how do pros warm up prior to a mtn stage ?

[masking_agent]

I never get a chance to see riders warm up before a mountain stage or any flat stages for that matter. I only see them warm up before TT's on a trainer. So for the mountain and longer flat stages do they use a trainer ? or do they ride part of the route ?

do they sign in ? then warm up , then return to the start line ?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I never get a chance to see riders warm up before a mountain stage or any flat stages for that matter. I only see them warm up before TT's on a trainer. So for the mountain and longer flat stages do they use a trainer ? or do they ride part of the route ?

do they sign in ? then warm up , then return to the start line ?

Vino warms up by wrestling a bear.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Andy warms up by randomly pushing buttons on his Di2 shifters.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

TGBM warms up by doing a quick couple laps... of the Earth. am i doin it rite?

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

They don't

Short answer: most simply don't warm up.

I'm not sure your post is serious or not - in part based on how Moose replied? But it seems like you've been to a pro race or two so surely you've seen that the pros simply - hang out in their bus/camper as long as possible, scoot over to sign on, mill about in the crowd a bit before rolling over to the call up and starting the race cold.

 

[Jukebox]

Andy warms up by randomly pushing buttons on his Di2 shifters.

And then plays some my little pony.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

actually this is very interesting and informative. ive been to some pro races in north america but nothing big like ToC or the big Canadian races and I too wondered how it worked on the elite'est of elite levels. makes sense I guess.

 

[hfer07]

they play "hide and seek" riding their bikes around the town/village hosting the departure

 

[Oldman]

They don't. The early break goes up the road and the domestiques warm everyone up slowly.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

They do if the road immediatly starts climbing- half hour on the rollers at low heart rate . source: a book by tom boonen

 

[DirtyWorks]

The right answer is: it depends.

One-day events, I'd assume they'd use the start of the race to warm up unless it's hilly from start. We know they ride the days before, so they should be pretty good to go at the start.

I know for 'cross riders like to do an easy ride in the morning while us amateurs are beating ourselves up. JPow said so.

Stage races, they don't warm up on non-TT stages. Except when they do.

See? Wasn't that an easy answer?

 

[ElChingon]

The warm ups I've seen are:

1. A quick wake up massage by the team car/bus, mainly get oiled up with some pre-race warm up cream/oil/whatever-they-call-it.

2. Sitting at the re-race expo area using the free phones and free internet connections.

3. Talking up the podium girls at the expo area.

4. Warm up their arms signing autographs.

5. Warm up by riding around the expo area avoiding the annoying fans/reporters wanting autographs and pictures.

6. Warming up by going in and out of the team bus due to forgetting something before they line up for the race.

7. Warming up by staying in the warm team bus on very cold days.

8. Staying in the team bus till the last possible moment, mainly the USPS/Disco teams.

9. Warming up by constantly talking on their cell phones as they walk to the team car where the bikes are.

 

[McLovin]

I know some riders have big problem finding their climbing legs, after aprox. 12 flat stages, like in Tour. I think Ullrich is best example. He allways (maybe except Arcalis) lost big time in first mountain stage: Hautacam 2000, Alpe 2001 and 2003, Tourmalet 2004 and Courchevel 2005. After a few stages, he managed to stay with Armstrong. I am curious myself how the body respond to a mountain after more than 10 days without a cat. 2 climb at least, let's not count the days prior to a GT since they climb a big mountain.

 

[nesocip]

There must be some kind of warm-up at least for the stages that are expected to be raced hard at the start - the ones that have a mountain in the first 20-30 km.

There are cyclists that find it very hard to push themselves early in the stage like Samu. Was it the Tourmalet stage last year where he got actually dropped on the first climb only to finish 3rd or 4th at the end, before 40 other people who dropped him earlier in the stage.

 

[Suedehead]

There must be some kind of warm-up at least for the stages that are expected to be raced hard at the start - the ones that have a mountain in the first 20-30 km.

There are cyclists that find it very hard to push themselves early in the stage like Samu. Was it the Tourmalet stage last year where he got actually dropped on the first climb only to finish 3rd or 4th at the end, before 40 other people who dropped him earlier in the stage.

There is a story from the Giro '72. Fuentes is in pink. Eddy wants pink. On a stage (9?) with a mountain early the Molteni team shows up at the start warm and sweaty, doesn't unclip, leans on cars and houses. The peloton realises it is going to hurt from the start. The Molteni train start hard and by the mountain top the last domestic is finished. Still in the race is Eddy, Fuentes and Gösta Pettersson (winner in 71). Eddy pushes hard and drops Fuentes at the next mountain/hill. Pettersson hangs on. Eddy TT to finish with Pettersson taking a few pulls. Pettersson takes stage. Eddy takes pink.

All it takes is a good warm up and a little panache.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

TGBM warms up by doing a quick couple laps... of the Earth. am i doin it rite?

incorrect, he bunny hops onto different planets also.

 

[brianf7]

Usualy ride from the hotel to sign on and hope no mongrel attacks at the gun but most stages are under controle for a few ks untill the flag is lowered ten they go mad to get the break going

 

[Master50]

The shorter the race the more they warm up. The earlier in the race a hard part occurs the more likely they warm up a little. Stage racers don't generally warm up at all, just a massage and a light one at that. Even in cold weather the riders don't want to start sweating before the start or they will get chilled between sign on and the start.

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pyzFJbT1pk

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I seem to remember a CN article during one of the Grand tours that mentioned a rider who was almost not let into the starting area after he left to warm up. This rider always warmed up before every race, which was such a rarity that the police controls didn't believe he was racing.

Maybe I'm combining a few memories, but can anyone help me fill in the blank on the name?