OK, you're 2 weeks out from your BIG race! Congratulations on deciding to to take your taper seriously!

All the hard training is behind you; this taper will help you bring out the best in the fitness that you've gained over the last several weeks or months so that you can feel fresh and fast for your big race!


Today's training can be a race or--if there isn't one on--a practice race that you do yourself or with friends!

Think of your upcoming big race: what will the stages look like? What is the terrain like? How long are the transitions? The descents? What will you need to carry with you? What will you ride/wear? What will you eat/drink? Take these into account when planning you day.

To start the ride, practice a good warmup you can use for race day:
Start with a long climb at an easy to moderate pace, since we'll assume race day will look like this. Ride for 5 minutes at a moderate pace. After this, throw down one all-out effort for 6 seconds. Ride easy for 5 minutes before another all-out effort for 6 seconds. Immediately after this effort bunny hop six times as quickly in succession as you can, then turn hard left and turn hard right. Spin easy for 5 minutes, practicing wheelies and manuals to get a good feel for the bike.

Now, it's time to race! Practice your race strategy, and ride smooth. Shoot for the approximate duration and number of stages as your race (unless it's super hugely epic, then cut it in alf!).

Be safe. Be respectful.
Skids are for squids.

Super duper easy spin on the road or bike path. Keep pedalling, but not hard. Shoot for 90-100rpm. It should feel as if your legs are just falling down with every pedal stroke.

This is a super hard skills/interval session!

Warm up by spinning easy for 10-15 minutes, practicing wheelies, bunny hops, manuals and cutties.
Set up 2 cones (or use some natural landmarks) 20-30 meters apart. Weave through in in a figure 8 on your race bike. Try this several times, going a bit faster each time.

For each interval set, sprint hard between the cones and corner as quickly as you can around them.

Try different styles of entry and exit, e.g. stoppies into them and power out, laying the bike low, foot out, feet on, drifting, early or late apex, etc. Go all out.

Try to do 6 sets of 5 times around each cone. Alternate direction each time. You'll want to spin easy for 3-5 minutes between sets, and during this time you can practice corners and also other skills.

Cool down afterwards for at least 10 minutes by pedalling easy.

Just a nice chill road ride at a conversational pace. There is no need to go hard; just ride and keep pedalling at an easy rate at 90-100 rpm

*Note: this should feel a bit more steady than your recovery pace ride.

Today is not a good day to be going hard, but good day to practice skills. Try out some things to develop your feel for the bike.

Jumps are fair game, but if you go to a pump track, take it easy.

Super duper easy spin on the road or bike path. Keep pedalling, but not hard. Shoot for 90-100rpm. It should feel as if your legs are just falling down with every pedal stroke.

• Warm up for 20 minutes at an aerobic effort

Go straight into very very hard efforts. Each one is all-out:

• 3 x 6 seconds all-out power production, 4:54 easy spinning recovery between efforts

• 3 x 12 seconds all-out power production, 4:48 easy Zone 1 spinning between efforts

*Note the total duration for the efforts and the recovery is 5 minutes. Yes, there are only 6 efforts total. Yes, this is a long break, but the efforts are hard! Only a few days until race day!! :)

• Cool down with easy spinning for 10 minutes