An interesting article in Velo recently.
Of course, it presumes that every ride / trainer session that every Pro does is posted on Strava…
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Which is not true. They hide their secret weapons. Maybe some don’t but my guess is that’s more rare. I happened to see this as well.
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Did you notice how the writer of that article called Zone 1 and Zone 2 “junk miles?” So funny, Zone 3 was Junk Miles for a while. Probably should start calling zone four “some junk miles.” Pretty much the only valuable training there is is VO2 max intervals.
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I hope that I am wrong, but I am a little uneasy about UAE.
I can’t help but notice the similarities between how it presents itself these days and how teams that later went on to be implicated in cheating / doping presented themselves in their day.
Maybe I’ve just watched too many Cycling Toons videos!
I feel the same way. When it seems too good to be true, it is. History tells us that.
Every time someone said “this guy is just a generational talent, clean, the sport has changed” — Indurain, Pantani, Armstrong, Ullrich, Contador — it almost always eventually came out.
Pros are training less than before, but they’re getting better results by focusing on smarter, more intentional workouts, proper recovery, and higher-quality effort instead of just increasing volume. This shift highlights how performance is driven more by consistency, balance, and recovery than by simply doing more. It’s similar to structured wellness approaches that help people build sustainable habits and improve long-term outcomes, as explained here: Wellness Programs for Employees: Your Blueprint for a Healthier, Happier Team - BetterMe . The article also shows how consistent routines and support systems can lead to better results and overall wellbeing over time.
It’s funny because quality is such a funny word. That article says, zone one and zone two are junk miles, and somebody else says zone two is the best. But yes, I think correctly assigning the right intensity and the right work at the right times makes a big difference. The right volume patterns. And looking at that chart in their article, that was a horrible looking volume patterns. I think volume patterns in themselves can make as much of a difference as volume. The right amount of consistency, the right recovery structures.
But yes, looking at Strava and trying to come to conclusions is probably not right. But finding the perfect volume is critical. And if you do too much volume, you end up needing to sacrifice your workouts at some level.
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You have to understand that the current pro’s grew up with a power meter, a greater freedom to travel the world, and a better understanding of nutrition. The generation of 10-15 years ago was completely different. Moving to Spain so you could train the whole year in the sun was considered a big deal, a power meter cost a fortune, and starving yourself on the bike was a normal practice. Cycling has just come a long way since then.
I think teams like Visma and UAE are always looking for the edge. They did with ketones, last year they did with CO2-training, and they will with the next thing. This isn’t just in cycling; it is true for all competitive sports.
The development of power meters and body function monitors has developed cycling and brought out the best in some riders. It takes discipline to do all of this and do it right. Not everybody has that discipline. I was a very good runner, probably could have been a cyclist too if I had started earlier, but I lack the discipline to do make it my life. I just wanted to pursue other sports as well. It was not the part af dedicating my life to cycling, it was not giving up on the rest of my life. I knew the life that other athletes of my age lived, and it was just about one thing. I couldn’t live such a life. I just loved different sports too much.
I still respect athletes for that choice. I don’t think most people realize it is a 24/7 job.