A professional cyclist usually competes in races such as the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, Tour de Singkarak and other races around the world to find out which cyclist and team can reach the end in the fastest time. Read the following steps to learn how to become a professional cyclist.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Preparing the Body
Step 1. Bike every day
Practice and experience are the foundation of all sports, and for professional riders, that means frequent cycling on the road. If you want to become a professional cyclist, you usually need to practice outdoors six days a week for at least two hours each day. If it's too cold outside for cycling, practice using a stationary bike at home or at the gym.
Training for professional cycling usually takes about 4 to 6 hours a day, but sometimes that includes time in the gym with weight training and strength building
Step 2. Build your strength
Do 60 minutes of strength training several times a week to build your muscles, especially your legs and core. In general, you should have a fit body, with lots of dry muscle.
Examples of good exercises include squats, leg curls, and lunges
Step 3. Consume food properly
You have to eat right to keep your body strong through the tiring challenges of exercising. Get all the nutrients your body needs, at home or during a race, to keep your body strong.
Your diet should be filled with fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and lean protein
Step 4. Boost your energy
A professional cyclist must be able to reach a plateau even if the end of the race is near and his body is tired. Practice increasing your energy so that you can deal with such situations.
Part 2 of 4: Participating in the Community
Step 1. Understand the UCI rules
UCI or "The Union Cyclist Internationale" is the organization that organizes most of the cycling races. Understand the rules of the event you want to participate in beforehand. That way, you can better understand what's allowed and what's not in the world of cycling.
Step 2. Start at the earliest possible age
Not only will this help develop the skills and abilities you need to succeed, but it will also help make your name known in the community. That way, you can start working early and make lots of friends in the right places.
But in general, you really have to start young, because some races in Indonesia set an age limit
Step 3. Ride with other riders
Join a bike club in your area and participate in weekly workouts. This activity will keep you motivated and give you the opportunity to learn from other riders. You can find cycling groups in your area by searching internet forums, checking at a gym, or looking through your local parks department.
Step 4. Make friends with people who also cycle
Life cycling professionally can make you feel very lonely. Your schedule will be very tight without much free time. If you want to keep playing time, you need friends to accompany you.
Step 5. Ride with people with better skills than you
That way, you'll feel the urge to step up the challenge, and the feel of competition will help push you forward even harder.
Part 3 of 4: Improving Your Technique
Step 1. Find a trainer who will help you improve your timing and technique
Sometimes you can find a good trainer through your bicycle club, but you can also look for it through advertisements in bicycle magazines. A good coach can help you beat your fastest times, improve your endurance and speed, and improve your technique as you race against other cyclists. An experienced trainer can also give you advice on the best nutrition needed for endurance sports and advise on the best equipment.
Step 2. Know the race conditions
Research each race to find out what you can improve in technique, equipment and physical stamina. Take a look at the trajectory and find out what challenges to face, and what it takes to get through them! If you can find one, you can also watch videos of the drivers you'll be competing against in the race, to see how they have overcome similar challenges.
Step 3. Learn from professional riders
Watch professional cyclists learn how they train, eat, race their techniques and strategies. You'll notice patterns in how they finish races and work together with other riders on their team. Take a technique that suits you.
Step 4. Practice key skills
Key cycling skills, such as downhill and cornering, can make the difference between success or failure. Practice this key skill by taking the path that has these characteristics as you practice.
Step 5. Choose the type of event you want to attend specifically
There are many different types of cycling events, and finding a specific type can help you specialize. Find a coach who can help you develop skills for your chosen event.
- For example, you can choose time-trial, criteria, or step-by-step cycling if you're a road cyclist.
- Or, opt for a slope, enduro or trail specialty if you're a mountain biker.
- Or, if you prefer to cycle on a dedicated track (or velodrome), you can take part in a sprint, pursuit, or scratch event.
Part 4 of 4: Becoming a Professional
Step 1. Have the right job
Don't get me wrong, you're basically not going to make enough money to survive cycling professionally. Professional teams usually pay for equipment and travel but there will be no salary. Even the pay for the big races is actually quite low. Basically, you have to be Lance Armstrong or have a side job. You need a job with flexible hours that can fit into your training and racing schedule.
Teaching is a job that allows you to cycle, as you will have time off during the school holidays, which is usually when the various races are held
Step 2. Take part in the races in your area
Performing well at events around you will help to build your technique, confidence and reputation. If you want to race with other members of the bike club in your area, be sure to team up with them to dominate the race track. Find races in your area by searching a website such as Active.com or the official cycling website in your country.
Step 3. Find sponsors
Although professional cyclists train very hard (as in any other professional sport) the prize money for winning in these sports is much lower than that earned by professional athletes in basketball, soccer, or ice hockey. Therefore, sponsorship is an important part of becoming a professional cyclist as the amount of funding provided will determine the quality of equipment, training and medical care you will receive.
While sponsors in amateur leagues usually don't make as much monetary donations as professional cyclists do, having a sponsor can cover costs for equipment, training and travel. This is difficult to do, but still worth a try
Step 4. Take on bigger competitions as your performance gets better and faster
The more you attract attention in amateur competitions, the better your chances of being seen by athlete recruiters for professional teams.
On the Cycling Indonesia website, you can search for racing events by city and see which ones you can join
Step 5. Expect to meet athlete recruiters
If you're lucky, you might even cycle at an event recruiters visit to find new talent. If you catch his attention, take the opportunity. You should try it when an athlete recruiter for a professional team asks you to compete for a professional team.
Step 6. Accept the offer
If you are lucky enough to get one, accept the offer of cycling for a professional team. Good luck!
