*This thread serves for coaches, medical professionals and practitioners, and other highly experienced individuals to provide advise on training, nutrition, race/ride strategy to participants wanting to prepare for stage races or other ultra distance cycling events. Note the Fun Ride World Championships is not considered ultra or extreme event and is therefore out of scope for this discussion.
If you chose to post here please
** Disclaimers:
Advise provided is purely for the purpose of guidance and does not replace, or supercede guidance given by your personal coach, or medical practitioner.
the reader does not hold any poster liable for information provided. Use of any advise should be considered in the context given and it is strongly advised that you are medically fit to ride before embarking on a training journey for an extreme event.
Firstly, I am a CSA registered Coach. My personal journey with stage races started in 2004 with the To Hell and Back race as part of my prep for the 2005 Cape Epic Presented by Adidas. Yes I'm ancient. Along the way to 2025 I've racked up several stage race finishers medals, bush combobulated many bikes apart and back together to finish events and taken many race partners across the finish line (as well as myself naturally)..
So you want to ride a stage race? I am assuming that you are a person, who has to date only participated in single day events and mostly likely also just for fun. The age old barometer "of what is your Argus time?" is not applicable here since for extreme stage race events like Cape Epic and Cape Pioneer or one day events like Trans Baviaans and 360one require a different set of skills due to large variability in climatic conditions, terrain and therefore a different approach is required. Anyone can dust off a bike and ride the CTCT in 7hrs, but it is not advisable to try this tactic with a stage race or you will risk serious harm to yourself and others.
Why aren't W2W or Houwhoek tour in the extreme category? Let's face it, 60km and 1200m of elevation gain, plus the fact ebikes are allowed makes those events largely out of scope. They may be extreme for a newbie, its all relative. These could serve their purpose as part of your build up but I don't consider them to be extreme like 8 day stage races or 24hr or 36hr or even 1000km single stage events. I'll update the definitions and perhaps add a glossary as okes/okettes get technical about these in posts that follow. The objective is to centralise some very clear guidance on do's and don't, understanding when you are properly prepared and ready more importantly, when to recognise that you are not ready and can pull the plug before you hurt yourself.
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This forum has a wealth of experience in stage races so I expect many experienced gals and guys to chime in as well. Please post good peer reviewed articles and research papers were applicable. Links to SM posts from charlatans or controversial views that are not backed up by science will be deleted to try and safeguard followers.
Fire away
Chapter 1: Event selection and structuring life
Chapter 2: Set your goals basis available time and budget for (Big picture plan)
Chapter 3:Your team mate
Chapter 4: Begin structuring your periodisation model
Chapter 5: Start building Your eating plan
Chapter 6: Equipment
