Sergio Hernández, mountain preseason
Ávila is cyclist land. A privileged orography, with beautiful landscapes and all kinds of climbs; and a great supporters, understood and passionate. But the bicycle is only part of it. Before such richness of summits and landscapes, of valleys; before such variety of mountain ranges, before such praise to the Central System, the mountain is a way of life. To face it. To feel it. And to enjoy it. In a cyclist land, the mountain is also an escape valve. Nature. Recreation. And a good way to warm up the challenges of the future. Sergio Hernandez is the abulense of the Polartec-Kometa sub23 and the mountains are not lacking in their preparation.
Among the duties set for this first part of the preseason by Carlos Barredo, physical trainer of the team, are mountain walks. Low intensity hiking sessions. Healthy exercise and a foundation for future loads. “I like it a lot. In the end you have a very great contact with nature,” says Hernandez.
“From the point of view of the physical preparation, in this first phase of the season this type of exits are used as crossed training; that is to say they look for activities type trekking by the mountain, the mountain bike or even swimming pool, with the purpose of being settling the physical condition (work of aerobic capacity and efficiency, besides muscular conditioning) that later allows to work of more specific form, already in the bicycle”, comments the trainer of the set sub23.
Hernández has chained in recent weeks two of the most famous routes in his province. A week ago faced the Pico Zapatero, experience during which they could enjoy the presence of snow. This past weekend, atypically long in Spain by the feast of All Saints, he touched the Peñón del Torozo. In the bag, two ‘dosmiles’ (2158 meters and 2022 meters, respectively). “We can’t get bored around here”, laughs Hernández. “We have a lot of variety, and very close to home. Every weekend that I have to do a long route I go to a different peak”, he adds.
“They are activities that are not so common and increase the motivation of cyclists and do not cost them so much head on. One could almost say that “they train without having the feeling of being training”. To these activities it is fundamental to add the work of strength that will have continuity during the year, although now is a very important period for its development,” Barredo continues. He adds: “As a former rider, I loved this phase of the year. Without wanting to, you developed a great aerobic base, but doing activities very different from the rest of the year. Logically, as the specialisation and training of the cyclist increases, these activities become more and more specific and many of them are restricted”.
“It is difficult to stay with any climb, but I think the summits of Gredos are the most beautiful. El Torozo, which I went to on this last climb, I didn’t know him. And I also liked it a lot”, concludes Hernández.
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
