Sprinting

Cycling is kind of a cross between swimming/sprint swimming and running/sprinting. Sprint cycling requires getting the biggest gear possible that you can turnover rather quickly. (I don’t always agree with this). In the sprint race if you can get into a gear that allows you to get to max speed just as you enter the fly lap without giving too big of a gap you will win. A track cyclist has to learn to play with gear ratios in training. You can’t use the same gears to race in the kerin as you do in sprints or as you would in the points/madison. In kilo or half kilo you have to use a smaller gear that you can turnover quickly. Sprint cycling is more similar to track sprinting than road cycling is to road running as acceleration is the key and that has everything to do with gear ratios.

I suggest investing time and effort into finding a gear and crank length that suit you now and build from there by increasing both if possible. I know this runs counter to what most track cycling coaches want to do, but at 38 years old, working on turnover is not an ideal situation when gear selection affects your speed and turnover. The sprint cycling event is very similar to the 100m race in track in terms of time. Therefore I would model something similar to what a 100m sprinter does with energy systems training, which is higher intensity sets with more complete recoveries. If you want to be an all around track cyclist (excluding pursuit) I would mix up tempo and incomplete recovery training days.....link

Training for 100 Meter success:

For this training-plan example, designed to allow for a yearly peak performance, there is six phases, each encompassing a repeated four-week program. The repeated four-week program for each phase will fulfil a specific athletic requirement. Again, this six-phase program is only a general outline. For more comprehensive detail follow the links.

The Six Phases Are:

1. General development of strength, mobility, endurance and basic technique.

2. Development of specific fitness and advanced technical skills.

3. Competition experience for testing purposes and to qualify for main competition.

4. Adjustment of technical model and preparation for main competition.

5. More competition experience.

6. Active recovery and preparation for the next season......Link