Coach John Hughes

Sky’s The Limit When Making Small Improvements Count

By Coach John Hughes In 2010 Sir Dave Brailsford was appointed the new General Manager and Performance Director of Team Sky. He was charged with developing the team so that a British rider could win the Tour de France in five years. Bradley Wiggins won the Tour just three years later! Brailsford believes in a concept that he calls the “aggregation of … [Read more...] about Sky’s The Limit When Making Small Improvements Count

Tactical Tips for Riding in the Heat

By Coach John Hughes I live in Boulder, Colorado, and love climbing in the Rocky Mountains. One season a few years ago I pedaled up 17 climbs totaling 33,700 feet! The highest to this point is Loveland Pass at 11,990 feet. Summer temps can be in the 90s in Boulder. While I don’t climb anywhere near as fast as the pros – in fact, my climbing these days reminds me of the … [Read more...] about Tactical Tips for Riding in the Heat

Tour de France: Surviving the Dog Days of Summer

By Coach John Hughes In the Tour de France the riders refer to the stages between the Pyrenees and the Alps as the Dog Days. The 198K flat stage from Mure to Rodez was almost at sea level. The ambient temperature reached 97F (36C) and it was a scorching 108F (42C) coming off the tarmac. Jens Voigt said in his commentary that the tarmac gets so hot that it almost melts tires. … [Read more...] about Tour de France: Surviving the Dog Days of Summer

How to Ride Farther and/or Faster

Coach John Hughes, the author of Distance Cycling and a renowned distance record-holder himself, specializes in coaching endurance cyclists for events ranging from 100K to 1200K and longer. From his own experience riding such events over the last 40 years he has learned that he does better if he has a personal strategy for riding each specific event. He helps each of his … [Read more...] about How to Ride Farther and/or Faster