This week, the team here in the Cycling BC office crossed the great divide, stepping across the hallway to enter TaG Cycling‘s new Vancouver studio.
Lesley Tomlinson, TaG Cycling proprietor and two-time Olympic cyclist, opened the doors for us to experience first-hand the training that she and her roster of Olympians, National and World Champions, and professional cyclists offer at the studio. Ben Chaddock–2012 national criterium champion, who now heads up Cycling BC’s iRide program–led us in an hour-long TaGCycle™ Classic session.
Ben coached us through a session designed to welcome new riders to TaG’s comprehensive annual training plan. We learned about the importance of power training, wattage, cadence, body position, and efficient pedalling technique–all while being regaled with Ben’s pro tips and stories from his days as a pro cyclist.
Each of TaG’s coaches are accomplished riders from various disciplines of cycling, and their rotating schedule sees that clients have an opportunity to work with each of them. It also provides a way for TaG to give back to their community, and gives these elite athletes an outlet for the invaluable knowledge and experience they’ve gained performing at the top of their sport. Ben’s own experiences as both an athlete and a coach inform his training sessions:
As a focused athlete for the past 15 years, I have learned that the coach’s job is to create a training situation and team atmosphere that encourages development and growth, with the athlete providing the will and drive to fine-tune and excel. Sharing my road stories and peloton tricks with TaG clients allows me to add a more personal element to my training sessions.
As we rode, TaG’s in-house domestiques made sure we were well-hydrated, had plenty of fresh towels at our disposal, and dealt swiftly with any mechanical issues that arose. TaG’s race team riders–some of the top youth cyclists in British Columbia–are often in the studio helping out in this way, and engaging with their community as they train alongside TaG clients.
With a wide range of experience and cycling ability across our team, the puddles of sweat left beneath our bikes at the end of the session were both large and small. Regardless of where we started though, it was clear the impact that TaG’s tailored training could have.
TaG has extended their grand opening special for their new Vancouver location until the end of January. They are offering a one-month pass to the new studio for just $99–a great way to usher in the new year and train for the fast-approaching race season!
