Lotto Soudal not on altitude training: “Altitude tent gives the same effect”

"Height training is an indispensable part of cycling," says Wim Van Hoolst, trainer of Lotto Soudal. Yet his team again does not go to altitude. "Your body doesn't know whether you're sleeping in a tent or sleeping at height," he explains.

Lotto Soudal again does not organize an altitude internship. "We have not done any altitude training in the past and we are not going to do that now," said manager John Lelangue in Het Laatste Nieuws.

Trainer Wim Van Hoolst addresses this by using height tents. “It is impossible to imagine cycling without it, it is“ the new way to go ”, he says.

"But your body doesn't know whether you are sleeping in an altitude tent or on an altitude training course. They have the same effect: the oxygen saturation is about 92 per cent and so the body gets an incentive to produce red blood cells."

“The advantage of a height tent is that you have full control over what height you sleep. At an altitude internship you have the advantage that you are exposed to altitude for 16-18 hours a day. ”

The advantage of a height tent is that you have full control over what height you sleep.

“You will encounter less explosive slopes at altitude.”

But using a height tent has other advantages for Lotto Soudal. The team has no rider in the Tour who drives for the rankings and therefore does not have to train for weeks in the mountains. With a height tent, the riders have the advantages of a night's rest at height, but they can also choose more explosive courses.

“The riders sleep at height, but train as low as possible. If you stay below 1,500 meters, you can maintain normal training quality. The higher you go, the less oxygen and the more difficult an effort becomes. ”

“Classic riders have a harder time in the mountains to do intervals. Riders who benefit from hard training will encounter less explosive slopes at altitude. ”

“There are also many pitfalls at an altitude internship. You have to take enough supplements, these are the building blocks for the red blood cells. At height you also burn more carbohydrates, so you should certainly not diet. ”

Wim Van Hoolst: “Sleeping in a height tent is“ the new way to go ”

 

Source: sporza.be

 

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