Reviewing the December Training Course with Théo Ouvrard, Performance Director

“The aim of this first December course is to complete the foundations laid by the riders over the winter. This year, we were grouped together near Valencia, in Castellón to be precise. There were riders from the UCI WorldTour structure and those from the continental development team. We were able to do a lot, with some initial efforts made. There were sprint workshops with introductory sessions with Arnaud Démare, time-trial work with a view to the time-trial stage scheduled for the next Paris-Nice, with a lot of emphasis on the technical side of the exercise. The group taking part in the Santos Tour Down Under, Torquay Race and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Australia were a little further ahead in their training sessions than the riders resuming the season on the Old Continent. Their course was more akin to the one scheduled for January, with race-level intensities, for example. They worked on acclimatization to the heat, with sauna and home-trainer sessions in the heat and humidity, and the very last phase will be to gradually adjust to the time difference between Europe and Australia, which is very important. The entire WorldTour team trained for 29 and a half hours throughout the course.

In this candid interview with Théo Ouvrard, Performance Director, we gain insights into the recent December training course for the riders. Ouvrard delves into the areas of focus for the riders, from technical training to acclimatization activities. The rigorous training schedule and specialized sessions give a glimpse into the preparations for the upcoming events.