Another tip I always give is to just go out and ride hills – the only way to improve on climbs is to get out and ride them.

If you’re grinding up a short, steep climb, or on one of the long ascents in the UK which takes 15-20 minutes, it’s more of an effort and better training than just riding around flat roads all day. Otherwise you’re not getting a great session unless you’re really hammering yourself or using a power meter to check your wattage.

I always used to get back to Belgium after a period of training in Ireland a lot stronger than when I left – it’s all about training on the hard climbs. The descents, too – they are not exactly motor pacing, but if you can take them at a good speed, get a good cadence then you are getting good speed into your legs.