At the start lines of ultra-distance cycling events, pro riders jostle with competitive triathletes and Ironman veterans. So, obviously, we sent a novice to train for a month, then try to keep up with the elite peloton. It turns out that was slightly optimistic…
Pedaling in excess of 200km in the space of 10 hours is a demanding task,” reads the website of the 202km Coronation Double-Century (CDC), an annual cycling race in South Africa’s Stellenbosch region. “Even for pro cyclists.”
Breitling has invited Men’s Health to ride the CDC alongside the watch brand’s intrepid Triathlon Squad: Chris “Macca” McCormack, Jan Frodeno and Daniela Ryf, who have collectively won 14 individual world championships and an Olympic gold at standard and Ironman distances. The #squadonamission’s goal is to raise money for the South African charity Qhubeka, which provides people with bicycles to enable them to access work, education and health care. The Breitling CDC team also includes Olympic gold medallist and seven-time individual mountain-biking world champion Nino Schurter, and consecutive seven-time winner of Ironman Switzerland Ronnie Schildknecht. I, meanwhile, have ridden a bike once in the past 10 years.
When I naively accept my editor’s challenge, the CDC is less than four weeks away. That night, I cycle 25km in 60 minutes on an exercise bike at the gym. At this rate, it’ll take me eight hours to cover 202km. An Ironman cycling leg is normally “just” 180km. At least I won’t have to run a marathon afterwards.
Following a regular week of training – calisthenics, five-a-side, Brazilian jiu-jitsu – I’m conscious that I should actually cycle, but I don’t have a bike. The next best thing is a visit to Athlete Lab, an indoor cycling facility in London that mimics outdoor riding, with big screens displaying performance data. My first session is “HIIT Hurt Box”: I’m such a novice that I don’t even know I should wear padded cycling shorts. I make sure to pick up a pair from Rapha before my next session but, for now, my sitting bones are throbbing.
This story is from the April 2019 edition of Men's Health UK.
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This story is from the April 2019 edition of Men's Health UK.
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