The Six pillars of performance

FITNESS  •  SKILLS  •  EXPERIENCE  •  FOCUS  •  COMMITMENT  •  SUPPORT

The people who are successful in cycling are able to maximize these six areas in their cycling and daily lives. Just like your fitness, if you can identify your strengths and weaknesses in these six areas, use your strengths and improve on your weaknesses, your performance and enjoyment of the sport will be able to continue improving! Develo Coaching works to help cyclists improve in all of these areas through training, race schedule and selection, short- and long-term goal setting and scheduling, balancing cycling with other activities, and education. 

Fitness

How fit are you? In what ways? What are your strengths and limiters? How do these fit with the types of events that you do? 

Skills

How are your racing skills? Your bike handling, pack position, and tactics? What about your training and recovery skills? Can you anticipate and execute 

Experience

Are you able to apply your fitness and skills well in the many situations that arise in cycling? Are you familiar with all the pre-race, race day, and post-race tasks and rituals? Have you learned how to balance training, racing, and other life commitments to remain consistent throughout the year? Have you raced in big events, executed a lead out, ridden in an early break, done a team time trial, climbed mountains, or trained and competed in the rain/snow/ice? 

Focus

This the mental and balance side of cycling. Are you able persevere when things don't go as you hoped? Are you able to push that little bit more when you feel near your limit? Are you able to maintain focus in your cycling and your life? Are you able to balance your athletic pursuits with the other demands in your life? How many demands do you have in all areas of your life? You can't perform well in cycling for long if you're not able to provide the appropriate focus not just to cycling but the other areas of your life, too. 

Commitment

Are you willing to take risks to push yourself, to roll the dice on a race strategy, to go after the big goal? Cycling is not a sport when people win often, but to reach the top step or whatever your goals are, it means being willing to risk failure in order to go for the big prize. 

Support

No cyclist can perform at their best alone! Do you have the support of family (parents, spouse, kids), friends, co-workers? Do you have a network of people to help with the many areas of preparation, health, equipment, organization, stresses, and other details – a local bike shop, sponsors, coach, doctor, nutritionist, physical therapist, massage therapist, and other experienced cyclists?