Pro cyclists are having to self-isolate and practice social distancing just like everybody else. Apparently, most of them have come up with clever ways of how to stay strong and keep having fun while in lockdown.
Staying inside and practicing social distancing is not proving to be easy for anyone. However, if we want to overcome the global coronavirus crisis and get back on our bikes as soon as possible, it’s crucial to listen to what the experts are saying and stay at home until further notice.
However, self-isolation does not have to be that bad as there are a lot of things you can do to avoid dying from boredom and prevent your hard-earned gains from vanishing into thin air.
If you’re running out of ideas, check out what the cycling pros have come up with and how they are spending their time in the quarantine.
Related: Will Bikes Ever Be Back in Stock Again?
Contents
- Pinkbike started a viral Indoor Trick Challenge with Nicholi Rogatkin
- Kate Courtney doesn’t skip strength training — How about you?
- @ChrisFroome is making the most of the situation
- Alberto Contador is doing some bike maintenance and invites you to join him for a training session on Instagram Live
- Quarantine equals spending quality time with the family for Mark Cavendish
- Juliet Elliott is getting creative and working on her flexibility
- Getting rid of cycling tan lines and staying fit is the way to go for Pauline Ferrand-Prevot
- Vincenzo Nibali is keeping the legs working on the trainer
- Be a #HomePro with Nino Schurter and join him on @GoZwift
- Geraint Thomas reminds you not to forget about proper nutrition even though you’re in isolation
- Emily Batty is fantasizing about some new go-fast bike parts — She’s not the only one
- Philippe Gilbert is “studying the map” to see where he will go this weekend
- Take Julien Absalon’s advice and do some work around the house
- However, we’re not the only ones having a hard time. Our bikes are suffering as well…
Nicholi Rogatkin, an American mountain biking pro has come up with a fun way to kill time during the lockdown. He started a viral indoor trick challenge by doing a bar spin in his house and nominating Eric Fedko, Emil Johansson, and Tomas Lemoine to do the same.
It’s a great idea to get the spirits up, keep the skills sharp, and have some fun.
Eric Fedko didn’t need a lot of time to respond to the challenge and raised the bar for the other participants skill-wise. He did a 360 jump in the middle of his living room, proving that his skills are still not getting rusty even though he’s not smashing the trails right now.
Kate Courtney doesn’t skip strength training — How about you?
The silver lining in the new situation regarding the coronavirus lockdown is that we can focus on other aspects of our physique. Most of us are neglecting strength and stability training, but not Kate Courtney!
She’s sharing mountain-bike-specific stability and strength routines she’s doing at her home so you can follow along. It’s obvious Kate will be readier than ever to get on the podium once the UCI lifts the coronavirus-induced bans.
To follow Kate Courtney on her journey of becoming a better, stronger, and more injury-resistant cyclist, all you need is a few props and some free time (which most of us have more than we’d like to right now)!
@ChrisFroome is making the most of the situation
Chris Froome once again shows us why he is one of the best cyclists to ever spin the pedals in the pro peloton. He’s not letting the coronavirus lockdown interfere with his training routine, by getting the blood going on an indoor trainer.
Chris has more than 1 million followers on Instagram, so we’re sure most of his fans will follow suit, stay indoors, quarantine and chill.
Once the pandemic is over, we’re looking forward to seeing Froome dominating top-level races once again.
Alberto Contador is doing some bike maintenance and invites you to join him for a training session on Instagram Live
Our bikes deserve love all the time, even when we’re not able to ride them as much as we’d like.
According to Alberto Contador, this lockdown is the perfect opportunity to spend more time doing bike maintenance. Use the extra free time you have on your hands to get your two-wheeler squeaky clean, lubed, and ready to rumble when the conditions are ripe once again.
In the meantime, you can join Contador in his indoor training sessions that he does regularly on Instagram Live, especially if you’re lacking the motivation to do them on your own.
This might be your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride in a peloton with elite cyclists, even though in a virtual setting. We’ll sure be joining him next time!
Quarantine equals spending quality time with the family for Mark Cavendish
Spending time with your family can be done without smartphones and without browsing social media. Mark Cavendish is showing us how by doing some exercises with the kids and taking care of his physique at the same time.
For many of us, this is a unique opportunity to spend more time with our loved ones and do something fun and productive. Obviously, we can learn a lot from Mark and follow his example.
Juliet Elliott is getting creative and working on her flexibility
Working on your flexibility does not have to be the most boring thing in the world, as you can see from Juliet Elliott’s example. She’s getting creative, having fun, and still working on her skills off the bike.
We’re not saying you should try to do what she’s doing — most people would probably get tied up in a knot (including us). But she’s definitely reminding us how important stretching, flexibility, and mobility are to be able to call yourself an all-around capable athlete.
Getting rid of cycling tan lines and staying fit is the way to go for Pauline Ferrand-Prevot
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, the legendary French multi-discipline pro cyclist has a great method of getting rid of cycling tan lines while still getting some quality time on the bike. She’s also getting some sunshine, vitamin D, and she looks like she’s not bothered too much by the lockdown. Check it out below!
Sadly, for most of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, this is still not an option. We’ll have to wait for a few more months to start making those tan lines, before thinking about how to get rid of them.
Vincenzo Nibali is keeping the legs working on the trainer
Vincenzo Nibali is doing hard work on the trainer and not letting the coronavirus situation mess up his training routine. He follows his Instagram post with an explanation that he’s cruising along the virtual roads of Milan-San Remo.
Unfortunately, Milan-San Remo, the longest professional one-day race in the world, has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But as you can see, that did not stop Vincenzo Nibali smash the course in the virtual world.
Be a #HomePro with Nino Schurter and join him on @GoZwift
Nino Schurter is calling you to be a home pro and join him in his GoZwift sessions that he’s sharing on his Instagram profile. That’s a fantastic way to get a good workout in, stay in touch with your cycling buddies, and have more fun in a lockdown.
However, as Nino points out, don’t think indoor training will be easy. In fact, it’s often much harder than riding outdoors, and keeping up with some of the mad lads on Zwift can be a huge challenge!
Geraint Thomas reminds you not to forget about proper nutrition even though you’re in isolation
One of the reasons why pro cyclists are able to push so many watts day in and day out (apart from having legs of steel) is the fact that their nutrition is always on point.
Geraint Thomas is not letting things get out of hand even when he’s not able to follow his cycling routine one hundred percent.
Being in quarantine and practicing social distancing is not an excuse to live off of potato chips and beer. Well, at least not every day.
Emily Batty is fantasizing about some new go-fast bike parts — She’s not the only one
Do we ever stop fantasizing about upgrading our bike with some brand-new parts? Definitely not. Therefore, we completely sympathize with Emily Batty who’s sharing how she’s spending time when she can’t ride her bike and race — daydreaming about new go-fast parts.
If you have free time during the coronavirus quarantine, you can use it to research new bike parts and make a plan for how to make your bike, faster, lighter, and better-looking when all of this is over.
Philippe Gilbert is “studying the map” to see where he will go this weekend
Philippe Gilbert is in self-quarantine just like most of us, so he’s “looking on the map to see where he’s going to go this weekend.” It looks like he has plenty of options and he’s going to have a hard time choosing between the living-room, bedroom, bathroom, and the kitchen.
As they say, gains are usually made in the kitchen, so that’s where we’d go.
Take Julien Absalon’s advice and do some work around the house
Your time off the bike does not always have to be related to cycling. Spare some time to do a few things around the house or the yard, just like Julien Absalon is. He’s getting rid of some dead trees in his backyard as a warm-up morning activity, and it looks like a great workout for the forearms!
Time off the bike does not need to be bad and can prove quite useful. Once you clip your shoes in the pedals the next time, you’ll be fresh both mentally and physically to set and accomplish new cycling goals.
However, we’re not the only ones having a hard time. Our bikes are suffering as well…
If our bikes could speak, I’m sure they’d tell us how much they love to be ridden and taken on adventures around the world. Therefore, show your bike some love, give it a good clean, and promise you’ll get back on the saddle as soon as the situation improves.
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How are you spending your time in the quarantine? Share your routine with us below and give us some ideas on how to stay fit and not get bored while practicing social distancing!
