"Believe it or not, I've been out training in temperatures as low as 10 degrees below zero" - EF Education-EasyPost rider reveals extreme winter training
Cycling
Cycling is often associated with warm summer rides, offering the perfect way to explore breathtaking landscapes and enjoy the beauty of mother nature. While that works well for casual riders, professional cyclists must endure extreme conditions year-round, including the bitter cold of winter. Better them than me!
Marca spent a day with EF Education-EasyPost’s Harry Sweeny to see how he trains in freezing conditions at nearly 2,000 metres above sea level. In Andorra, where he is based, temperatures can plummet to -10°C, making training sessions a true test of endurance. "Believe it or not, I've been out training in temperatures as low as 10 degrees below zero," says Sweeny.
The 26-year-old Australian has competed in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana during his career. His day starts with a cappuccino and a 200g serving of oats, fuelling him for the grueling hours ahead. Before heading out, he puts on an SPO2 monitor to track his blood oxygen levels, cross-referencing the data with his weight to ensure his body is recovering properly without excessive weight loss.
Dressing appropriately is essential to surviving the harsh conditions. Sweeny layers up with thermal jerseys, shorts, and jackets, but his most innovative addition is a buff folded in a way that completely covers his face, leaving no skin exposed.
He doubles up on socks for extra foot protection and wears insulated gloves to shield his hands from the cold. Thanks to this, his outfit might resemble ski gear more than cycling attire, but it’s necessary for the freezing temperatures he has to ride through.
Training rides can last up to six hours, requiring a steady intake of 90g of carbohydrates per hour through energy gels and drinks to sustain his effort, and during one ride, he covered 60km while averaging an impressive 320 watts.
Sweeny’s commitment to performance extends beyond his outdoor rides. At home, he takes things to another level with an altitude tent provided by his team. This specialised tent replicates the conditions of high-altitude training, mimicking the effects of a hypoxia chamber to enhance his endurance.
Just in
NEW: WorldTour Manager Cyclinguptodate.com (FREE)
Best newcomer cyclists in 2025
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
Popular news
Latest comments
- I was thinking the exact same thing as Kelly in the moment before the crash: if Pidcock is backing off your wheel while bombing a descent, you are going too fast. So many people talk about how dominant Pogacar is and how boring this makes cycling. However, with the stomach-churning risks he takes, his era could end on any day, just as it did for Froome and Bernal. I was surprised to see him remount after hitting the deck at 40-plus mph. I understand why his girlfriend can't even watch his descents. I am going to enjoy his time while it lasts.
Barney13-03-2025 - Another brain dead take from the org. While they stayed cozy in their warm carsabstractengineer13-03-2025
- Ahhh, and there was me watching and thinking we might finally get an uncommented article. Now you leave Frieders no choice but to participate ;-)Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- I don’t think that was the sense he was conveying. Anyway, can’t change him much more, Tadej is a little like the Senna of cycling, will do as he wants and has to live with the consequences. MAYBE the fall will swing the heart/mind balance. For cycling popularity and fan discussions it won’t hurt to now have a Tour with a fit Jonas and Tadej having to recover from a nasty crash at P-R.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- After destroying many careers due to his cheating and pettiness, he suddenly became a saint due to helping out Wiggins /sabstractengineer13-03-2025
- All these ex riders give a brain dead comment now and then. Pogi is three time TDF winner, there are less than 10 riders who have done that. Its not a fluke. Last year he beat Pantani's record by 3.5 minutes. Thats not a fluke. Pogi and Vingegaard have nothing to prove in terms of winning the TDF. They are not one-off. Can we call Kelly's wins in each of the monuments flukes, he never win more than 3abstractengineer13-03-2025
- You mean the guy who once refused to race a Tour stage because the start was too early? Real guts yeah. Respect for a lot he said and does but let’s ask him first and then remind him of it according to his attitude.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- Neutralising was ok, there needs to be more discussion and guidance about it coming from UCI though so everyone more or less knows when and under which conditions it’s likely to happen. Obviously far more needs to be done with regards to communication. Can’t be that in an era where every rider has an ear piece, they don’t see the obvious practical solution.Mistermaumau13-03-2025
- Without a doubt, if Paris-Roubaix, Flanders, etc, are wet races, they need to be cancelled immediately!Suipedali13-03-2025
- Along with 1980 L-B-L winner Bernard Hinault.Suipedali13-03-2025