MIND GAMES
…BUT SCIENCE IS NOW UNLOCKING THE BEST MENTAL TOOLS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOU FIGHT TO THE FINISH
At the Tour de France each year, panoramic helicopter footage captures the towering Alpine climbs and on-bike cameras record the explosive attacks, but the most important feature of the race remains invisible to all: the epic battles raging within the minds of the suffering riders.
Cycling is all about the mind,” says 30-time Tour stage winner Mark Cavendish. “You have to train your brain as well as your legs.” And this is true for pro and amateur riders alike. When pain courses through your legs like snake venom, will you suppress it or succumb? When the slithering tentacles of self-doubt creep across your mind, will you banish them or sink into despair? And when your resilience wobbles with 50km to go, will the battlements of your mind hold firm, or crumble to dust?
THOUGHT POLICE
The psychology of stamina has always been the dark art of the cycling world – the most mysterious skill of all. While training blocks can be printed in ink and nutrition plans logged in digital apps, the workings of the mind are nebulous and hard to pin down. We know elite riders use psychological tricks: 2018 Tour champion Geraint Thomas breaks down long rides into
