“It’s over for me now; I’m going on the piss for the next two months,” Geraint Thomas joked at the end of this year’s Giro d’Italia. OK, that wasn’t really the Welshman’s plan for the rest of the summer, but there was a kernel of truth underlying his comment: once the last big race is out of the way, many elite riders have a lay-off period, when they let cut loose and catch up on the rest and leisure they’ve missed out on.
“These guys have been under a huge amount of stress, both physiological and psychological during the whole season,” explains Vasilis Anastopoulos, team coach with Soudal-Quick Step who works with the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe. “Many have been away from their families for close to 200 days of the year, so they definitely need the break.”
The concept of an off-season break, often embraced by professional riders, raises an intriguing question: Do amateurs need to take an off-season break too?
“Even if you’re not riding at an elite level, you should be listening to your body – and take breaks of two to three weeks, just like the