There was the bogeyman of Sierra Nevada, with those 2.500 meters theoretically disturbing the sleep of Remco Evenepoel (at the start on race day, with Roglic still in the running). In reality there were also the partially reassuring words of the his coach Koen Pelgrim, but to keep attention high it seemed interesting to play on doubt. As if the mountain and its height could bring with them that touch of mystery that makes certain stages more dangerous than others.
In reality the road said something else. And if on the one hand Lopez and Mas took advantage, Evenepoel and Roglic climbed more or less at the same pace. Only in the final the leader of the Jumbo Visma took off, but with a gain of a few seconds and admitting in turn that he had no legs. In conclusion, Evenepoel was rightly cautious, but deep down he knew he wouldn't lose his feathers.
Adaptation is what counts
Let's tackle the topic with Claudio Cucinotta, one of the coaches of the Astana Qazaqstan Team, to understand how much of the unexpected is in situations like this and how much they can actually be managed, even in the presence of more experienced athletes who are more apt to a certain type of effort.
«In cases like this – explains Cucinotta – it matters more what you've done in the previous weeks and months compared to what you've done in the previous yearsSo even if someone is used to running at altitude but hasn't done any altitude runs this season, they're not automatically at an advantage. Like Colombians who after a while lose their adaptability. So what Remco's coach said is absolutely true. If he worked so hard on the Stelvio and in any case on climbs at high altitudes, from a physiological point of view he was adapted to deal with an arrival at such high altitudes».
So, by analyzing physiological parameters, can we understand any loss due to altitude and work to fill it?
Yes, you can do it. understand the percentage drop in performance at high altitudesThere are those who drop more and those who drop less, this is subjective. And by doing a massive job, it's about changes that can be absorbed and managed, meaning that we work to reduce the decline due to altitude. So, hypothetically, if an athlete has never been at altitude before, climbs 2.500 meters and experiences a loss of, say, 10 percent, with training, they could achieve a loss of perhaps 6 percent.
They emphasized that they worked on the Stelvio at race pace.
It certainly helps to improve, but it must be said that the height must be done and evaluated quite carefullyIf I go to high altitude to train for a race that will take place at sea level, then from my point of view working at high intensity at altitude doesn't always make much sense. Conversely, if you work for the Vuelta, where there are usually always high altitude finishes, then it makes sense and is indeed It is also advisable to work at high intensity at high altitudeBecause that's what I'm going to do in the race.
Two different schemes, in short.
The practice is that to prepare for a race at sea level or at low altitudes, you sleep high up and train low downThis allows for the beneficial effects of altitude on stimulating red blood cell production. Training at low altitude, on the other hand, doesn't have the limitations of altitude, which forces me to reduce intensity. However, if, as we were saying, I have to... To prepare for a high altitude event I also have to get used to working at altitude at competition intensity. I guess that's what they did.
How close to the race does this type of work need to be?
It's an adaptation that gets lost over timeIf I have the Vuelta at the end of August, I have to do some recalls. I do these jobs in July, it's not enough to have done them in February. Sometimes it's enough a massive offshore block even a month before the race.
Does sleeping at altitude until the eve of the race help maintain adaptation?
It helps to prolong the effect of the quota. Normally we tend to go down a week before the eventBut if, for example, the race had a high-altitude finish right at the start, then it would be worth descending from the heights just before the start.
