All in the mind

The mental aspect of cycling can be just as important as the physical. Cyclist talks to two experts about training the brain for when the going gets tough

- EMMA COLE

Is being mentally tough the answer to dealing with hard days in the saddle?

‘Mental toughness is a nice marketing phrase, which is often used as a shortcut to ignore wellbeing, and I find it tends to come from a certain type of coach or rider that doesn’t have great emotional intelligence,’ says Dr Josephine Perry, a sports psychologist who works with elite and amateur athletes.

‘When Romain Bardet crashed on Stage 13 of the 2020 Tour de France, he hit his head, got back on his bike encouraged by his team and rode another 90km when he clearly had concussion. The media coverage afterwards celebrated his “mental toughness”. But concussion is serious – it can have long-term effects on mental health and can lead to depression later in life. We’re saying someone is mentally tough for ignoring their own wellbeing and I don’t think that’s something that should be celebrated.

‘Mental toughness has become a very outdated concept, while mental “flexibility” has been found to be far more effective.’

What is mental flexibility?

‘Mental flexibility takes a lot more strength and focus, and requires you to learn to be in charge of the logical part of your brain, rather than your amygdala – the part that looks out for threats,’ says Perry. ‘A great definition comes from the American clinical psychologist Steven Hayes, who describes it as “the ability to contact the present moment more fully, and to change or persist when doing so serves valued ends”.