Chapter 20: A Science-Driven Approach to Cycling Performance by Moritz Geisler
Meet Moritz Geisler, a Ventus Factory Team rider from Tyrol, Austria, whose passion for cycling, Alpine challenges, and sports science shapes his approach to performance.
In this edition of the Ventus Riders Diary, Moritz shares his perspective on preparing for the season ahead, explaining how to set meaningful goals, structure training cycles, balance intensity with recovery, and build a solid foundation for peak performance. Drawing on his academic background in Sports Science and his own experience tackling demanding mountain routes, he offers practical insights to help ambitious cyclists approach their next season with greater purpose, structure, and confidence.
Who is behind this blog post?
My name is Moritz. I’m 27 years old, I’m from Tyrol in Austria, and I love sports. I have played sports for as long as I can remember. I’ve played ice hockey since childhood and still play during the winter months. For me, though, sports have long been more than just a hobby, they’re an essential part of my daily life and philosophy.
As well as ice hockey, I’ve gradually developed a passion for endurance sports. This wasn’t a particular focus of mine during my childhood and teenage years. It was only when I started studying Sports Science that I developed an interest in sports such as ski mountaineering, mountaineering, mountain biking and, eventually, road cycling. Road cycling, in particular, has captivated me. The combination of physical performance, tactical skill, experiencing nature and new places, and continually pushing my own limits inspires me every day.
During my Master's degree in Sports Science, I developed a particular passion for the data behind athletic performance and training. I became fascinated by how data can help us better understand the body, analyse performance, and optimise training. What started as an academic interest has since become an integral part of my approach to sport. I now apply this knowledge to my own training and coaching, using data and performance analysis to make informed decisions, track progress, and maximise the benefit of every training session. For me, the real value of data lies in combining scientific insights with practical experience to turn numbers into meaningful improvements.
I love mountains and that is why I climb over 120,000 metres of elevation every year by bike. Among the challenges I have completed are two laps of Lake Garda, each covering around 300 kilometres in ten hours, as well as long Alpine loops of up to 260 kilometres with 5,000 metres of elevation gain. The Ötztal Cycling Marathon, with its 227 kilometres and around 5,500 metres of elevation gain, is also among the challenges I have already tackled , for now, at least!
I’m also very happy to be part of the Ventus Factory Team and excited about what lies ahead. I’m looking forward to taking on new challenges, competing in upcoming races, and working together on exciting projects. I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve as a team in the future!
Preparation begins when the season ends
When the last races of the fall are over, it’s not time for a break, it’s time to start planning for the next season. For ambitious amateur cyclists in particular, this is the time that determines whether they’ll just happen to be in shape come spring or whether they’ll build up their fitness specifically toward their most important goals. Effective season planning doesn’t require professional-level structures; instead, it calls for clear goals, sensible training load management, and sufficient recovery.
From goals to race calendar
Planning begins with the question: What do I want to train toward next year? It makes sense to prioritize:
A-Goals: 1–3 most important races or personal highlights.
B-Goals: important preparatory or test races.
C-Goals: races for training, gaining experience, and having fun.
The calendar is planned in reverse order, starting with the most important A-goal. If several highlights are close together, you won’t be able to race at your best in every event. For ambitious amateur cyclists, two to three true seasonal highlights are usually more realistic than ten equally important goals.
Macro-, Meso-, and Microcycles
A macrocycle is the broad framework, usually the entire season or a phase lasting several weeks. Within this framework, there are:
Mesocycles: usually 3–6 weeks with a specific focus, such as base training, FTP development, or race-specific training.
Microcycles: usually one week consisting of individual training sessions.
Recovery weeks: usually every 3–5 weeks with a reduced training volume.
A rough seasonal structure might look like this:
- Transition October–November: Recovery, strength, flexibility, easy riding
- Foundation December–February: Aerobic base, volume, strength endurance
- Specific Preparation March–April: Intervals, race simulations, increasing intensity
- Competition Phase May–September: Racing, peak form, targeted recovery
- Tapering 1–3 weeks before primary goal: Reduced volume, maintain intensity for the most part
There is no single “best” periodization model. A systematic review of trained cyclists found no clear superiority of any single model over an 8–12-week period; what matters most is the appropriate balance of training load, recovery, and goals.
Distributing Intensity Correctly
For endurance athletes, the distribution of training intensity is key. The following approaches have proven particularly effective:
Pyramidal: plenty of easy training, a moderate amount of moderate-intensity training, and very little high-intensity training.
Polarized: a great deal of easy training, a small amount in the moderate range, and a distinct portion of hard training.
Both approaches can be effective. Current reviews show no universal superiority of polarized training over threshold or pyramidal models; what matters is how well it aligns with individual goals, time availability, and capacity for exertion.
For ambitious recreational cyclists, a pragmatic mix often makes sense:
- About 75–85% of riding time should be easy and controlled
- About 10–20% should be intentionally hard: intervals, races, hill climbs
Avoid the “gray zone”: too fast for recovery, not intense enough for real progress.
The off-season is part of training
The transition phase serves to reduce physical and mental fatigue. In practice, this means:
- 1–3 weeks of reduced riding or a break from structured training
- Build strength, stability, and flexibility
- Easy riding or other sports that you enjoy
- Stabilize sleep, nutrition, and daily routine
Afterward, the base phase begins not at the maximum possible volume, but with a workload that can be consistently increased over several weeks.
Managing Training Load
Kilometers alone say little about the actual training load. Duration, intensity, elevation gain, wind, stress, sleep, and recovery all play a role. Training load therefore encompasses several factors: frequency, intensity, duration, and type of effort.
Helpful metrics:
- Riding time per week instead of just kilometers
- Minutes spent in high-intensity zones
- TSS-like metrics as a trend, not as an absolute truth
- Subjective perception, sleep, resting heart rate, motivation, and leg fatigue
Workload should always be considered from two perspectives: external workload, such as intensity and duration, and internal workload, such as how you feel and recovery.
Tapering: reduce volume, maintain form
Before an A-goal, training volume should be reduced while intensity and frequency are largely maintained. A meta-analysis found particularly positive effects when training volume was reduced by about 41–60% without significantly altering intensity or frequency.
In practice, this means:
- Gradually reduce volume 10–21 days before the race
- Maintain short, intense intervals
- It’s better to do shorter sessions than to take several consecutive days off
- In the last two to three days, ride short and easy, with few high-intensity sessions
Common mistakes
- Training too hard too early
- Only doing long, slow rides without specific intensity
- Spending too much time in the “gray zone“
- Not taking any recovery weeks
- Treating every race as an A-goal
- Completely eliminating intensity before the race
Conclusion
A strong season is built on a clear structure: a few key goals, plenty of controlled yet relaxed training, targeted intensity, regular recovery, and a sensible taper leading up to the most important races. Research supports an individualized, measurable approach rather than the search for the perfect formula.
Plan the season backward, decide early on which races really matter, and don’t treat the fall as a break, but rather as the first building block for the next season.
Sources
Muñoz-Pérez, I. et al. (2023): Training Periodization, Intensity Distribution, and Volume in Trained Cyclists: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 18(2), 112–122. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/18/2/article-p112.xml
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (2023): Training Periodization, Intensity Distribution, and Volume in Trained Cyclists: A Systematic Review (PDF). https://journals.humankinetics.com/downloadpdf/view/journals/ijspp/18/2/article-p112.pdf
Wang, Y. et al. (2023): Effects of tapering on performance in endurance athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10171681/
Gabbett, T. J. et al. (2020): Training Load and Its Role in Injury Prevention, Part I. Sports Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7534945/
Oliveira, P. et al. (2025) Polarized or threshold training: is there a superior training intensity distribution to improve V̇O2max, endurance capacity and mitochondrial function? A study in Wistar Rat models. J Physiol Biochem https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12279575/
Kellmann, M. et al. (2018): Recovery and Peformance in Sport: Consensus Statement. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/129709/4/Kellman%20et%20al.%20IJSPP%202018.pdf
Sun, Q. et al. (2025) Recent advances in training intensity distribution theory for cyclic endurance sports: theoretical foundations, model comparisons, and periodization characteristics.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1657892/full
Bosquet, L. et al. (2007): Effects of Tapering on Performance: A Meta-Analysis https://sci-hub.box/storage/zero/4149/1189b3813ebde4e1e2d7fe9947043b06/bosquet2007.pdf
