Tour de France training

Time-Crunched Cyclist Training Lessons from This Year’s Tour France

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning”, and “Ride Inside“ The 2023 Tour de France was one of the most riveting editions in recent memory. Amateur and Time-Crunched Cyclists rightly marvel at the power, resilience, and speed of top pros, but typically find their training and racing exploits …

masters takeaways

Tour de France Takeaways for Masters and Grand Masters Cyclists

  By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Chief Endurance Officer The 2023 Tour de France has been one of the most thrilling editions in my memory. The performances, rivalry, and respect between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar were great to watch. Jasper Phillipsen’s power in the sprint stages has been remarkable. And it’s been exciting to …

improve cycling fitness

10 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Cycling Fitness

  By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach, co-author of “Ride Inside“, “The Time-Crunched Cyclist”, and “Training Essentials for Ultrarunning” Cycling is one of the most adaptable and accessible forms of exercise on the planet. Pedaling is a low-impact, joint-friendly activity. Expansive gear ranges and electric assist bicycles make steep hills and longer distances accessible for more …

training mistakes

Tapering and What to Do the Week Before Your Cycling Race

  Training can be a lot like drinking: to have a great time you need to know when to stop. In the taper week leading up to a race or event, athletes can do more to undermine their training than they can to enhance it. Yet, just like that “one more” drink, it’s the prospect …

save your gravel race

How to Save Your Gravel Race When Things Go Wrong

By Reid Beloni, CTS Senior Coach There are a lot of Murphy’s Law moments in gravel racing, so we need to talk about crisis management, or what to do when things go wrong. Anticipating and planning solutions for what could go wrong creates the greatest chance of success. Particularly in long races, athletes who can …

weeknight criterium

Weeknight Criterium Tips for Time-Crunched Cyclists

  Amateur criterium racing is not dead, it’s just moved from weekends to weeknights. Based on the activities and feedback we’re seeing from CTS Athletes, the after-work criterium scene may be stronger than it’s been in a decade or more! And it’s no wonder. There are three new elite-level criterium series – the American Criterium …

back-to-back long rides

Tips on Back-to-Back Long Rides for Time-Crunched Cyclists

Back-to-back long rides can be massively beneficial for all cyclists, and especially Time-Crunched Cyclists. However, they must be executed correctly. Too many riders ruin their back-to-back rides by going too hard, under-fueling, and making other silly mistakes. Everything you do before, during, and after a long ride today affects performance tomorrow. And these mistakes amplify …

Time-Crunched Cyclist Parents’ Guide to Cycling Success

  Balancing a career, home life, and training can be difficult. Adding children to the mix further increases the degree of difficulty (and joy). For Time-Crunched Cyclist Parents, creativity and flexibility are essential for success – defined as the ability to continue achieving your competitive or non-competitive sporting goals. CTS has coached Time-Crunched Cyclist Parents …