1. Cyclo‑cross opener: Lucinda Brand holds on in freezing Tábor On 23 November 2025 the opening round of the 2025/26 UCI Cyclo‑cross World Cup took place in Tábor, Czech Republic, and Brand claimed the women’s elite win. Why it matters: Brand’s win shows that even
Introduction Cycling performance depends on aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, recovery ability and the capacity to produce high power when required. One widely supported training approach that has gained substantial scientific backing in recent years is polarised training. This method distributes training intensity so that the majority of work is completed
1. Indoor training kicks off with style (and a discount) If the nights are drawing in and you’re eyeing your turbo trainer warily, you’ll like this: during “Indoor Cycling Week” at Cyclingnews, they’ve rolled out a full set of advice on how to get the most out
Jeannie Longo stood at the track center, eyes fixed on the clock. October 1996, Mexico City's thin air hummed with anticipation. For 48 minutes, she had maintained a metronomic pace, pushing the boundaries of women's cycling. When the gun finally sounded, she had done it: 48.
Eddy Merckx lay exhausted on the wooden track of Mexico City's velodrome. October 25, 1972 – he had just ridden further in one hour than any human in history. The Cannibal's legs trembled, his lungs burned, but the numbers spoke volumes: 49.431 kilometers. For 12 years,
In endurance cycling, performance isn’t just about training volume or biomechanics. What and when you eat — plus how you recover nutritionally — can make a meaningful difference in power output, fatigue resistance, recovery, and adaptation. Nutrition influences: * Fuel supply (muscle & liver glycogen, blood glucose) * Substrate utilisation (carbs vs fat,
What Is “Durability”? In the context of endurance cycling, “durability” refers to an athlete’s capacity to sustain performance (power, speed) under accumulated fatigue — whether late in a race, after many hours in the saddle, or following prior hard work. It is distinct from pure aerobic capacity (e.g., VO₂
In cycling (especially endurance or stage racing), performance is not just about training or physiology — how you fuel, recover, and adapt nutritionally can shift margins significantly. Good nutrition supports: * Sustained power output (by maintaining glycogen, blood glucose, substrate availability) * Reduced metabolic stress & fatigue * Faster recovery & adaptation (repair, glycogen
What Are Muscle Synergies & Why They Matter in Cycling When you pedal, your neuromuscular (nervous + muscular) system does not always activate each muscle in full isolation. Instead, groups of muscles commonly fire together in coordinated patterns or “modules” known as muscle synergies. These synergies represent how the central nervous
1. Pogačar Goes Monumental Again: Fifth Straight Il Lombardia Win Tadej Pogačar has officially redefined what “closing the season in style” means. At Il Lombardia 2025, he launched a solo attack with 36 km to go (on the Passo di Ganda) and held it to the finish, claiming his fifth
Why Nutrition Matters for Cycling Cycling performance is not solely determined by training or genetics — how you feed, fuel, and recover has a large cumulative effect. Key nutrition goals are: * Maintain energy supply (muscle & liver glycogen, blood glucose) to support sustained power output * Minimize metabolic fatigue (e.g. via
What Is Eccentric Cycling? In standard (concentric) cycling, the muscles shorten (contract) to produce force as you push the pedals. In eccentric cycling, the muscles resist force as they lengthen — effectively applying a braking or negative work load while the crank is driven (or resisted) in reverse or via specialised