The coaching team at EPiC is made up of a ex racing cyclists combined with a sports science element in our resident sports scientist Alex Gould. Alex studied a degree in Sports Science and a Masters degree in human & applied physiology.We use lots of different information to carry out effective coaching. Rider data files including power data cadence and speed. Daily rider metrics generated via Whoop and or Garmin wrist straps, we analyse this data using training peaks and WKO 5.
We realise that one size doesn’t fit all. We always create bespoke programmes for every rider to make the best use of time and optimise rider potential.
A part of how we help you achieve your goals is by listening to you. We communicate with you to set your goals and integrate a manageable training programme into your current lifestyle.
Recording of training data is an excellent form of feedback but it does not tell us everything. Direct communication is invaluable. Regular communication is an integral part of our training packages
Rider Progression
Making sure that what you do in a race situation counts. Coaching is about more than just a training plan. When required, especially for a racing cyclists formative years of racing we like to brief and de brief around racing to discuss racing technique and perfect the art of being effective and making every move count
This seems incredibly obvious and for some riders this isn’t a problem. A lot of riders however do doubt their own ability. Why wouldn’t you? The average odds of winning any UK road race are approximately 80/1.
We help riders to develop this ability by occasionally going into races with particular goals to achieve during the race which don’t necessarily involving a result. In fact worrying about gaining a result- top five -top ten or twenty can seriously inhibit riding well and create a very reserved rider who always wishes they had done more in the race. We help the rider build confidences that they can race effectively, attack, have the confidence that they will able to recover in the bunch after efforts and not get dropped if they do get caught ready to go again.
This is quite possibly the most important part of racing at an amateur level. A lot of newer riders into the sport now only have an understanding of how to race from watching racing on TV. Domestic racing couldn’t be further from professional classics racing in terms of team riding. It isn’t about team orders, sitting on the front and driving into a cross wind, driving a race up a climb as a team. These are all romantic notions to see all of the team on the front but wholly inefficient and a guaranteed way of “burning all your matches” in the lower categories of racing.
Good tactical ability is about learning how the race reacts at what part or point during the race and understanding group mentality and psychology. The group of riders in a race almost become one living breathing body that thinks and feels very similarly. At numerous points during the race it will get hard and eventually it will snap and the break will go. If your one of the riders that attacked early on and made it hard- or made the attack just before the break went…then you’ve wasted some of your valuable power. A tactically savvy rider will make two hard efforts during a race. one to get in the break and one to win the sprint from the break. Some riders will say that certain riders are lucky and get in all the moves. There is no such thing as repetitive good luck in racing, these are all sound racing decisions made through good judgement and learning.