Use a bike and static trainer or a gym bike. After a gentle ten-minute warm-up, start your first tenminute rep. Use the watt-meter on the gym bike or the static trainer and choose a reading that indicates hard effort. Choose another that indicates an active resting effort. Do ten seconds at the hard effort, then 20 at the lower effort, and repeat this pattern for ten minutes. Leave a five-minute gap between sets.

Expert tip: ‘This promotes the high race pace and fast recovery we rely on during team sprints when each rider in the team takes a turn leading for a lap.’

Roller pedal drill

Sets: 10 Reps: one minute on, one minute off
Get a set of rollers in a low gear or sit on an exercise bike and set the resistance low. The idea of this drill is to improve your pedal technique and your body’s ability to pedal at a fast cadence (revolutions per minute). Start in a low gear and pedal as fast as you can for one minute, while trying to stay relaxed, aiming for 120-130rpm. Then take one minute of active rest. That’s one rep.

Expert tip: ‘Because the resistance is low you can train your body to be relaxed when pedalling at up to 180rpm. This is important for efficient pedalling when maintaining a quick but steady pace.’