Andrea Cloarec
To briefly introduce myself, I’ve ridden a bike for the past 10 years, more seriously in the last 5. I’ve worked with coaches the past two years off and on. I continue to learn more about training, but I still feel like a novice. I’ve always enjoyed riding my bike, and more recently have been motivated to compete at a high level with Alto Velo.
I started working with Andrea in January of 2023. In working with a new coach, I have struggled to trust the process. Will these workouts get me where I want to go? Why am I doing this workout? Does this person really know what they’re doing? The more I have worked with Andrea, the more confidence I have in the process.
Repeatedly I have gone for a workout, and find his recommendations the perfect balance of doable, and difficult. Left to my own devices, I set out to do a PR every rep, and fail the workout. Andrea started me out low for the year, and built me back up to where I was at the same time last year. I felt good while training, and he helped me frame my program productively.
I ran track in highschool, and it was super fun to do workouts as a team. I haven’t really experienced that in cycling, before Andrea’s Wednesday sessions. These are super fun, and very motivating. It makes it feel like I’m on a real team. It is a really supportive environment, and I hope we continue these throughout the year.
I have worked with two other coaches in the past, and they were great. They structured my training, and I got stronger. Andrea has helped me more than what he puts on Training Peaks. He is always available to talk to me about how I’m feeling. How should this workout feel? What can I expect from this week? It would be a lie to claim that I’ve felt amazing every day since working with Andrea. I’ve wanted to quit. However, Andrea has supported me through the more challenging emotional side of cycling. There is a huge mental component to this sport, and I’m glad to have a coach that addresses this.
To quantify my progress with Andrea, I compared my power PRs in the first 3 months of the year, between 2022 and 2023. There is a 7% increase in my 20 minute power, and a 6% increase in my 5 second power. In terms of race results, I finished 5th at Cantua Creek P/1/2 and 11th at Bariani P/1/2. I contributed to a GC win for Cam at Tucson Bicycle Classic 2/3, as well as a 4th place for him at Pine Flat P/1/2.