#318 ‒ Cycling phenom and Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar reveals his training strategies, on-bike nutrition, and future aspirations

1. Evaluate Setbacks for Growth

After experiencing frustration or a setback, take time to evaluate what went wrong, identify specific mistakes, and determine what you can do better in the future to improve.

2. Balanced Nutrition Approach

Avoid overly restrictive diets by allowing occasional ‘bad food’ in moderation and at appropriate times, as extreme restriction can lead to cravings and an unhealthy relationship with food.

3. Simulate Race Conditions

To prepare for a race, identify similar terrain near home and perform repetitions of efforts (e.g., climbs) matching the race’s demands and duration, simulating the race as closely as possible.

4. Multi-Metric Training Assessment

To accurately assess your training zones and how you feel, combine data from heart rate, power meters, and speed, as well as your perceived effort, rather than relying on a single metric.

5. Prioritize Zone 2 Rides

Dedicate significant training time to long, steady Zone 2 rides, especially on flat terrain, to build endurance and aerobic capacity.

6. Train Gut for Carbs

To consume high amounts of carbohydrates (e.g., 120g/hour) without stomach problems, gradually train your gut and use nutrition products with a good ratio of glucose, fructose, and other quality ingredients.

7. Implement Core Training

To enhance overall strength and performance, integrate core training exercises into your routine, supplementing on-bike training with off-bike strength work.

8. Practice Heat Training

If you struggle with performance in super hot conditions, incorporate heat training sessions, such as overheating the body on a home trainer, to adapt and improve your ability to perform in the heat.

9. Process Defeat with Support

When facing defeat or disappointment, acknowledge your feelings but accept what cannot be changed, and seek support from your team or close ones, as their emotional and physical help can aid in processing the setback.

10. Adjust Carb Intake by Intensity

During cycling races, aim for approximately 120 grams of carbohydrates per hour for hard stages and 60 to 90 grams per hour for easier stages to maintain energy levels.

11. Adjust Zone 2 for Fatigue

Be aware that your effective Zone 2 power output can decrease over very long rides; for sustained efforts (e.g., five hours on flat), consider dropping your power to avoid excessive fatigue for the next day’s training.

12. Reduce Race Pressure

To perform optimally under pressure, ensure thorough preparation (e.g., recon the parcours) and cultivate a relaxed, stress-free mindset, allowing you to ‘just roll with it’.

13. Cautious HRV Tracking

While tracking heart rate variability (HRV) can be useful, avoid checking it immediately before a race or critical training session, as a low reading can be misleading and negatively impact your mindset and performance. Review it post-event instead.

14. Seasonal Strength Training

Continue strength training for key muscle groups (legs, core, glutes, hips) throughout the season, adjusting the weight or intensity to complement your primary sport-specific training.

15. Varied Off-Season Activity

During the off-season, take short breaks from structured training (e.g., three days of nothing), but also engage in other enjoyable sports and activities to stay active and prevent boredom, before resuming specific training.

16. Recognize Nutritional Limits

Understand that during periods of extreme physical exertion and high power output, it’s impossible to consume enough food to fully replace the energy expended, even with good nutritional planning.

17. Seize Win Opportunities

Don’t overthink future wins; instead, if you feel good and enjoy the process, take every opportunity to win when it presents itself, as you never know when your last win will be.