The Questions You Never Dared To Ask

As otherwordly as pro riders may seem, they’re only human and are just as prone to acts of stupidity as the rest of us, as CW found out...

- Paul Knott ,Sophie Hurcom & Hannah Reynolds

Whether swooping down a descent taking perfect lines or spinning at lunatic cadence up a climb, the pros make it look easy. At times it feels like they’re on a different sporting plane, beyond the reaches of us mere mortals. And it’s this feeling that raises niggling, awkward questions in our minds: How the hell do they do that? What’s the real difference between them and me? Do they ever get it wrong and make mistakes?

Inspired by Phil Gaiman’s new book Ask a Pro, we have done just that: sought out some of the world’s best riders and asked those ‘gut instinct’ questions — no matter how awkward or embarrassing...

Phil Gaimon

US pro rider 2009-2016, latterly with Cannondale-Drapac

Q: How much does your weight fluctuate through the year? When do you lose weight, and when do you just try to maintain it? How do you choose your ideal race weight? 

A: Most guys put on five to 10 pounds in the off-season, but I don’t think anyone fluctuates more than that. The race season is spread out so much, you can never afford to be unfit. I don’t go more than five [pounds overweight], because I would dread the effort required to lose it.

I only try to cut calories when I’m training. You set a weight target for an event, and whether you get there or not, once you’re a couple days from the start, it’s a lot more important to be fuelled and ready to race than it is to be super-skinny. I’ve heard of some guys using stage races to lose weight, but I think most of us are too scared to bonk. If I cut calories at a race dinner, I’m sure I’d accidently make the early break the next day and regret it.