Surviving Short Stage Races and Omniums

Andy Applegate

Stage races and omniums differ from single day races in that they consist of two or more races that are combined for a cumulative time or accumulated points to determine the overall outcome of the event. Training for and racing these events involves some unique training, tactical and recovery techniques that are a bit different than most one day race strategies. Let’s examine some ideas that will help the chance of success when competing in these types of events.

Preparation:

As with any important single day race, learning as much as possible about courses, competition and past results will serve you well. If the event is going to be a high priority or goal race, you will want to tailor your training to address the specific abilities needed to be successful in the competition. In general, many timed stage races require excellent time trailing and climbing abilities. Omniums, which are usually scored on points, are determined by race placings regardless of the time separating riders as they cross the finish line. These events often favor the fast finishing abilities of sprinters. Along with the race for the “overall” prize of the general classification (GC) there is the possibility of winning individual stages, or inter-race competitions such as sprint, or King/Queen of the Mountains classifications.

 Once you have decided to put a multi stage race on your calendar, it is important to formulate some personal and team goals going into the competition. Is the race going to serve as training for a later goal? Are you going for a high GC finish, or are you tying for a stage victory or a points classification? Any of these are valid goals, should be determined in advance, and discussed with teammates. We could write an entire book on stage race tactics alone, but be aware that the tactics employed by teams and individual racers during multi stage events will be quite different than single day races. Riders or teams will try to defend their GC positions, or attack in specific places to try to gain time or points. Remember to race to your strengths and take advantage of tactical features of the course and situations that will be to your advantage. While you should have some solid tactical goals going into the race, flexibility will be an important component. After each stage you should re-evaluate your goals and tactics, forming new ones if appropriate. An example of this might be if a team or rider misses an important break away that gains several minutes in a timed event. This might preclude the racer or team from expecting a high GC finish, but may allow more freedom in an attempt to gain a stage victory. The scenarios are endless. Try to imagine as many different situations as you can. Imagine how different teams or individuals will respond to these situations, and formulate plans on how you or your team should react. The more possibilities you think about and discuss before hand, the less likely any surprises will occur.

Training:

When preparing for a two day event, even if there are three stages involved, you will not need to alter your normal training plan too much. Since most road racers have experience racing Saturday and Sunday many weeks of the season you should be accustomed to back to back race days. The only issue you might want to address is doing two stages in one day. This can be accomplished by trying some two-a-day workouts. One idea might be to do a hard group ride in the morning, recover for an hour or two, then, do a time trial type effort workout in the afternoon. Try to emulate the race situation as much as possible, including between stage recovery techniques.

 Training in preparation for races lasting longer than three days becomes a little more involved. To prepare for numerous days of back to back racing you may want to incorporate some “block training” into your program. Block training is when you do several days of high volume and/or intense training in a row. Again, trying to emulate race conditions as much as possible will help you be prepared for the specific stresses of the race. It is important to also note that block training consisting of more than two days of hard training in a row will require a block of recovery as well. Usually two full days of recovery are necessary after three or four hard days. Don’t neglect the recovery! Try to have any block training completed at least 10 to 14 days before the race.

 The level of importance of the race will determine how you approach the training schedule leading up to it. If the race is two or three days long and is not a high priority for you, no major changes to the training schedule will be necessary. However, if the race is important or if it is longer than three days, setting up a training schedule that will include a taper and peak will be desired. If the event is just a step on the way to a bigger goal down the road, you might want to set up a “mini taper” especially if it is a long or very demanding race. A full taper and peak usually consists of two weeks of tapering, followed by a race week. For a mini taper you can include one “taper” week and the race week. Taper weeks should be lower volume than regular hard training weeks, but include a significant amount of intensity. The efforts of the intense workouts during these weeks should be intervals between 15 seconds and 3 minutes long. Avoid scheduling prolonged efforts above Lactate Threshold during this time.

Recovery and Nutrition:

The more days or race starts involved in the event, the more important recovery becomes. In fact, for longer stage races it is not only the strongest rider who wins, but the rider who recovers more completely between stages and is most consistent. Recovery strategies during stage races are an absolutely critical component to performing well. Recovery includes proper nutrition and hydration strategies, getting adequate amounts of sleep, using muscle recovery techniques such as massage and hydrotherapy, mental recovery and general physical rest such as staying off your feet when possible. Try utilizing the following ideas: Upon completion of a stage, immediately begin rehydrating and taking in a recovery drink. Optimally this should be done while on an easy cool down spin of 15-20 minutes. As soon as you get off the bike, try to relax physically and mentally as much as possible. Get off of your feet quickly. The next step is to plan your between or post stage meal. It is best to have this meal as soon after the previous stage as possible and hopefully at least 2.5-3 hours before the next stage. The goal of this meal is to replenish your glycogen stores as quickly and completely as possible before the next race. During multi stage events this replenishment of glycogen and hydration levels is absolutely crucial for recovery. Be sure to eat foods your body is used to. If there is ample time between stages, taking a nap can be excellent for recovery. At eh end of the day or even between stages on the same day try taking a shower alternating warm and cold water on your legs. The warm water increases blood flow, while the cold helps flush blood containing waste products from your muscles. Always end with the cold cycle. Soaking in a cool swimming pool can accomplish the same result. If you don’t have access to a shower or pool, try lying down and elevating your legs above your heart for about 15 minutes. If you have access to a massage therapist between stages take advantage of their services. If not, spend some time massaging your own legs and stretching.

race week training schedule examples

Weekend 2 day Omnium

Mon     recovery ride 1 hour or day off

Tues     taper reps

Wed     endurance ride

Thur     easy

Fri        pre-race ride

Sat       race

Sun      race

3 Day Stage Race

Mon easy

Tues taper reps

Wed easy

Thurs pre race

Fri-sun race

5 Day Stage Race (2 week schedule)

Mon easy

Tues hard

Wed endurance

Thurs hard

Fri easy

Sat race or group

Sun taper reps

Mon easy

Tues pre-race

Wed-sun race

Andy Applegate heads a2 coaching and is an elite-level road, cyclo-cross, and mountain bike racer. He is also a USA Cycling and Ultrafit-certified coach. He may be reached at aapplegate@ultrafit.com. For more information check out www.a2coaching.com.

originally published VeloNews Spring 2005