Warming up
Warming up
Anybody who watched an elite criterium race last year – for example, the Matrix Fitness GP Series, London Nocturne or the RideLondon Grand Prix – will likely have seen Roe hitting it hard on the rollers pre-race.
With little time to settle into a race once the flag has dropped, the Scottish ace says it’s an essential part of her race-day routine, bringing her legs up to speed – something she has carried over from experience on the track.
She explains: “I like to have a really good warm-up for criterium racing because the race is usually on right from the gun. “If your legs aren’t warm then you’re already at a disadvantage. I like to do at least 20 minutes on the rollers, which is an old thing I picked up from racing on the track with Scottish Cycling.
“You are just bringing your heart rate up gradually, and then sitting at your optimum [race] level for a couple of minutes. I personally end with three sprints at the end of my warm-up, of six seconds each – just short, sharp efforts to get your legs going – and then five minutes to cool off.”