Sprinting is an activity in cycling that cannot be avoided. It is imperative to being successful in the sport. It is often what separates the winner from the runner up, and many times only by inches.

It is necessary in so many aspects of cycling that all types of cyclists must take care to develop this ability. Many people exclaim, "I'm just not a sprinter," when what they really mean is "I'm not a great sprinter," as most people do not like to do what they are not good at doing.

Like it or not, if you are going to race a bicycle, you are going to have to learn how to sprint. You may not be the guy who gets the lead out at the National Championships next year, but focusing on your sprint in your training might just be what helps you make the break, win the field sprint, or just finish the race.

Sprinting involves the activation and the training of both the ATP-CP system -- responsible for short-burst activities lasting up to 8 seconds -- and the lactic acid system, which supplies the energy required for activity lasting 10 seconds to two minutes (USA Cycling Coaching Staff. USA Cycling Expert Coaching Manual. USA Cycling, Colorado Springs, CO. 2002).

To become a better sprinter, both of these systems must be developed through specific training. Training these systems will enable you to rely on them to generate more speed and explosiveness and will help the body adapt cardiovascularly to tolerate and buffer high levels of lactic acid -- thus making you a more efficient performer.

Once you have begun to improve you basic sprinting ability, you must then begin to practice sprinting in the many situations that arise in a race that will require you to put down the hammer.

These include, but are not limited to: attacking uphill, sprinting downhill, into or out of a corner, sprinting from inside, in front of, or from behind the pack. Practice these and you are sure to fare better when the racing season gets into full swing.

Like much of the fitness and skills required to perform at a high level in cycling, the fundamentals necessary for developing a good sprint are best acquired in a periodized fashion. Many of the drills performed in the offseason during the base-building/endurance or power/build phases of training are geared toward developing the necessary power, leg speed, and neuromuscular efficiency needed for an effective sprint.

Remember, power is a function of strength x speed, and both are required to sprint with the best. Many of the fast pedaling drills, small-ring jumps, and big-gear surges performed earlier in the training year are precursors to sprinting and power efforts down the road.

These drills are aimed at helping the rider develop the necessary leg speed and neuromuscular recruitment needed to produce that "snap" that many successful sprinters have to create a gap between them and the competition when they jump for a field sprint, a prime, or to attack. These are best practiced in the small ring before moving on to the big ring, in order to develop the necessary speed and leg strength required to sprint in the big ring effectively.

Some examples of these types of drills are as follows:

Jumps

Eight-second or 50-meter mini-sprints done in the small ring without shifting. These are done during easy endurance-type rides and help the rider develop snap and teach them to wind out those gears before feeling the need to shift. These also are done at the beginning of a sprint workout to prime the nervous and muscular systems in order to get them ready for the work to come.

Example 1: 3 - 5 jumps with 1 - 3 minutes between each, followed by 5 minutes easy spinning, then do your sprint workout. These also can be performed every 5 to 10 minutes during an easy day to keep the legs going and work on snap. They are a good way to get ready for a race the following day, when done in conjunction with some LT and big-gear work.

Example 2: Easy ride with 8-10 jumps during the ride, with 5-10 minutes' easy pedaling at endurance pace between each.

Fast pedaling efforts

Done in the small ring; the focus here is high, efficient cadence, not high heart rate. These are done as 1 minute on/1 minute off efforts, building up to the fastest pace you can hold without bouncing or losing form. These are a good way to get the legs ready for big gear/low-cadence work, and to recover and clear the legs of metabolic waste from the same. They can be done on big-gear days or on easy spinning days.

Example: Standard warm-up followed by 10 x 1 minute on/1 minute off fast pedaling efforts in the small ring.

Small-ring sprints

Done to work on leg speed and neuromuscular recruitment, these are a great way to work on sprinting early in the season, to work on sprinting fundamentals, to get ready for the big ring on sprint days, and to spin out the legs after big-gear stuff.

Example: Standard warm-up, followed by 3-5 small ring jumps, then:

 

2 x 39:19 with two gear changes, jump hard from 12-15 mph and wind each out completely before shifting, and 3-5 minutes after each, 5 minutes easy.

 

 

2 x 39:17 with one gear change, jump hard from 15-18 mph and wind each out completely before shifting, and 3-5 minutes after each, 5 minute easy.

 

These also can be done as a gear ladder, where a sprint is done in every gear on the small ring from the top to bottom and back up the cassette. These are 50- to 150-meter sprints going as hard as you can, winding each gear out completely, and resting 3-5 minutes between each until the cassette has been run through.

This is a very demanding workout and is a great way to work on your "snap"!

Surges

Done in the big ring, these power efforts are geared at teaching the athlete to generate power in the big ring when the time comes to sprint, further down the road in the training season. Being able to turn over a big gear is key to sprinting from a fast pace at the end of a race.

These are done while staying seated, and do not typically take the heart rate up much, so they are a good option for power phases of training where staying below threshold is still a focus.

Example: While staying seated, use a big gear (i.e. 53:17 or lower) that allows you to pedal at 40-50 rpm's at about 12 mph, and then attack that gear hard while staying seated and hammer on it until you hit 80-100 rpm's, and the effort is finished. Pedal easy for 3-5 minutes between efforts and repeat.

Big ring

Done to work on leg speed, power, and speed endurance in the big ring. If you are going to compete in a sprint, you are going to have to do it in the big ring if the speed is anywhere over 15 mph. After working on your sprint in the small ring for a while, move on to these drills.

Example: Standard warm up, followed by 3-5 small ring jumps, then:

 

2 x 53:19 with two gear changes, jump hard from 18-20 mph and wind each out completely before shifting and 3-5 minutes after each, 5 minutes easy.

 

 

2 x 53:17 with one gear change, jump hard from 22-24 mph and wind each out completely before shifting and 3-5 minutes after each, 5 minutes easy.

 

 

1 x 53:16, 15, 14, 13, jumping as hard as you can and winding that gear out complete from 25+ mph, no gear changes, 5 minutes easy between each