Try GOLD - Free

My life lessons in fitness

CYCLING WEEKLY

|

May 19, 2022

The most successful team pursuit rider ever, Ed Clancy is a gold-plated authority on nailing it at the highest level year after year. Here, he shares the secrets of his consistency with Chris Marshall-Bell

- Chris Marshall

My life lessons in fitness

A three-time Olympic champion in the discipline, Ed Clancy is the greatest team pursuiter in the history of cycling. The Yorkshireman won three consecutive golds at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games, also claiming five world and four European titles along the way before announcing his retirement, aged 36, at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

A dominant figure on the domestic criterium scene in addition to his track exploits, he took 10 Tour Series wins as well as three UCI victories. Speaking to me by video call from his home in Holmfirth, Clancy agreed to share the fitness knowledge he acquired over 15 years at the highest level of cycling.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: FUEL YOUR SESSIONS

When you're an athlete, you identify things that will help you get where you want to be, whether it's physiology, aerodynamics or biomechanics. As for nutrition, apart from a period early in my career, it wasn't something I focused on - ultimately, it boiled down to getting the basics right. This meant getting 60g sugar an hour into me during a ride and having a protein drink afterward. In my head, as long as I fuelled well for the session, that was all that mattered. I had a reputation for drinking a litre of Coca-Cola on long rides. I liked the taste of it and it worked - it's better than any sports drink I've had. Sugar and caffeine is the ultimate combination.

FOOD IS FUEL DON'T STRESS ABOUT THE REST

I have mates like Graham Briggs who get excited about the evening meal and head down to Marks & Spencer to carefully select all the ingredients. I'm the opposite - Mr Last Minute, grabbing this or that. I realised early on that food was just fuel, and that's it. I got the quantities right and got the correct amount of minerals, vitamins, fruit and veg into me. I did what I had to do, nothing more, nothing less, and I never suffered.

MORE STORIES FROM CYCLING WEEKLY

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

ALL BLAZED OUT

Cycling ignites passion but too much pressure and expectation can burn it away. Psychologist and racer Steve Mayers tackles the delicate issue of burnout

time to read

8 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

WE CAN BE HEROES!

\"From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads\" is a quirky David Bowie lyric - but to James Briggs it was the inspiration for a life-changing bike ride

time to read

6 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

Meet the UK's newest hill-climb

The Zig-Zag Hill-Climb is the UK's freshest grassroots race, and is now open for entries

time to read

3 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

BATES VOLANTE TRACK BIKE

A rapid late '30s beauty, with unique, shapely tubing and flowing forks

time to read

1 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

WATT WORKS FOR ME ANNA HENDERSON

As she prepares for the Rwanda Worlds, the TT specialist talks veganism, being coached by her boyfriend, and loving Pilates

time to read

2 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

Bäckstedt blows away competition

Welsh rider wins under-23 women's time trial in dominant fashion to take ninth world title

time to read

3 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

GOODBYE BUT NOT FAREWELL

Fresh from his Tour of Britain retirement party, Geraint Thomas sits down with Chris Marshall-Bell to look back on his extraordinary two-decade-long career

time to read

7 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

CERVELO S5

The latest S5 delivers aero gains, reduced weight and enhanced comfort

time to read

4 mins

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

Tour de Romandie

Passing vines, Condor's Carlo Clerici leads Cilo's Hugo Koblet at the 1953 Tour de Romandie, potentially on stage four to Martigny.

time to read

1 min

September 25, 2025

Cycling Weekly

Cycling Weekly

Should I be wearing an aero jersey?

Drag-cutting designs boost your speed but there's more to it than 'smooth and skin-tight'

time to read

2 mins

September 25, 2025

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size