Monitoring your training load is a great way to keep track of what you have been doing and identify what has worked for you and what hasn’t. Previously, weekly distance (kilometres covered in training) and hours spent training have been used to quantify training. However, both of these training load […]
Coaching
Benoit Capostagno currently works for Science to Sport in Cape Town. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of Cape Town and is investigating training adaptation and fatigue in cyclists.
Coaching August / September 2019: Dear Diary
As if training wasn’t difficult enough to manage, cyclical changes in female athletes create an added consideration when looking at efficient recovery, writes BENOIT CAPOSTAGNO. The physiological responses to a training session are largely influenced by the hormonal profile of the athlete at the time of the session and […]
Coaching June / July 2019: Toeing the line
The UCI XCO World Cup series is officially underway, and COACH BEN wants us all to watch the short-track preludes to the main event. The UCI XCO World Cup series is officially underway, and Southern Africa will be represented by some of our fastest mountain bikers across the different racing […]
Coaching April / May 2019 – Indoor VS Outdoor Cycling
Words by: Benoit Capostagno Our coach BEN sheds some light on the differences between indoor vs outdoor cycling. The first quarter of the year is behind us, and some major MTB races have come and gone already. However, there is no shortage of races throughout the year, so many of […]
Coaching: Preparing for racing in the heat
It’s that time of year where we are all riding and racing in the soaring temperatures. Our resident coach, BEN CAPOSTAGNO gives some tips on how to better prepare for a hot day out. Summer has arrived in the southern hemisphere and the environmental temperatures are high. Despite the early […]
Supplementary Training
BENOIT CAPOSTAGNO looks at how cyclists can perform better without necessarily riding their bikes more. He focusses on the possible benefits of strength training. We are constantly looking for new ways to make our bikes go faster and to that end, we often spend hours and hours each week training […]
Beat the winter training blues
Our resident coach MIKE POSTHUMUS is back as he tries to convince us to keep the pedals spinning during the cold winter months. The key to ensuring continued progression from season to season, or simply year on year if you are merely a recreational rider, is to remain consistent year-round. […]
THE SCIENCE OF XCO-MOUNTAIN BIKING
Tying in with our XCO-theme, coaching masterminds’ DR MIKE POSTHUMUS AND BEN CAPOSTAGNO explain what it takes to succeed at this discipline. An XCO race is a mass start event that typically lasts between 90 and 105 minutes and takes place over numerous laps of a predetermined course. The course […]
2018 – YOUR BEST YEAR ON THE BIKE
The purpose of all the hours we spend training is to improve our performance. Depending on your current level of fitness and experience, improvements could mean finishing in the middle of the pack rather than at the back, winning your age category or stepping on to the top step of […]
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ROLE OF YOUR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
BENOIT CAPOSTAGNO from Science to Sport in Cape Town jumps on board this month to talk about your body and what it goes through while racing All the disciplines within mountain biking expose the rider to continuous vibrations and impacts caused by the terrain. These vibrations are then dissipated by […]