The climb to Gran Sasso takes the riders to an altitude of 2,128 meters. That will not only be an attack on the legs, but on the entire body, as federal doctor Kris Van der Mieren knows. Fortunately, there are solutions.
“At that kind of altitude, 2 factors play a role: the influence on the musculature and the possibility to absorb enough energy.”
“If we go to the muscles look, then of course we first think of the legs. But it’s also about the buttock and back muscles.”
“In warm conditions, all those muscles do their job well, but the colder it gets, the stiffer it gets. I expect the difference between the foot of the final climb and the top to be about ten degrees. That has a huge impact on the muscles .”
When the cold hits the muscles, it is immediately felt. “The legs no longer rotate properly, the frequency cannot be maintained.”
According to Van der Mieren, there is something like a natural predisposition to defy the cold. “Riders like Pedersen or Gilbert in the past are not bothered by it. The frail types are more susceptible to it.”
By racing a lot in those cold conditions, you can get your body used to it. “Few riders seek those conditions, they usually even avoid them. After all, it brings so many disadvantages to train in the cold that the suds are not worth the hassle.”
The second factor that influences is what Dr. Van der Mieren ‘does metabolic‘ calls.
“You have 3 the engine used by a rider. Engine 1 is the fat burning. That is the basic engine, but you hardly use it uphill.”
“Motor 2 and 3 are the aerobic and anaerobic consumption of sugars. So you need sugars to maintain that energy supply, but the combustion of those sugars is negatively affected by the cold.”
“The latter effect is further enhanced by the thinner oxygen at high altitude.”
“If one of those links breaks – too little oxygen, the sugars run out – then enough energy can no longer be generated and you can no longer pedal enough wattages. If one of those systems fails, you immediately lose minutes.”
Racing at a high altitude can seem like an assault on the body, but luckily there are some precautions that every rider can and should take.
- against the heat: “Make sure you wear good clothes. It is also important that the lower back remains dry, so that the gluteal muscles do not cramp. This can be done with a mud cloth or foil. An insulating layer. And you also have heat patches and ointments .”
- against leg cramps: “Keep your legs flexible by pedaling with a small resistance. The frequency should be high, preferably even around 100.”
- the fight with the sugars: “You just have to take in as many sugars as possible, especially before the start of the final climb.”
- the thin air: “Of course you have no influence on this, but you do have an advantage if you have been on altitude training.”
Van der Mieren’s conclusion is therefore: “If you have all these things in order above, you can perfectly control the cold at high altitude.”
