'I was pushing 500 watts a lot': Nils Politt on his early season racing, training after a hot bath and Zone 2 miles

How does a rider prepare for the intensity of the Classics? We caught up with 31-year-old UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Nils Politt to find out...

Nils Politt

Nils Politt's best results include: 1st – Stage 12, Tour de France (2021); 1st – Rund um Köln (2022); 2nd – ParisRoubaix (2019)

How do you train for full-gas racing?

I’m a guy who needs to race my legs into shape. For example, before the Classics I rode the Volta ao Algarve where there were lots of small hills that took 90 seconds to two minutes, so I was pushing 500 watts a lot. Those frequent high VO2 max efforts in races really help make me stronger.

What special training do you do at home?

A big change in cycling has been heat training, and so twice a week I’ll have a hot 40°C bath immediately after training. For me, it’s the same benefit as riding on the rollers for 30 minutes with a winter jacket on.

What’s advice would you give an ambitious amateur?

I see a lot of guys copy everything at once from the pros, but they really have to take things one at a time and build up slowly, as the body has to react to each session. Also, it’s not only about power and numbers – listen to your body.

How did your training change when you moved from Bora-Hansgrohe to UAE in 2024?

I know what I need to do to get in good shape, and to be honest my training hasn’t changed a lot. But it is true that with this team I ride for longer and in the upper zones, but not as much in the VO2 max zones as people think.

The team is famous for its Zone 2 training. Do you like it?

I do, yes. We often ride in Zone 2 for anywhere between one to five hours, and I think it helps our race preparation. For sure, after a few hours in this zone it can get tiring and hard, but you have to get over it, and boredom is not a big problem for me.

Are you mentally switched on all year?

Nutrition has become so important in the cycling world and we have a nutrition app. Before the Tour de France, for example, I’m strict and follow it 100%, but while some guys can be like this all year, I need a bit of freedom, time to unblock myself and eat what I want.

How do you respond to setbacks?

Any injury is mentally hard, as you always want to get back a s fast as possible. Thankfully, there are many alternative things we can do to maintain fitness.

Quick fire round

Dream race to win: Paris-Roubaix. Last year I was fourth, but Mathieu van der Poel was super-strong. In 2019, I was second. Let’s see how my shape is this year.

Your nickname: Giraffe

Coffee stop snack: Strawberry cake

Guilty pleasure: Döner kebab. Or pizza. Can’t choose.

Favourite sport that’s not cycling: Fishing

What’s worse, saddle sore or bonking? Saddle sore

If your bike could talk, what would it say? Don’t put too much pressure on me.

Most competitive team-mate? It could be anyone on this team!

Go-to cycling proverb? If you don’t give fuel to the fire, it won’t burn. It’s the same on a bike – if you don’t fuel, you can’t keep riding fast.

This feature originally appeared in Cycling Weekly magazine. Subscribe now and never miss an issue.