Viviani, Martin, Laporte: confinement at Cofidis

Many professional riders are respecting the lockdown rules issued by their respective governments. They have adapted and diversified their training programs to maintain the preparation work already done, preserve morale, and be ready to get back on track…Elia Viviani, Guillaume Martin, and Christophe Laporte share their daily routines.

Source: Press Release / Photo credits: Cofidis

The Cofidis sprinter alternates between connected indoor trainer sessions and core strengthening workouts.

Elia Viviani: “My thoughts are with those who are fighting”
“After Paris-Nice, I took a week off to try and recover well. Now in lockdown in Italy, I’ve set up a program to stay in physical shape. I do exercises in the morning, especially on the indoor trainer, and gymnastics sessions in the afternoon. Thanks to our partner Elite, I’ve turned my garage into a gym! Of course, it’s difficult for an athlete to train without knowing their future race schedule. But the essential thing is elsewhere, and my thoughts go out to everyone, in Italy, in Europe, and all over the world, who are fighting against the spread of the virus.”

Confined outdoors in Normandy at his parents’ house, Guillaume Martin diversifies his activities to maintain his fitness and morale.

Guillaume Martin: “Lucky to be confined outdoors”
“My coach and I decided to take a long break after Paris-Nice. I’m lucky to be at my parents’ house in Normandy, where there are about ten hectares. I consider myself lucky to be confined outdoors! I try to maintain my physical condition by doing activities I mostly do in winter: doing maintenance work, taking care of animals, running… Of course, the lack of visibility is difficult for an athlete to manage, but you have to learn to adapt. It’s urgent to wait!”

Injured in February, Christophe Laporte varies his exercises to maintain his motivation… he’s been riding on the indoor trainer for seven weeks!

Christophe Laporte : “Let’s not forget why we are confined”
“Of course, the situation is a bit frustrating. When I took off my brace after my injury in February, I was only able to do two outdoor rides before the lockdown. In the end, I’ve been on the indoor trainer for 7 weeks already! It’s hard to find motivation without knowing our next deadlines. In winter, we know we take a break to resume in February, but that’s not the case now. I still exercise, but I also try to take it easy to come back to competition with maximum motivation. Daily life is going well, I’m with my family. But let’s not forget why we are confined. The main thing is to respect the decisions of the health authorities to best fight against the spread of the virus.”

Samuel Bellenoue, coach: “Gradually get back to basics”
“Last week, we focused on having the riders rest to break the rhythm they had until then. Now, we are in a recovery phase with fun activities and emphasizing the “pleasure” dimension, while recommending endurance efforts. The idea is to gradually structure their time by focusing more on the indoor trainer in the coming days. Then, we will adapt their program according to the evolution of the rules set by the governments. And we will gradually try to find conditions identical to those at the end of winter.”

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