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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period

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What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period
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devolikewhoa83
Feb 21, 20 13:33
Post #1 of 13 (3293 views)
I read a post on Alan Couzens' blog about the importance of shedding fatigue in the off-season. And that if you don't rest long enough, even though you might feel fine (and be itching to get back to training), you can long-term hobble your gainz.

This year, Mathiu van der Poel is starting his road season at the Volta al Algarve, if i heard correctly. This is less than a month after CX worlds, and a short month at that.

What say? Do we think his team thinks that this amount of time is enough rest? Maybe did he do a long(ish) taper pre-Worlds meaning he was already shedding fatigue? Or are they maybe solving to maximize his economic value and get as many results as possible in the short term, sacrificing some (medium-term) season-over-season development? If the latter, we'd probably expect him to start taking longer off-seasons as his career matures; we'll probably see him start to pick his battles.

Or maybe he is just exceptional in this way as well (we already see he's exceptional in many other ways).

Just curious.
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [devolikewhoa83] [ In reply to ]
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xtrpickels
Feb 21, 20 14:35
Post #2 of 13 (3205 views)
He'll have a strong push through April on the road, then he'll back off again.
I'd look for him to fluctuate a little during the MTB season. Although, it may be less apparent because even on his off-days he's as strong as everyone else.

I'm willing to bet his CX prep wasn't overly aggressive / was more focused on Spring classics.
Additionally, his lap times were not overly aggressive in CX races (e.g. hard attack to get a gap then backed off) so I doubt he build much fatigue from racing during the CX season.
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [xtrpickels] [ In reply to ]
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devolikewhoa83
Feb 21, 20 15:05
Post #3 of 13 (3167 views)
xtrpickels wrote:
so I doubt he build much fatigue from racing during the CX season.

Just to say it, this is absolutely wild if true
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [devolikewhoa83] [ In reply to ]
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trail
Feb 21, 20 15:07
Post #4 of 13 (3163 views)
He took a full month off between his last road race, and his first CX race. Basically sacrificed the World Cup win in the process.

And another month after CX.

And his road schedule isn't that intense.

Plus, per xtrapickels, he doesn't need to go full gas to win in cyclocross, so he may be causing less physical damage to himself by racing than us mortals.

Edit: And it looks like he's taking basically all of May, June, and July off except a MTB world cup in May. (not counting the Olympic MTB in late July). So that's 5 months with no races over the course of a year.
Last edited by: trail: Feb 21, 20 15:10
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [trail] [ In reply to ]
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devolikewhoa83
Feb 21, 20 16:40
Post #5 of 13 (3081 views)
fair point. So it's a little like multiple breaks to keep it manageable vs. one long season
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [devolikewhoa83] [ In reply to ]
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trail
Feb 21, 20 16:56
Post #6 of 13 (3060 views)
devolikewhoa83 wrote:
fair point. So it's a little like multiple breaks to keep it manageable vs. one long season

Except I suspect some of those breaks are more loading up training than a break, e.g. the one before the Olympics.
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [devolikewhoa83] [ In reply to ]
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Karl.n
Feb 21, 20 17:52
Post #7 of 13 (3009 views)
It’s a season really common for enduro track racers, who generally race road in the summer and track in the winter. And when viewed through the lens of an Olympic cycle or block periodization it makes a ton of sense.

That and MVDP may be such an exceptional athlete that the typical rules don’t apply.

Or we’ll watch a disastrous season unfold.
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [Karl.n] [ In reply to ]
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trail
Feb 21, 20 18:30
Post #8 of 13 (2977 views)
Karl.n wrote:

Or we’ll watch a disastrous season unfold.

Of course anyone's season can turn to disaster, but I doubt it. MvDP isn't super young isn't like Evenepoel. He's 25. He's been at this a while, and his entire career he's seemed to be well managed. Gradually introducing road and MTB. Keeping things fun.

The one x-factor is his first Grand Tour, the Vuelta How he comes back from that into cyclocross just a month or two later might be a problem.
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [devolikewhoa83] [ In reply to ]
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Alan Couzens
Feb 24, 20 11:36
Post #9 of 13 (2644 views)
devolikewhoa83 wrote:
I read a post on Alan Couzens' blog about the importance of shedding fatigue in the off-season. And that if you don't rest long enough, even though you might feel fine (and be itching to get back to training), you can long-term hobble your gainz.

This year, Mathiu van der Poel is starting his road season at the Volta al Algarve, if i heard correctly. This is less than a month after CX worlds, and a short month at that.

What say? Do we think his team thinks that this amount of time is enough rest? Maybe did he do a long(ish) taper pre-Worlds meaning he was already shedding fatigue? Or are they maybe solving to maximize his economic value and get as many results as possible in the short term, sacrificing some (medium-term) season-over-season development? If the latter, we'd probably expect him to start taking longer off-seasons as his career matures; we'll probably see him start to pick his battles.

Or maybe he is just exceptional in this way as well (we already see he's exceptional in many other ways).

Just curious.


Thanks @devolikewhoa83,

You can rest assured that with the stresses involved in the cycling calendar that all of the top teams are including multiple month breaks, especially for the top riders per https://alancouzens.com/blog/off_season.html

Where the break/s occur is going to be different for Tour specialists vs Classics riders etc. It looks as though, in Van der Poel's case, that he will race through the Spring Classics and then take a break in April before gearing up for the MTB events & the Vuelta later in the year.

"In principle, he will rest a while and then ride his first [mountain-bike] World Cup in May," Corendon-Circus team manager Christophe Roodhoft said earlier this month. "

https://www.cyclingnews.com/...es-to-2020-schedule/

I think you hit the nail on the head with "picking his battles", I expect for 2020 he's very focused on a late July peak ;-)
Alan Couzens, M.Sc. (Sports Science)
Exercise Physiologist/Coach
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alan_Couzens
Web: https://alancouzens.com
Last edited by: Alan Couzens: Feb 24, 20 11:37
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [trail] [ In reply to ]
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offpiste.reese
Feb 24, 20 13:22
Post #10 of 13 (2524 views)
Unless something changed, his team did not get an invite to the Vuelta.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/...020-vuelta-a-espana/
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [offpiste.reese] [ In reply to ]
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trail
Feb 24, 20 15:53
Post #11 of 13 (2435 views)
offpiste.reese wrote:
Unless something changed, his team did not get an invite to the Vuelta.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/...020-vuelta-a-espana/

Fair point, I was looking at his published schedule just before that article came out. Though to be fair, invites haven't gone out yet, and there's speculation that there's still a chance since thte Vuelta organizers invited Alpecin-Fenix to the Volta a Catalunya. Though that might have just been a consolation prize.

But if MvDP destroys the world this season, winning some Monuments and the Olympics, the organizers might have almost no choice because they'll have sponsors breathing down their neck.
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [Alan Couzens] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
devolikewhoa83
Mar 1, 20 10:03
Post #12 of 13 (2224 views)
Alan Couzens wrote:
devolikewhoa83 wrote:
I read a post on Alan Couzens' blog about the importance of shedding fatigue in the off-season. And that if you don't rest long enough, even though you might feel fine (and be itching to get back to training), you can long-term hobble your gainz.

This year, Mathiu van der Poel is starting his road season at the Volta al Algarve, if i heard correctly. This is less than a month after CX worlds, and a short month at that.

What say? Do we think his team thinks that this amount of time is enough rest? Maybe did he do a long(ish) taper pre-Worlds meaning he was already shedding fatigue? Or are they maybe solving to maximize his economic value and get as many results as possible in the short term, sacrificing some (medium-term) season-over-season development? If the latter, we'd probably expect him to start taking longer off-seasons as his career matures; we'll probably see him start to pick his battles.

Or maybe he is just exceptional in this way as well (we already see he's exceptional in many other ways).

Just curious.


Thanks @devolikewhoa83,

You can rest assured that with the stresses involved in the cycling calendar that all of the top teams are including multiple month breaks, especially for the top riders per https://alancouzens.com/blog/off_season.html

Where the break/s occur is going to be different for Tour specialists vs Classics riders etc. It looks as though, in Van der Poel's case, that he will race through the Spring Classics and then take a break in April before gearing up for the MTB events & the Vuelta later in the year.

"In principle, he will rest a while and then ride his first [mountain-bike] World Cup in May," Corendon-Circus team manager Christophe Roodhoft said earlier this month. "

https://www.cyclingnews.com/...es-to-2020-schedule/

I think you hit the nail on the head with "picking his battles", I expect for 2020 he's very focused on a late July peak ;-)

Thanks for weighing in!
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Re: What would Alan Couzens say about MVDP's 2020 "transition" period [xtrpickels] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
maarten.claes
Mar 1, 20 12:55
Post #13 of 13 (2128 views)
He didn't race a full CX season.. more like 50% or less. Picked his races/championships and with Wout Van Aert still recovering from his TdF injury.. less competition.

This thread made me google last year's Amstel Gold Race again..epic race https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6rA9zou0PU . Too bad he was sick this weekend for the opening race over here.
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