(Photo by Bill Millios)
Cyclists prepare for GamesAthletes condition on roads amidst heat, humidityby Colin Whited on September 4, 2009 Despite new surroundings, scorching temperatures and intense humidity, the U.S. Men’s Cycling Team completed its third day of training Monday. After two days of cycling in the countryside, Nick Bannon, Trevor Kosa, David Snow, and Paul Wood and coach Ralph Fernandez trained in the hills on the outskirts of Chia-Yi, Taiwan, on day three of training camp. “The first three days of training went well. Day one, with the heat and humidity, was tough,” Wood said. “Right now, we’ve pretty much adapted to it. This is why we have training camp — to get used to the atmosphere here.” “The key is to get acclimated to the weather,” Snow added. “I live in Florida, and I’m used to hot temperatures and high humidity, but in Taiwan, its something else.” The cyclists said their training camp regime is completely different from the approach they adopted in the United States. Before Taiwan, “I try to put in about 60 miles a day, 300 miles a week,” Kosa said. “In training camp, you try to take it easy, stay in shape, but the challenge is doing so without losing your edge.” Fernandez agreed: “In training camp, its all about light training and conditioning. The objective is to conserve as much energy possible [before the Games begin]. So basically, what we work on is technique, strategy and logistics, and when it comes to training, we train in intervals.” When the cycling team met Monday evening for their routine team meeting, they reviewed YouTube clips of the 1000m sprint and studied satellite photos of the 1000m course in Taipei. “It’s important to know what to expect in terms of where we’re racing,” Wood said. “We try to gain an edge over the competition in any way we can.” This is especially true with Bannon and Snow, who will be racing in the event for the first time. By discussing logistics and studying the course extensively, Bannon and Snow hope to develop a strategy that best suits their riding style. Fernandez implored that not only is physical strength required, but just as important is one’s cycling IQ. “Often when strength and intelligence meet, intelligence prevails,” he said. None of this will be new for Kosa and Wood. Kosa is the two-time defending Deaflympic champion in the 1000m sprint. However, Wood, a nine-time medalist attending his sixth Deaflympics, is the most recent to win the event on an international stage, winning by more than .3 seconds in the 2006 World Deaf Cycling Championships in San Francisco. Thus, the 1000m sprint will pit American against American. To Fernandez, this is a good problem to have. “We have the two premier sprinters in the world donning USA jerseys. It happens,” he said, grinning. Missing from the team this week is Nick Schreiber, who cannot attend training camp due to personal commitments. Schreiber, who won the Individual Time Trial in the 2006 WDCC, recently competed in the Tour de Formosa, an event he won. He also finished second to Wood in the 1000m sprint in San Francisco. “Nick is an extremely talented cyclist. He can perform well in any of the four events he’ll compete in,” Fernandez said. As coach of a team with a combination of experience and talent, Fernandez has high expectations. He said he strongly believes the squad will win gold in the 1000m sprint and reach the podium in the time trial, and thinks they have a shot at medaling in the road and point races. “Are we one of the premier cycling teams in the world? Absolutely,” he said. |
 (Photo by Sina McCarthy)
 (Photo by Sina McCarthy)
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