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Training Program 4 - A Race Simulation using Argus Cycle Tour  

While many of us train and exercise for the sake of general well being and fitness, a sport like cycling is really about challenging your mates to the line. This could be on a casual weekend ride, or maybe an organised social event, with the ultimate being an actual race.

The Argus Cycle Tour caters for all types of cyclists. The survivors, the beer loving buddies, the spinning ladies, the Lance Armstrong wannabees, and of course the real hardcore racing fraternity.

So let’s race!

Using the Argus Cycle Tour route, we will reconstruct this exciting event to give you an idea as to what happens in those ridiculously fast leading groups. You can use this regime to map out a realistic training session at home.

NB Even though this is a race simulation, the emphasis on effort will be on the flats and climbs. Due to the lack of gravity on an indoor trainer, all down hills should be treated as recovery sections and the ongoing learning curve of the ability to spin your legs.

Keep your mind in race mode except for the down hills. Unless you are in the front of the group dictating the pace, then you need to be prepared to respond to everything the group throws at you.

All your heart rate limits, lack of air in your lungs and the excruciating lactic acid pain in your legs are now controlled by someone else. If you give up on any of these, the group will leave you behind and your race is over.

The hype and excitement at the beginning of the Argus Cycle Tour, with it’s 35 000+ cyclists which are split into groups of around 1500, is normally enough to give everyone an adrenalin rush of note. Remember that each and every one of the cyclists is timed, so this really is a race.

This is however not enough to prepare your legs and lungs for the 3km steady climb at the start which happens at around 30kph and on a relatively big gear. For many, this is often the hardest part of the race and the hope of finishing in your start group could end right here.

Please remember that a warm up is essential to every event!

Start, using a 53/17 gear ratio and roll out this first climb at a hard but steady pace. Stand out of the saddle and drop a gear to a 16 as the gradient increases slightly just before the bridge at the top of the climb.

Recover on the brief hospital bend downhill on a light gear.

Ride out the short incline past the University of Cape Town on about a 39/15 ratio at a reasonable but comfortable pace. Switch to the 53t chain blade as the road levels. With your trainer on an easy tension level, you should be able to turn this big gear at quite a high cadence.

Recover as the gradient drops on the left bend past the Kirstenbosch turnoff.

The following Bishops Hill climb splits into two sections. After short steep section from the bottom, it eases slightly at the next traffic light and then continues with a longer steep part till the top.

As you start the climb after the traffic light at the bottom, stand using a 53/15 ratio and ride hard to the just before the next traffic light. This short power climb is often used in an attack in the hope of splitting the group before the longer climb.

At the traffic light, sit in the saddle and switch to the 39 blade, continuing with the hard pace till the traffic light near the top.

Switch back to the 53 blade and standing, increase the pace again till you go over the top.

Recover on the downhill.

The fairly flat Blue Route after the downhill is normally extremely fast. This is more than often because the groups are large and if you stay in the slipstream it is quite easy to average around 50 kph.

Using the time trial technique, get into an aerodynamic position and roll a big gear(53/13) right through to the traffic light turnoff at the end.

The road continues on a relatively flat gradient till just after Simonstown. Most groups stay together on this stretch, as it is almost impossible to organise a successful break away.

Keeping this in mind, and using about a 53/17 or 39/15 gear ratio, try to simulate the “on and off” effect that is ever present in large groups on a flat road.

Pretend going to the front of the group and increase your pace slightly for about a minute. This increase in pace will be the effect of riding into the wind on the road.

Then slide back into the group with an easier pace for a minute. The easier effect here will be when you sit in some else’s slipstream.

Continue doing this as a long 1 minute on and 1 minute off interval session, till just after Simons Town.

The road then undulates for a short while till the start of the Smitswinkel climb. Ride as you feel comfortable on this section in preparation for the first of the big climbs of the Argus.

The beginning of the Smitswinkel climb is gradual. Climb this section on a comfortable gear using the trainer tension level for your effort. Halfway up the climb the road descends slightly. Change to the 53 blade on this descend and stand out the saddle up the last steep section of the climb. Pretend that someone has initiated a break at this point and you have to close the gap. You want to be close to max, but keep in mind that there might be a counter attack near the top, so you want to be sure to be ready to go with this one as well.

The long but gradual decline after the top of the climb, which is also the entrance to the Cape Point National Park is always fast with the wind behind you. This is also the halfway mark and even though the pace is high, this is where many cyclists tuck into food and drinks.

On the trainer this will be a recovery session.

Change back to the 53 blade when the road levels. Roll this larger gear and stand out of the saddle at every small rise in gradient till the left turn at the African Curio junction.

Recover on the downhill after the African Curio junction.

Ride the Misty cliffs section after Scarborough turning a 53/16 gear ratio at a good high cadence.

Stand out of the saddle as the gradient starts to increase. Remain standing and drop to a heavier gear sprocket, every couple of seconds till you are in your hardest gear and you go over the top.

Recover on the downhill.

Ride the Slangkop climb on a small gear using the tension setting for effort.

Recover on the downhill into Kommetjie.

Use the 53/16 big gear time trial technique again for the next flat section between Kommetjie and left turn at Sunvalley.

Staying in the same gear, stand out the saddle over any inclines.

Ride easy on a small gear on the stretch after the left turn from Sun Valley to Noordhoek and Chapmans Peak.

Chapmans Peak is also split into two sections:

On a 53/16 gear, stand and ride hard over the first steep part. This climb is excellent for an attempted breakaway so as to be in a better position for the final and long main climb.
A successful attack here could prove to be the final winning group.

After the brief recovery downhill and short flat stretch, climb the rest of Chapmans Peak on about a 39/16 ratio, but at a high tempo cadence.

Recover on the long downhill into Houtbay.

After an easy pace on the flat through Hout Bay, change to a 53/17 ratio and stand and ride hard over this short climb before the longer and famous Suikerbossie.

Should any stragglers have regrouped after the Chapmans peak climb, this short climb will be the ideal spot to launch another attack, in the hope of breaking that final straw.

The slight decline will give a brief respite for your lungs and muscles before the long and steep haul of Suikerbossie. Ride the first half quite hard using about a 39/15 gear.

Relax a bit as the incline eases around midway of the climb.

Just before the slight right hand bend near the top, change to the 53 blade and sprint to the top.

If you have not been successful in getting well away from the group at this stage, the chances are you or your group will be caught on the long downhill and flat section to the finish.

The flat road to the finish, through Clifton and Sea Point is never easy. It is fast with many desperate last attacks from the non-sprinters, hoping to get there before the kamikaze speed freaks take over.

Simulate these attacks using a series of 1minute on / 1minute off interval session till you cross the line.

Recover by spinning your lightest gear on no resistance for at least 10 minutes.