Zachary M.

Darnell
UWRT 1103-037
October 22, 2014

Its All in the Preparation:

Preparation Strategies of Cyclists
Introduction/Background
Lance Armstrong, the first name most Americans think when they hear anything about
the sport of cycling. They dont think about the fact that he won the most Tour de France
titles, but that he was caught for using performance enhancing drugs (also known as doping).
There was a whole decade that about every year there was another doping scandal and another
one of the top cyclists were on the news, being suspended from the sport for doping. This is the

Commented [ZD1]: The introduction doesnt present a

clear view of what the paper is going to be about. First
it is talking about Lance and doping but then goes to
legal training as well as testing. Its okay to have all
this in the intro just try to add in a few sentences stating
what your paper will reflect.. (Jared Yantosik)
Commented [ZD2]: I like the background information
about drugs and lance armstrong. This is a great way
to start off your introduction with your background
information because the concept of drugs within spots
is a very controversial topic that catches peoples
interest. Since Lance Armstrong is a very famous
athlete the opening paragraph is very captivating.
(Young Jung)

perception that many people around the world have about cycling, that it is a sport where
cheating is a common practice and where no one races honestly. There is some truth to the
public opinion, but it is not the whole truth, the tides are beginning to turn. The recent events of
cycling have opened the door for many younger cleaner cyclist who are against doping.
Hopefully that trend will continue and doping can be completely removed from the sport, but
that hope has been going on for decades.
Doping has gone on in the sport of cycling for more than 50 years, and professional
cycling has only been around for about 100 years. So it is safe to say, that doping has been part
of cycling for about as long as most cyclists can remember. Although it wasnt outlawed when it
started, rules were soon made to prevent it from happening. This didnt stop riders from doping,
it just required them to hide their doping from the authorities. Riders said that the Tour de

Commented [ZD3]: I like how you put a twist into the

intro. Stating how Lance is known for drugs rather than
cycling really throws the readers off and keeps their
attention. Theyd never think that thats what the paper
would be about when they read the first sentence.
(Jared Yantosik)
Commented [ZD4]: I would like to know what kind of
drugs they are using in their sport. I know with baseball
they take various kinds to do various things. Is there a
main one that everyone is caught with? I just think it
would be an interesting fact to add in the introduction.
(Andrew Dahl)
Commented [ZD5]: doping has always been a part of
of racing but what if everyone is doping? Does it give
the edge that people need if everyone is doing it? I
think it would be interesting to question the ethical
morality of using steroids when everyone is using them.
(Young Jung)
Commented [ZD6]: Do you think it would be
interesting to have doping be legal? Or maybe have a
separate league for those who have doped? I think that
would be a cool idea, it may draw more attention to
cycling. (Andrew Dahl)

France was so hard that they felt they had to dope just to finish. This was the mindset of a
majority of the riders in the peloton. The tests for drugs got better, so the riders had to get better
at hiding it. Testing used to only occur at races but now professional racers have to be tested at

Commented [ZD7]: Something that i would likes to

see in your research is how doping has changed
cycling throughout history. Such as when they made
the use of steroids illegal and who was the first one to
be tested for it. Some history dealing with cycling will
also be a great way to create an in depth essay.
(Young Jung)

regular intervals throughout the year, whether they are competing in races or not. This process
of testing and riders trying to beat tests has been going on since the tests started but for once, the
tests may be catching up.
There are also other strategies that dont involve cheating. Different training practices
are used by individual riders and also by teams to best prepare their riders for a race. Riders also
have nutrition and other methods to prepare themselves mentally and physically for races.

Commented [ZD8]: There are training methods for

cyclist and eating methods that help them get into
shape for the race. how much time does a cyclist
practice everyday for an event like this? How does
practice like this affect them as a person and social
life? there are the questions that arose when i read
about the intensive training that the riders go though
preparing for this event. (Young Jung)

Professional riders have hired nutritionists and coaches to help them eat correctly and train in the
best way. Amateurs may at best have teammates that can pass some knowledge and experience
on, but they have to do most of it for themselves, while also having a full time job. They use a
combination of these things throughout the season to be in the best shape for their objectives.
Which for the professionals could be the Tour de France, but for the amateurs could be a local
race that they like. My interest in this comes from my personal experience in cycling and the
strategies of preparing for races. I would like to show how preparation strategies are used at an
amateur level.
Literature Review
Most of the time, when cycling is in the media, it has something to do with a doping
scandal. Whether it be a new one coming up or discussion of something that happened with
Lance Armstrong, it seems that the public image of cycling is being harmed one way or another.
(Goldman 2012) In the most famous bicycle race, the Tour de France, doping has had a major
influence on the race for many years. Better testing and policies are being developed as a way to

Commented [ZD9]: You also dont state your bias or

connection to the topic anywhere. This info is
important so that the reader can pick up on bias and
decide on their own opinion. It is also important to let
the reader know why you chose this topic so that they
can see the connection between the author and the
information in the paper. (Jared Yantosik)
Commented [ZD10]: I think that stating the impact that
doping has had on cycling really helps to show the
reader the severity of it. They may not think much of it
until they see the impact it has had such as losing fans,
teams and sponsors. You may also add the effects of
doping on the rider in particular in this area also to give
the reader a better understanding of what it really is
and what it does. In this section you could also explain
why doping is bad for the sport and why it is banned.
(Jared Yantosik)
Commented [ZD11]: I agree with your statement
about the image of cycling is being harmed in the
media. It is one of the toughest sports, where you have
to be in extreme shape but the media only talks about
the drugs. I would like to see more of it on ESPN, the
only name I know is Lance Armstrong and thats
because of LiveStrong and the drugs. (Andrew Dahl)
Commented [ZD12]: While Drugs affect american
athletes what about people from other countries? While
races such as tour de france they take steroids
seriously what about races that only take place within
their own county. Do other countries reinforce this drug
policy like the United states?
(Young Jung)

catch more riders for doping and therefore keep riders from doping, but there are still many
riders that dope. (Keaten 2014) Riders dope for many different reasons. Some dope because they
feel like they have to in order to be good enough to keep their jobs. Others just want to get the
last edge that they need to be a top tier rider, or to win the race that they want to, and they will do
whatever they can to get to where they want to be. Whatever their reason for doping, the
practice appears to be slowly working its way out of the sport. (Aschwanden 2009) Doping has
significantly decreased the amount of sponsors and the overall outlook on the sport of cycling.
Several sponsors have left teams after riders on the teams were suspended for doping. Many
teams have ceased to exist because they could not find enough sponsors to keep their team alive,
not solely because of doping, but doping is a major factor in this. (Farrand 2007) Doping has
been and still might be a common practice in professional cycling, even though the governing
organizations of cycling are trying to eliminate it from the sport.
There are also other ways that riders prepare for their races. One of the ways that they
prepare is by utilizing training routines. Their routines, just before a race, train the rider in a
specific area that will help them the most in the race. Also, further in advance, riders train in
their specialization to improve that or in their weaknesses if they are looking to become a better
all-round rider. (Friel 2013) Some teams train together in groups and have training camps where
the teams take the riders to some exotic place and train for a week or two. Other training
practices utilize a specific location to train. It is proven that training at a high altitude soon
before a major endurance event improves performance. (Hood 2014) Training plays a major role
in a riders fitness, and, therefore, their performance at a race.
Another strategy for improving performance is through the use of nutrition habits and
planning. Nutrition is used before a race to fuel training and to shed any excess fat that would

negatively affect performance. A pre-race nutrition plan could range from as specific as a daily
food and drink specific chart to as generic as a calorie and carbohydrate goal. (Ryan 2007)
Nutrition is also very important during races, especially 3 week races, like the Tour de France.
Basically all teams, in the Tour de France, have their own team chefs that prepare food for their
riders with specific qualities in each food that will help fuel the riders, for when the riders are off
the bike. Consuming food and drink while on the bike is just as important to performance, if not
more important, than off the bike. The teams had out water and sports drink mixes throughout
the race to keep riders hydrated, as well as energy bars, energy gels, and other food items to keep
their energy high. (Bland 2014) Nutrition is a very important part of preparation strategy for
cycling, along with training. Preparation is vital to succeed in any activity, but it is especially
important in cycling.
Entering the conversation:
In the sport of cycling, most of the issues that affect professional cyclists also affect
amateur cyclists. Whether it is equipment changes, doping, or different training practices, things
that begin with the professionals usually trickle down to the amateurs. The effects of and
outlook on preparation strategies are well documented in professional cycling, but these things
have not been documented in the amateur ranks. I would like to propose a study on amateur
cyclists in the area of preparation strategies. Seeing the viewpoint of the average cyclist on
issues, such as doping and well as other strategies, would help all those involved in the sport and
also give the public a better view of the sport as a whole.
The subjects of this study should be amateur cyclists that race at least 2 times per month
(during race season). They should have been racing for at least 3 years. The sample should
consist of 100 individuals who are passionate about cycling. The data could be collected at local

races, where there would be an abundance of good candidates. These candidates would respond
to a few polls and also answer a series of interview questions. The study would consist of a
combination of poll questions and interview questions.
The interview questions that would be asked would be about the topics of the riders preparation
for the races that they compete in. Another topic would be pertaining to how they thought that
doping effected their racing and the view of the sport of cycling. There should be questions
about nutrition and training and how those things were used leading up to their races. The poll
questions should address areas in these topics with simpler answers that could be narrowed down
to a few possible answers to make results easier to tally.
Some examples of interview questions that could be used are things such as, How does your
diet change while you are preparing for a race? Another example would be, How do you think
that the presence of doping in the professional peloton has affected racing on your level? Poll
questions could be something like, What does your riding schedule look like the day before a
race? The possible answers would be, No riding, short easy ride, short moderate ride, or long
easy ride. These questions would get at the basic practices used by the individual racers to
prepare for races. These are a few examples of the types of questions that would be asked to the
participants.
The results should look at the answers of the polls as well as the answers to the interview
questions to determine what the most common practices are when it comes to preparation for
races. Also, the polls will give statistics that can easily be used to show the difference (or lack
thereof) in the opinions of the professionals and the amateurs. This study should show that there
is much diversity in the tactics cyclists use to prepare for races. The results should also show

how that doping is looked upon by the by the average cyclist. The results will reflect the
opinions of cyclists as a whole not just the limited community of professional cyclists.
Conclusion/So-What?
I hope that this study will show how that preparation strategies are used at an amateur
level. The study should show how that amateur riders view doping and how that they use tactics
for preparation that the professionals used. The study should also show how that amateur cyclist
have more difficulty in areas such as nutrition, and also that they do some training practices
differently than the professionals do.
This look into the cycling lives of amateur cyclists would give a better look at how the
majority of cyclist view things. It could help amateur cyclists look more at what the
professionals do and learn some things from them to implement in their preparation. It could also
help professionals by seeing how the amateur view and do things. The overall opinion that the
public has of cycling should not be of the professionals that get paid to compete in the sport. The
opinion should be formed based on the attitude and practices of the people that compete and
rides bikes because it is something they enjoy doing. If you want the real spirit of cycling, go
out to a race on a Tuesday night and see a hundred or so cyclists out there racing, each of them
trying to win, that is what cycling is all about.
Other areas of professional cycling compared to amateur cycling could be studied. Areas
that would be useful could be teamwork, the races themselves, organizations, and cycling clubs.
It would also be good to study amateur racers in other parts of the world, so you dont just get a
view of the American cycling. It would help to study in a place that is more passionate about
cycling as a whole than America is such as Spain, France, or Italy. Studying both sides of
cycling helps broaden the outlook of cycling and hopefully show what is to come. The future of

Commented [ZD13]: Your conclusion does a good job

of stating what the paper was about. You may want to
add something about how today riders are trying to use
the alternative techniques such as training and
nutrition. This would hopefully give inspiration to
readers and amateurs to stay away from doping since
they can see that they can still be successful without it.
(Jared Yantosik)
Commented [ZD14]: I like your conclusion as well. It
gives a good summary of everything talked about in the
paper and it transitions pretty well from the entering the
conversation. Maybe one thing that should be added is
some questions or leading ideas to keep the
conversation going. (Andrew Dahl)

cycling isnt in the professionals. The future of cycling is in the hearts and minds of the average
racing cyclist.

Commented [ZD15]: One thing that I think would be a

good piece to add to the conversation is the evolution
of cycling. How has it changed over the years? Do you
think it needs to change more? What could make it
more interesting in a modern world that expects
nothing but entertainment?(Andrew Dahl)

References
Aschwanden, Christie. 2009. "To Dope or Not to Dope."
Bland, Alastair. 2014. "The Epic 2,200-Mile Tour de France is Also a Test of Epic Eating."
Darnell, Zachary. 2014. "Assignment One." Observation.
Farrand, Stephen. 2007. "Tour de France: The Race, the Sport and the Fans."
Friel, Joe. 2013. "How to properly train for a hilly race."
Goldman, Tom. 2012. "Lance Armstrong and the Business of Doping."
Hood, Andrew. 2014. "Kittel, Degenkolb search for form at altitude before Tour."
Keaten, James. 2014. "5 things to know about doping at the Tour de France."
Ryan, Moniques. 2007. "Nutrition planning for an important race."