Just a reminder, in case you missed my first article: at the end of June, I’ll be taking on the TOUR Transalp 3-Day Challenge. Three stages through East Tyrol and the Dolomites, around 350 kilometres and 6,000 metres of climbing, with passes such as the Staller Sattel and the Passo Giau. After a year in which I’ve barely been on my bike due to injuries. Sounds like a crazy idea? Perhaps. But that’s exactly why I’m doing it.
The question remains: how does one prepare for something like that? And that’s where it gets interesting.
The training session that wasn't really a training session
To be honest, my training wasn’t very structured. I got on my road bike twice. The rest: gravel riding, a few intervals, and the odd session on the smart bike here and there. No traditional training plan with a weekly structure, workload management and clearly defined blocks. More like whatever I could fit in between work and sleep.
By far the most useful part of my preparation wasn't a training session, but a holiday.
Eight days in the mountains instead of a training plan
For a week, I was out and about in the Alps on my gravel bike with my bikepacking gear – it was planned as a holiday, not as training. And yet that’s exactly what it turned out to be. From Tyrol through Switzerland to Italy, over mountain passes day after day. The figures speak for themselves: my ‘Queen’s Stage’ covered over 3,000 metres of climbing – that’s what they call the toughest stage of a race; in men’s racing, it’s the ‘King’s Stage’. On several other days I covered well over 1,500 metres. All in all, around 9,700 metres of climbing in a week – with luggage, on gravel, often in 38 °C heat.
It wasn’t interval training. But it was exactly what my legs – and even more so my mind – needed three days before the cycle race: hours in the saddle, elevation gain, and the conviction that I could do it. I recharged my self-confidence. The fact that my legs felt almost fresh every day did make me pause – but in a positive way. It didn’t bother me; it just pushed me on and convinced my mind once again of my body’s capabilities. Anyone who’s ever cycled in the mountains for several days in a row knows this: you simply can’t replicate that feeling of your body keeping up day after day on a trainer.
After the tour, it was clear: I’m in good shape, and above all, I believe in myself. For the first time in a long while, I felt: I can do this.
And then the plan got in the way
Ten days before the start, I had to have a mole removed. Nothing serious, but enough to force me to take a break from sport. Of all times, right at the stage when you’re supposed to be giving it your all.
I’d expected to be off sport for three or four days. So I was a bit taken aback when it turned out it would be longer. The doctor said: 14 days. I said: I’ve got a cycle race in ten days’ time.
Then she explained it to me in more detail. In theory, I could cycle again tomorrow – but sweat can cause inflammation, so it’s better to take a few days’ break. And if you start cycling again after ten days, you risk the scar not healing properly. I thought to myself: Luckily, it’s at the back of my shoulder blade. I never see that anyway.
So: Tapering deluxe – though not entirely by choice.
To be honest, that’s not the worst-case scenario. After a demanding week in the mountains, recovery is what makes the body stronger anyway. The trick is not to get in the way of the whole process. Perhaps I’ll throw in a few single-leg squats and split squats to keep the muscles active and give the body a bit of a workout – but carefully, without working up too much of a sweat, so that the scar can heal in peace. It’s also handy that it’s no longer 30 degrees – less sweating, less risk.
Speaking of the weather
There’s no reliable forecast ten days out yet – but the typical June weather pattern in the Dolomites is fairly predictable: summery warmth, plenty of sunshine, plus the risk of cumulus clouds building up in the afternoon and the odd thunderstorm breaking out. In the mountains, things can change quickly. So I’m holding off on my final packing list for now. But one thing is certain: sun cream and a rain jacket will be in my bag. I use sun cream every day, and I’m taking the rain jacket with me so it doesn’t rain. With this weather and this backdrop, it’s easy for me to look forward to it – and perhaps you’ll feel the same way as you read this.
Ready? Not quite. But I’m looking forward to it.
If this were a standard training plan, it would say: all boxes ticked, perfectly prepared. That’s not the case. But I’ve got the altitude in my legs, a mind that’s ready for a challenge again, and a bike that suits me.
It all kicks off in a week. Let's see how my legs feel.
Now it's your turn
Have you ever taken part in the TOUR Transalp – or is it still on your to-do list? I’d love to hear about your experiences, tips and stories in the comments. And who knows, maybe we’ll even bump into each other along the route. Are you taking part this year?
If you haven’t registered yet but reading this has made you fancy giving it a go yourself: there are still last-minute places available for the TOUR Transalp. Click here to register.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
