Talking Tactics with Professional Cyclist Marianne Vos

Want to ride like Marianne Vos? The most decorated women's cyclist of all time talked to ACTIVE.com about how she fuels, what she rides, when she works out and why she races. Read on and you'll be achieving souplesse in no time.

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ACTIVE.com: Do women cyclists need to fuel differently than male cyclists?

Marianne Vos: Men have a really high metabolism, much higher than women, so women have to be a bit more efficient with food, with their intake [on the bike]. Of course, iron can be different because we have our periods, and it can drop during this time, but otherwise, there are not real big differences. For me, what I see now more and more is that people try to get rid of carbohydrates. But carbohydrates and glycogen are energy, that's fuel for the body. That's something you need—of course you don't need to overdo it—but don't get rid of all the carbohydrates because then you'll get low on energy, and you'll miss out on power and acceleration. If you stop eating, or if you stop fueling with carbohydrates, you can get so efficient that the body can't convert fuel to energy; it can only restore what it is lacking. So just go out on the bike, don't overdo it and eat when necessary.

ACTIVE.com: What kind of workouts do you do off the bike?

MV: Core stability is the thing I really feel helps me. I don't do too much power training because I have the ability to build muscle quite fast. That's interesting for a sprinter but not really for an "all-arounder," so I have to watch out for being too muscular. I like to keep the souplesse [the French term for a perfectly efficient, yet powerful pedal stroke] instead of full power. [Core stability] is especially important in the winter, but I try to keep it up in the summer, too, to keep the body in balance. On the bike you only push: You're seated, you have six places for your hands and feet, so there's a lot of muscle that you don't use, and if you train it, you can be a lot more efficient.

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ACTIVE.com: Do you have a favorite pre-ride meal?

MV: Normally before a race or a tough training ride, I like to have yogurt and fruit with some muesli or oatmeal. After a race, with all the sugar I've taken in, I'm always craving a sandwich. Just ham and cheese or salmon or something, a good sandwich, something a bit more salty instead of all the sweet.

ACTIVE.com: What is the cycling accessory you can't live without?

MV: I can miss a lot, actually. There's been a lot of changes like the power meter or navigation on the bike, and these are all really nice—but sometimes I like to just go out and get lost, not have any information about how many watts I push or how fast I go, and just go out and enjoy the area and look around. For me there has to be balance, and then I find it easier to do strict trainings the next day.

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ACTIVE.com: What's your preferred saddle?

MV: I'm riding the Fizik Antares on all of my bikes, even on the track bike. That's the saddle I really like, it's not the women's specific one—it is short and flat and not really soft or anything. I don't really get the idea of a gel saddle because, for me, it gets hot. It's very individual, finding a saddle; I can't really say what is best for somebody. Just go to a good bike shop, ask for information, maybe do a test—there are now really good tests that measure the width of your [sit] bones—and don't try to go for a saddle just because it fits your friends. For me, soft is not always better. Some people think it is more comfortable to have a soft saddle, but I think the harder the better. It is a thing you should really try yourself. And of course, a good chamois is really important, maybe even more important than the saddle.

ACTIVE.com: Are you still riding the Liv Envie?

MV: Yes, it is a fantastic bike. When I rode it the first time, it was so stiff, and you could really feel that it just wants to go forward. And I've ridden a lot of different bikes. It's a nervous bike, it is short and fast and so stiff. But for me, after a couple of rides, it was one of the best bikes I've ever ridden.

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ACTIVE.com: What about your mountain bike?

MV: Unfortunately, I haven't ridden my [mountain] bike as much as I would like lately, but it is the [Liv] Obsess. Everybody says that's a good name for a bike for me, I don't know why, no idea (laughs). I really like the 27.5-inch [wheel size]. I started on a 26, and then three years ago I switched to 29; I felt way more confident and stable on the bike, but it was a little slower and not as fast to accelerate. I got really happy when they came up with a 27.5. It is light, it is stiff, but it still has the advantages of a 29 with higher wheels. It runs smooth on the longer stretches and the tricky parts of a downhill, but it is fast in acceleration, as well.

ACTIVE.com: Are you still shooting to qualify for the mountain bike event in the 2016 Rio Olympics? Ed. note: Vos is trying to become the first cyclist to compete in three different disciplines in her Olympic career. She won gold on the track in 2008 and the road in 2012.

MV: It's going to be tight, I have no idea. For me, the first thing is to get fit, and then I will go back into road racing (Vos' team, Rabobank-Liv, announced this week that she will not return to racing this year). It's going to be a close call, and I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to make it. I don't want to force it and push myself so hard that it affects my season next year, so there's still an uncertainty [as to] if I should try or if I should just focus on the road for next year.

ACTIVE.com: When you look back at your career, is there a race or a moment that you think sums you up as a rider?

MV: One moment, that's difficult. There is, of course, the moment at the Olympics that everybody knows (Vos dramatically sprinted to gold on a rain-soaked London course). We were in the breakaway, and we had a plan. As a team we were not afraid to lose, we just wanted to fully go for the win without any hesitation. That's why I attacked and why we stayed in front and came up for the sprint. Everybody thought, 'Well, maybe she's pushing too much,' but I thought, 'Well, I think we can make it, and this is our opportunity.' There have probably been other races that were more difficult for me, or bigger performance-wise than the Olympics, but when I think of what's important–well, I just want to go for the win, always.

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