World Tour Coach’s Most Valuable Training Secrets Revealed

What’s the real secret to pro-level gains? In this episode, we sit down with AG2R Decathlon’s head coach, Stephen Barrett, to uncover what pro cyclists are doing that you aren’t. From training structure to power numbers, Stephen breaks it all down — including never-before-seen data from Felix Gall’s Tour de France performance. How close was he to riders like Vingegaard and Pogacar? The answer might shock you.

We also dive into the unique challenges of getting Irish sprinter Sam Bennett back to the top. Whether you're chasing your own cycling gains or just curious what separates amateurs from the pros, this deep dive has the insights you've been missing. If you want to train smarter, this episode is essential.

Chapters -

0:00 Intro
1:06 How To Create A Winning Atmosphere In A World Tour Team
6:47 The No.1 Thing Successful Amateurs Do
10:54 The Big Problem With AI Coaching
16:11 AG2R role in Valentin Paret-Peintre’s Win In Tour de France
18:15 How To Become Efficient In The Bunch / Group Riding
21:34 - Do You Need To Be NASTY As An Athlete?
24:36 How Does The ASO Make Up The Rules As They Go?
31:56 Why Is There No Innovation In Safety In The World Tour?
40:16 Frequency, Duration & Intensity In Training
48:07 Recovery Rides. Does Stephen Prescribe These to His Riders?
51:54 How Much Rest Between Efforts To Best Clear Lactate
55:51 Building A Plan For Felix Gall (Built Around The Terrain OR To Stay With Pogacar?)
1:00:06 How Far Off Pogacar And Vingegaard Is Felix Gall
1:04:27 Data Vs The “Feel”
1:09:30 Heat Training & Its Effectiveness For Cyclists
1:13:02 Stimulus Vs Adaptation
1:16:34 The Tools World Tour Teams Use That Amateurs Don’t Know About
1:18:38 The New Focus On Tyre Pressure
1:20:25 Stephens HONEST Opinion On The Decathlon Kit & Bike
1:24:02 Sam Bennett - The Ups And Downs (Can He Bounce Back?)

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