By Mara Abbott, Olympian, 2x Giro Rosa Champion, CTS Contributing Editor There is nothing, nothing, in the entire world of cycling that I love like the Giro Rosa. It is a helpless love – one that allowed me year after year to devote my entire life to performing on 10 days in July and to …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS There are a lot of cyclists who live for climbs, whether they are short and punchy hills or massively long mountain passes. If it’s uphill, they love it. And there’s no doubt that climbing is hard, but the question is whether spending all your time in the …
By Chris Carmichael The first week of the Tour de France is traditionally the time for the pure sprinters to shine. This year, however, the organizers have added specific challenges that have made it more difficult for the sprinters to prevail. Instead of long, straight, and flat finishing stretches, the first stage was an uphill …
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS I came across a graphic this week that really stuck with me, particularly because it does a great job of quantifying the issues of trust and beliefs in coaching and athletic performance. Trust is essential in a coach-athlete relationship, so the question becomes: What do you …
By Chris Carmichael Many cyclists – particularly as we get older – gravitate toward one, steady speed and effort level. It’s not slow, necessarily, but the problem is that once you spend too much time training at your one sustainable speed, you lose the ability to accelerate. You lose that snap you need to …
By Corrine Malcolm, CTS Coach When it comes to cramping, especially exercise-associated muscle cramping (EAMC) almost everyone has a story. A story about that one time, in that one race, where that one muscle seized. Exercise-associated muscle cramps are defined as painful spasms, and involuntary contractions of skeletal muscles that occur during or immediately post …
By Chris Carmichael CEO and Head Coach of CTS Recently, while riding a lightweight Pinarello F10 on the 10-mile commute between my home and office, a middle-aged man in work boots and overalls blew by me like I was standing still, and it brought a big smile to my face. Like many of you, I’m …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS I felt a twinge in my right leg this week when I read 4-time Tour de France Champion Chris Froome crashed and broke his femur. I broke my femur in the winter of 1986, and although every fracture, surgery, and recovery is unique, there’s no getting around the …
By Chris Carmichael CTS Founder and Chief Endurance Officer Gravel racing is a great combination of personal challenge, tough competition, inclusive community, and long-range fun. Long endurance events require some specific mental and physical preparations. If you have a gravel race in your future, here are eight pieces of advice you should take to …
By Chris Carmichael CEO/Head Coach of CTS Economy is the most important lesson young pro cyclists learn in their first year – if they’re going to have a second year. It’s not enough to be powerful; you also have to be as frugal as possible with your energy. This was the message I drove home …