George Bennett opens up about differences in training between Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates

On a recent interview with Rouleur, the Kiwi has opened up about many issues regarding his recent transfer from the two teams who have been taking up control of recent Tour de France editions. As someone who has experience working with both teams, he shared some of the differences between the training methods he's used and how he feels about them.

"I’ve had a week with them in the UAE but that’s been it. And that included very little bike work – it was more admin, that sort of thing. I’m working with a new trainer now – John Wakefield. He’s based in Girona, which is handy for me as that’s where I live during the season. We’ve been catching up a lot online. It’s a big thing to change trainers. John has a whole new way of approaching stuff, and it transpires there are many ways to skin a cat when it comes to being a good cyclist," Bennett confidently affirms.

He goes on to report more differences between the different approaches with the teams: "At Jumbo-Visma, the style changed over the years. By the end we were doing a fair bit of riding two minutes on, two minutes off but still high volume. It was a blanket approach; in other words, it worked for Primoz [Roglic], it worked for Wout [van Aert], so it’ll work for everyone. Here – so far anyway – it’s been more specific. I’ve been tested twice in the Girona sport-science labs and been analysed to the hilt. And not just VO2max. That’s important. At Jumbo, I undertook numerous VO2 tests and came out in the 90s. But VO2’s overrated as there’s a huge mismatch between VO2 and cycling performance. From the tests I’ve undertaken with UAE, I can see where I fall off the cliff physiologically."

"No matter what your VO2 is, it’s what shape you arrive at the last climb; it’s all about repeatability and efficiency. UAE’s really dialled into the numbers. They can see where I suffer; by digging into my training file, we can see how many thousand kilojoules before I drop off. They take into account my torque readings, too. They’ve really looked under my hood and seen what’s working and what isn’t," he adds. The variables for performance in cycling and close to infinite and to control every one of them is impossible, however surrounded by professionals who are able to control some of them, athletes are able to get better performance aswell as work on their weak points which seems to be a key topic when it comes to Bennett's change in training plans.

"There are two clear differences so far – fewer hours and higher intensity. Often at this stage I might be doing 30-hour weeks, which are big weeks. Now, it’s not even close. Last week I did 17 hours, the week before 20 hours. Between John and myself, we’re still pinning down my optimal load and that’ll take a little time. But the high-intensity stuff makes sense. Look at racing and how it’s changed. It feels like average power is cranking up each season, as last year people were attacking with 60km to go and everyone was on their knees to the finish. Ultimately, though, we’ll see at the races how this shift in training plays out. I’m enjoying the change; that said, I enjoyed working with my former coach. I worked with him for seven years and he helped me improve, but I wanted to try new stuff."

Asked about how his off-season went regarding gym training, Bennett has also reported changed: "I do now [gym training]. I’ve gone from zero gym to two or three times a week. In fact, during the early days of the off-season I’d be in the gym every day. Now it’s down to twice a week, though it’ll be less in the build-up to my first race of the year at the UAE Tour .

"And it’s not simply been high-repetition stuff for conditioning. It’s been about growing bigger, stronger legs, so lots of leg press. It’s about maximal damage exercises – about trying to rip my muscles up and grow them. Then again, I haven’t managed to add much muscle yet. I suspect I’m not that way inclined. But it’s a balancing act as I’m looking to build muscle while stripping fat built up in the break after the 2021 season. You’re not going to gain muscle if you’re calorie-negative. It’s tricky."

George Bennett is one of the new signings of the UAE Team Emirates team and he is set to be one of Tadej Pogačar right-hand men throughout the season, although he has shown in the recent past to have the capacity to lead the team himself. He will have many opportunities to do so as before targeting a probable Tour de France presence, he will be riding the UAE Tour, Vuelta a Catalunya, Itzulia Basque Country and the Ardennes classics before shifting focus.