"The first time Maeve Plouffe trained in the heat, she was in Paris in the lead-up to the Olympics. It was supposed to be an easy ride to help get used to the conditions. When she returned, she fainted from heat sickness. That's how badly I was affected, she says. Racing in extreme heat is like playing chicken with your environment."
"What was once a speciality has now become standard, the Australian Olympic cyclist says, especially ahead of big races such as the Tour Down Under that are known for intense conditions. Training starts a month in advance, up to three times a week, and takes place in a glass box roughly the size of a small conference room within the South Australian Sports Institute."
Maeve Plouffe experienced severe heat sickness after a preparatory ride in Paris before the Olympics, fainting on her return. Cyclists now simulate extreme heat in controlled chambers heated to 36–40°C for hour-long sessions up to three times weekly, beginning about a month before hot races such as the Tour Down Under. Training in the chamber produces rapid physical deterioration and no relief from heat. Cycling is particularly vulnerable to environmental extremes as climate change intensifies conditions. The Tour Down Under's sponsorship by oil and gas company Santos has prompted protests and rider unease, with calls for divestment after the 2019–20 bushfires. Plouffe notes organisers have time over the next three years to plan the race's future.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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