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Winter training: tips from the pros

Four pros share advice on how to make the most of the off-season

Winter training

  • Etape Pennines, training ride, sportive, 2014, pic: Colin Henrys/Factory Media

    The stunning backdrop of the Teesdale and Weardale moors feature on the Roof of England Sportive

  • Yanto Barker, 2014, Raleigh-GAC, pic: Lloyd Images

    Yanto Barker enjoyed a fine season with Raleigh in 2014 and has joined now One Pro Cycling (Pic: Lloyd Images)

  • Grand Depart Stage 2 preview, Russell Downing, 2014, pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com

    Russell Downing uses November to get the miles in and enjoy his riding (pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

  • MikeCottyBaseTraining, pic: Deborah Malin/Media-24

    Interval sessions aren't for everyone but can be used to great effect (Pic: Deborah Malin/Media-24)

  • Grand Depart Stage 2 preview, Russell Downing, 2014, pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com

    Russell Downing ensures his rides contain a mix of both flat roads and hills (Pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

  • Madison-Genesis, Mallorca, pic: Joolze Dymond

    Madison-Genesis rider Tom Stewart is a firm believer in keeping things fun (Pic: Joolze Dymond)

  • Ian Field, 2014, pic: Balint Hamvas

    Ian Field believes cyclo-cross can have many benefits for road cyclists (Pic: Balint Hamvas)

  • Ian Field, 2014, pic: Balint Hamvas

    Field's cyclo-cross training is designed to replicate what he would otherwise be doing in a race (pic: Balint Hamvas)

  • Madison-Genesis, Mallorca, pic: Joolze Dymond

    Tom Stewart will spend time on Madison-Genesis training camps but also goes to Gran Canaria alone (Pic: Joolze Dymond)

  • Tom Stewart, 2014, pic: Tour Series

    Stewart enjoyed a successful 2014 and believes his coach has allowed him to make the most of his time in the saddle (Pic: Tour Series)

Winter training

Winter is the time to put the building blocks in place if you have big summer goals, with the off-season offering the perfect opportunity to build up fitness and form.

It’s a principle shared by amateurs and professionals alike, whether preparing for a summer of sportives or a packed racing calendar.

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With different goals for the season ahead, no one training plan is going to be the same – but many of the themes, including base miles, cross training and intervals, remain the same.

How do the pros ride through winter and what can you learn from the best in the business?

Last winter we caught up with Yanto Barker, former Team Sky man Russell Downing, and Tom Stewart to find out exactly that.

And, with cyclo-cross an increasingly popular option for road cyclists over winter, we’ve also called on British champion Ian Field (Hargroves Cycles) for some of his top tips, too.

Read on for some great advice from all four on how to train over winter.

Topics:

Winter training

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