GCN Racing News Show: How much winter training do pro riders do?

This week on the GCN Racing News Show, Dan Lloyd investigates the off-season activities of pro cycling’s best riders, and looks back on another fascinating weekend of cyclo-cross.

It's about this time of year that professional cyclists start to ramp up their training programs as the new season of racing isn't that far into the new year. With this in mind Dan has bee looking for some insights into just what our favourite cyclists get up to during these winter months. Fortunately, Strava has made this super simple to sleuth, with most pros posting some if not all of their rides to the platform.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) is a prolific on Strava, even if he does hide his power data. Over the last four weeks he’s averaged 535km a week on the bike, plus an hour and 20 minutes or so of running every week. Last week was his biggest week of training since taking a break at the end of the road season, including a 100km ride from the Jumbo-Visma HQ in the Netherlands to his home in Belgium!

Van Aert’s teammate Sepp Kuss has been doing big hours in his home base of Andorra, with a mix of gravel, mountain biking and hiking to complement his road riding. Demi Vollering (SD Worx), who doesn’t post all of her rides to Strava, did give us a sneak peek at some of the training she is doing with her dog. Across the peloton, it is an exciting time to follow along with off-season training in full effect.

Who are the pros out there who you love to follow? Be sure to share your favourites in the comments below!

Cyclo-cross season marches on with another World Cup and Superprestige weekend. Saturday saw the Superprestige in Boom, where Joris Nieuwenhuis (Baloise Trek Lions) took the win in a two-horse race with Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds), while Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma) won her eighth race in a row in a commanding performance in the women's race.

The World Cup was a full 650km away in Flamanville, France so a few riders didn't make the journey, Van Empel being one of them. With her absence, the path was clear for Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) to take another World Cup win in the women’s race. On the men’s side, Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) rode a strong race to beat a slew of Baloise Trek Lions riders to take his second World Cup of the year.

The start of the 2025 Tour de France might be a great chance for British fans to see the world's biggest race, with a northern France Grand Départ. Dan breaks down the opening stages of the race two summers from now and you can find more detail on the start here too.

We also have the latest transfer and contract news as teams finalise their rosters. Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale has announced six new riders, many of which have been poorly kept secrets, including the big move to add Sam Bennett to the French team. Additionally, Nairo Quintana will debut for Movistar right away at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana which runs from January 31 to February 4. This will be the first time the Colombian has raced in Europe since the 2022 Tour de France.

Don't forget this week’s GCN+ documentary which takes a look at cycling’s most famous 21 switchbacks: Alpe d’Huez. Check out the trailer below for a sneak peek before watching.

GCN+ this week

• Exact Series round two in Essen on Saturday, December 9
• World Cup from Val di Sole, a race over snow, Sunday, December 10

Watch the full GCN Racing News show above, or on the GCN Racing YouTube channel.