Developing the necessary bike handling skills to feel comfortable within a big bunch and allow you to descend mountain passes quickly and safely will be very important for a successful and enjoyable Etape – particularly for those of you who are relatively new to cycling.
At this time of year two opportunities arise to really develop these skills: the local chaingang and the warm weather training camp.
The chaingang is a UK cycling tradition and now the clocks have changed they are starting to spring up throughout the country. They might take the form of organised club events open to members of that club, or a less formal event in a town or city known simply as ‘the chaingang’. Either way, they often occur on a midweek evening or weekend morning and you should be able to find one near you.
These are fast group rides but there will often be different groups for different abilities, so if you’re uncertain on how you’ll fare then take some advice from other local riders and find a group suitable for your level (though, of course, there’s also no harm in pushing yourself).
As well as being a great workout in their own right with plenty of zone four and five work interspersed with a few calmer periods (or not, depending on who turns up!), the chaingang is a great place to develop group riding skills and practice riding close to other riders in a fast-moving bunch.
“But the Etape is not a race,” you might say, and you’d be right, but the sheer number of riders starting out together means that at least until it all spreads out up that first climb, you’ll be surrounded by hundreds of other riders. That can be a pretty daunting prospect if you’ve never ridden in a big group before, so start off gently, get some rides in with your local club if you haven’t before and look to join in your local chaingang once you’re confident in your skills.
As well as at the start of the Etape, if you’re lucky you’ll find yourself in a decent sized group in the valley roads in between the main climbs. Being in a good group can save you an enormous amount of energy so getting comfortable riding close to others at high speeds is a must if a fast finishing time is your goal.
Finally, let’s consider how you can make the most of a training camp if you’re heading abroad.
