WEEK IN TRAINING FINLAY PICKERING

The flyweight Yorkshireman, in his third season as a pro, is hoping to be selected for the Vuelta a España

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Are you happy with your season so far?

The Tour of the Alps was my best performance as a pro [he won the mountains classification]. It's not that something clicked, but more that I've not been injured or ill since beginning my training in November. The difference comes from getting 1% better, month after month.

How does living in Andorra help you?

I'm climbing every day, and often on quite steep climbs, which naturally forces me to be in a lower gear so I'm always doing some sort of torque work. I want to be a good climber so I should be practising what I do in races. Admittedly, my speed work - time spent on flat roads - does suffer, living at the top of a mountain. My descending has definitely improved, though, as I'm going down big mountains every day.

What lesson did you take from being a neo-pro?

I always want to overachieve, but I've learned that just ticking boxes turns out to be better in the long run. I've got my coach to think for me, so if he tells me to ride at 200 watts, I ride at 200 watts and not 300 watts. It's about trusting and sticking to the plan.

What's changed for you recently in terms of training?