When leading a Tour de France stage in your cycling classes, there is the ever-present question, “Do I create a profile well before the stage happens or do I wait until the stage is over so I can relay what actually happened?” It’s obviously something you have to ask yourselfRead more…
Stage 2 of the 2021 Tour de France was filled with excitement and drama. It also has a very heartwarming story to tell. This profile gives you all the details and cues to help you deliver a fun, challenging, and inspirational ride; your class will hail your storytelling skills. It doesn’t have to be this year’s tour, or even during the race itself—you can pull out this exciting profile any time of the year. Allez, Allez!Read more…
The team time trial is one of the more exciting stages of a bike race you can simulate in your classes. It’s a very challenging effort, and the extended warm-up plus the near constant rotations adds constant variety and keeps the class focused and committed. We provide you step-by-step coaching for this riveting race as well as a virtual ride so you can see how to manage your riders while teaching. Read more…
Laura asks the difference between a surge and an attack. This is an important distinction that all instructors should know. Included are some cues to help you describe them to your riders.Read more…
Grimpeur (gram-peurr), or the feminine grimpeuse (gram-peuhz), is a French term, literally translated as “climber.” To be a true grimpeur, one must be strong-willed and physically tough, able to suffer more than the next rider to get to the top first. True heart. In the women’s peloton, American Mara Abbott is the epitome of a grimpeuse. This all-climbing profile was created in honor of this amazing female athlete. If you have concerns about one long climb, rest-assured, we provide modifications and motivations to keep your class engaged. Read more…
We found this gem on Spotify and wanted to share it with you—an album called Tour de France with high-energy songs for your stages! Read more…
Obsessed with Cycling Drills: Paceline drills are a fantastic way to simulate a group ride or racing scenario such as a Tour de France stage. They are also a fun way to do intervals. You can design an entire profile around this drill, or simply insert a paceline into any profile. You will be surprised how quickly the time passes when you keep your riders engaged in this manner!Read more…
Here are two challenging mountain stages of past Vuelta a Espana stage races. The 2015 Vuelta is going on right now. You can use these profiles and modify them to simulate one of this year’s stages. However, your riders probably wouldn’t know the difference if you used profile from a past Vuelta! Also included is a link to my playlist of fun Spanish songs to use in your Vuelta stages. Add some of the cues in the Cuez app and you are guaranteed an exciting and engaging cycling class your riders will be talking about for a long time!Read more…
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Kraftwerk says it has used the sound of bikes, and the rhythmic breathing of cyclists in its music. Hütter says that cycling is also about silence and appreciating the sound of the world around you as you ride, something which is carried over to their music. Have you used their music for your cycling classes, especially a Tour de France stage?Read more…
Did you watch Stage 20 of the Tour? Take this description of what actually happened on this very exciting stage to create a dramatic storyline for your own class. Also, in this post are some resources for articles and videos for you to use in your Tour de France profiles, whether you are creating your own, or using the ICA profiles. Enjoy!Read more…