of who will make it to the Roubaix velodrome finish line first.

So who am I to rock the boat!? British Road Race Champion and Team Sky rider, Geraint Thomas took some time to talk to me about what this race means to him and how his preparations have been going in recent weeks.

Stevie Dexter: For many fans, Paris-Roubaix is the pinnacle of the early season classics calander. Where does it fit into your list of favourite races?

Geraint Thomas: Its massive. Paris-Roubaix, Tour Flanders and the Tour are my season goals. I rode them for the first time last year and loved them. I grew up watching them on the TV dreaming of riding them one day. the history in the races adds to the whole thing with the riders that have on there in horrible conditions.

SD: As more and more riders and support staff join the Twttersphere we are getting a better glimpse into the training regimes and techniques of the professionals of the sport. Do one day races feature in your thoughts during pre-season training camps or do you focus on Grand Tour aims and devise a racing calendar that suits those aims?

GT: I think i think about the one day races more than the tour in the early season. I guess because they are the closest. as soon as January comes around its all about the classics.

SD: European fans have a deep affinity with the cobbled classics and their love of all things muddy and treacherous cause them to travel en masse to take joy in watching you guys sit ‘on the rivets’ for kilometer after kilometer. Being truthful now, do you look forward to these cobbled races or would you rather keep the same route and terrain but take out the often dramatically race changing sections for something a little more sedate?

GT: No definitely not!! That’s what the classics are all about. The ‘hardness’ of it all. The race into those crucial sections, and all the build up races where you race over the roads but as soon as Flanders comes it feels completely different. Roubaix is obviously just a one off race, which makes it special and the Arenberg and other dramatic/treacherous section so good. The danger is half the fun!!

SD: Geraint, your ride at Dwars door Vlaanderen saw a gutsy finish which landed you 2nd despite all your attempts to not end up on the front and leading out Nick Nuyens. How much does a result like that help you mentally and physically going in to Paris-Roubaix this weekend? Does it make you more vulnerable to having breaks dragged back as other top riders look at you with more caution due to recent results?

GT: It gives me confidence. Firstly i know that i can really compete with the best guys now. Obviously Roubaix is longer and a bit different, but mentally I know that i’m going well at the minute and all the training and racing I’ve done so far has been worth it. and so i can go into Roubaix relaxed knowing that I couldn’t have done any more.

SD: You won the 2004 Junior edition of Paris-Roubix ahead of fellow Team Sky rider Ian Stannard. Has this experience helped over the years when it comes to the classics season or is it so far in the past now that there are more recent, valuable lessons to be learnt?

GT: Well it was good to race over the same sections as the pros do then. but its so different now. we travel over them so much quicker the race is so much longer and the race into them that much harder and more dangerous. but it still helps having ridden them and having that success, even though it was at junior level.

SD: For those crazy enough to take on the amateur event held tomorrow (6th of June) run by Velo Club de Roubaix, here are some random cobblestone riding questions that fans always want to know the Pro’s answers to:

1. At Paris-Roubaix, what tire pressure do you use?

GT: I think last year i used 27 tyres and had 5bar in them. They lose some pressure during the race

2. What tips do you have for riding the cobblestones?

GT: Spin the legs and don’t force it. People seem to think you have to ride big gears but treat it like a 2 minute prologue effort. Put your hands anyway that’s comfy and if you’re around other people maybe somewhere where you can brake, in case they crash or swerve. Try to relax and let the bike move under you. Try not to be too rigid on the bike.

3. Are there any other modifications to your bike for Roubaix?

GT: We have a new frame for a start, that has a slightly longer wheel base and the triangles are bigger giving a smoother ride. We may have some gel under our bar tape and a gear shifter next to our stem for when we are on the tops on the cobbles, but apart from that nothing else really.

SD: And the $64 million question, why are YOU Loving The Bike?

GT: I love just being able to jump on your bike and go anywhere. Especially on a nice day in Wales. You can go up into the hills or lanes and it just feels great. obviously the racing side is great as well!!

A big thank you goes out to Nick Howes and Fran Millar at Team Sky and of course, Geraint for taking the time to answer my questions.

Disclaimer: Before I get abusive emails and tweets about removing the cobbles from the classics, please be aware I wouldn’t do this in a million years and was merely trying to get an emotive reaction from G!

Don’t forget to join us for #bikeschool, every week, Thursday 9pm EST (Friday 2am CET)