Speaker 1: Our friends at GCN Espanol have been in the Tour Colombia, asking the pros
how did they prepare for a race at altitude? Over to you, Mayalen.
Mayalen: Is it your first time in Colombia? Robin Carpenter: No, this is my third time
here. I did two training camps here with the United Healthcare team, and I raced the Ori
Paz race two years ago. It's almost awesome to come back here. The fans are insane.
Oliver Behringer: The first time in Colombia, yes. The first time actually this high for
a race, but I've been to altitude before obviously for training, even for racing. I think there's
a little different here in Colombia, it's a lot higher than what we did before but the
stuff we do keeps the same. Patrick Schelling: Yes. It feels special.
It's a new experiment like. It's completely different. I hope that in the next weeks,
I will benefit from it. Mayalen: How do you prepare for altitude racing?
Oliver: We have been with the team here for quite a few days now, and of course we still
feel the altitude, but I think key is to stay in altitude for as long as possible in front
of the race, to take it really easy, to let the body adapt to the altitude. Yes, of course,
you still have a disadvantage against the boys that live here, but I think the difference
gets smaller and smaller each day. I think now we are ready for the next few days to
go hard. Viesturs Luskevis: Nothing special because
before all team being in San Juan race in Argentina, and after this race, we coming
here, six-day before this race. Robin: It's been tough because we came from
Argentina before this, but it was really, really hot there, which is actually as close
as you can get to training at high altitude. It's obviously been hard coming here racing
the Colombians, but I think we're doing okay. Simon: Racing at altitude is really fickle.
I live off the half of the yearin Beijing in altitude already, so I'm used to it, but
the secret for me is to arrive pretty early up here in altitude already, and then making
some efforts already, and then taking some rest. The most important things in altitude
is the recovery, and it's really hard to recover here. The body is under pressure all the time.
For me, the secret is to arrive really well recovered on the races.
James Mitri: Normally you come a bit before the race to adapt because you need to go super
easy to keep the heart rate lower the first days to adapt good, and then you can join
normal. Jonnas Henttala: We got here a couple of days
before the race, which wasn't obviously enough. The first days we were really feeling it.
I think already yesterday, we felt a little bit better. It's just so much tougher at this
altitude. Jannik Steimle: For sure, I prepared nothing.
Yes, we only come here two weeks before, and we train really easy, but also long trainings
to be ready for the stage race here. For this attitude on 2,500 meters or 3,000 meters,
you can do not a lot in the beginning. Yes, it's really hard for us to race here.
Gerard Armillas: In theory, I should have trained at altitude, but I couldn't, so I've
come unprepared. Patrick: Yes, we are not well prepared maybe.
We were in Argentina before two weeks in the heat, but then we came here six days before
the race, so it was for sure not enough. We knew it, so it was expected that it will be
a hard race. Eduardo Corte: It's difficult, even moreso
because of the altitude. Where we train in Mexico is high, 1,200 to 1,300 meters, which
is enough to arrive prepared for the climbs. Tejay Van Garderen: There's not really much
you can do other than try to get up here a little early and get acclimated, but no amount
of time that you're able to spend here is going to acclimate you the same way the Colombians
who are born and raised and lived here for their whole lives. Can't.
Mayalen: How have you prepared for a route at high altitude.
German Gomez: For me, preparing at high altitude is the best way Preparation has to do with
intensity and strength workouts. Mayalen: Do you think Colombians have an advantage
with the altitude that they're used to? Robin: I think so. Racing in anyone's home
country, there's always a bit of an advantage. Knowing the roads, the guys didn't have to
travel as far to get here, but we race our bikes all over the world, so I think we'll
still be able to compete. Jonnas: For sure. You look at the top 20 in
the results, it's all Colombians, maybe with Alaphilippe up there. It's crazy. It takes
a while to adapt, for sure. Maybe next year, if we come here, maybe come here for two weeks
before the race. Viesturs: Yes, because Colombian race looks
like home. I feel always looks like home, and this is a big difference, yes.
Mayalen: Why do you think cycling is so important in Colombia?
Gerard: The reality is, I don't know, but the atmosphere here and the fans are incredible.
The Colombians keep getting better and are all doing really well. I think the altitude
has a big influence on their training. Lars Saugstad: Yes. Of course they have. They
are born here. Most of them are born here. For somebody who's born at sea level, it's
quite hard, but at the flat stages, we can manage. We'll see how it is in the mountains,
but we'll see. Eduardo: I've noticed that they prepare much
better. There are so many Colombian cyclists on the world tour, and the type of ground
also helps as it is hard, very high and surprising. Brandon Rivera: I think it's because there
are now more opportunities for Latin Americans. From a young age, we set short-term goals,
advancing step by step, and for that reason, we can be in important teams.
German: It's very important because Colombian cyclists have risen in many different categories.
I think it's also very important that we have a terrain where we can train at 100%.
Mayalen: This is what the riders had to say. As you could see, some could prepare for this
race, but some couldn't, because they were racing in San Juan, in Argentina. The thing
that is clear is that the Colombian riders don't feel a thing at this altitude. What
do you feel when you train at altitude? You can leave it in the comments below. Hope you
enjoyed this video as much as I enjoyed Colombia. Hasta la proxima.
[00:07:15] [END OF AUDIO]