![\"ccs-62657-0-60357100-1447166535.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-60357100-1447166535.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nJohann\u2019s training for Coronation Double Century starts in July. Family and work considerations dictate his approach, but he aims for \u201ctwo high quality, high intensity sessions a week\u201d.<\/p>\n
These two critical sessions involve hill climb and lactic threshold intervals. He tries to fit in a longer \u201calmost tempo\u201d outing on Fridays and then on Saturdays a longer ride between three and six hours. For the first month his weekend rides would be shorter \u201cbut at a slightly higher intensity\u201d, but after that he pushes the duration up to five to six hours with climbs thrown in to the mix.
\u201cThe long rides are very important as they build endurance and the 1-tonner is an excellent pre-CDC training ride to do with the team, as a test run for the race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Train as a team<\/strong><\/p>\n Ultimately, this is a team event and while it\u2019s not in the rule book, a lot of teams pride themselves on getting the whole team across the finish line together.<\/p>\n With this in mind, experienced CDC riders offer the same sound counsel: wherever possible and whenever possible, train as a team. It is ultra-marathon riding and, like a good marriage, participants are well served getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of their team.<\/p>\n Top tip<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to hydration, Johann finds it vital to train with the same drinks available during the race to ensure his body and digestive system is prepared for what he\u2019ll get on the day.<\/p>\n Eat right<\/strong><\/p>\n In the immediate build-up to the event, Johann\u2019s approach has universal value \u2014 be well hydrated on the day. He begins to increase his fluid intake three days before; simultaneously he ups his pasta consumption and, \u201con the Wednesday I will have a huge piece of steak \u2013 it works for me!\u201d<\/p>\n He emphasises the importance of \u201ca good night\u2019s sleep\u201d on the eve of the event and then \u201ca full, low GI breakfast two to three hours before the start\u201d to be followed by a 750ml sports drink in the last hour.<\/p>\n Last minute prep<\/strong><\/p>\n In that final week Johann tapers his training, reducing intensity. \u201cI do three rides of about an hour each with a few 15 to 20 second sprints at 70 to 80 percent intensity \u2013 to keep the body awake and the blood circulation going.\u201d Like most riders he does a day-before ride \u201cjust to ensure my bike is ready.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a widely held opinion that weekend team training rides, starting at say 100kms and building up to the actual CDC distance, are the most sensible way to go and it is not a terrible idea to use both heart-rate monitors and bicycle computers in the preparation. These enable team members to do their other training rides at the same level. Mid-week rides of at least 50kms are recommended in the \u201camateur\u201d ranks, with a few shorter, more intense rides on either side.<\/p>\n Expert tips for race day<\/strong><\/p>\n Johann\u2019s advice for the race itself is sage: for the first 150kms keep the team together with the slowest\/weakest riders in front and on the flats ride single or double line formations with the stronger riders doing the longer stints. He tries to eat and drink every 15 minutes (jelly babies, banana bread and biltong) to maintain glucose levels.\u201d<\/p>\n The water points call for discipline: \u201cit is important not to over-indulge \u2013 two to three cups of Coke and then fill your bottles half Coke and half water.\u201d He recommends a steady pace to Ashton for refueling and then \u201cwhen the team is ready, go \u2013 don\u2019t hang around too long, you are just getting cold and stiff.\u201d<\/p>\n He says \u201cthe real race\u201d starts into the headwind at the Breede River Bridge after which it might be incumbent on the stronger riders to drop their pace to accommodate the weaker members of their team. The three infamous climbs after the Bonnievale Cellar can be seen as a moment of truth. \u201cWith their concentration gone, some riders will be thinking of dropping out and someone needs to take charge and keep the group together and to remind them to keep eating and drinking.\u201d Legs need to be \u201csaved\u201d for the three climbs left after the right turn towards Swellendam. \u201cMaintain your pace and concentration, climb in easy gears at high cadence and low power. If possible stand every few minutes to stretch the legs and back. Drink on the downhills\u2026and then you\u2019re home!\u201d<\/p>\n It used to be about a top ten finish even if it meant dropping weaker team members. Now the main focus is to start and finish with the same group. \u201cTo see a novice in the team change from being afraid and unsure and then to see their confidence and self-belief crossing the line \u2013 that is very fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n But what really keeps him going?<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the one event in the year in which the team is more important than the individual, everyone suffers together and everyone enjoys the satisfaction of completing yet another Coronation Double Century.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Coronation Double Century is no Saturday morning coffee ride. You have to be fit and you have to be prepared. We speak to Johann le Roux, the only CDC participant to have completed all 22 events, about what it takes to get his team over the finish line. Johann\u2019s training for Coronation Double Century […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":45898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[567,19,18,3353],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-19051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-coronation-double-century","tag-dc","tag-double-century","tag-johann-le-roux"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19051"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=19051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}