Cycling for the strong in spirit. Personal experience of Matvey Zubov

Matvey Zubov came to cycling at the age of 8. He still remembers that it was in winter, on February 13. Together with the boys, he was standing in a physical education class with skis in his hands when the coach came in and announced that they were opening a cycling group. Matvey was already interested in high-speed bicycles, although he did not initially set himself serious goals.

Now Matvey Zubov is an international master of sports in cycling and a multiple winner of major Russian and international competitions. He not only takes part in races himself, but also trains other people to prepare them for difficult races.

We talked to Matvey about the intricacies of cycling, the importance of preparing for every start and the upcoming Gran Fondo Russia finals in Serpukhov.

– Matvey, you are from Kamensk-Uralsky, a city in the Sverdlovsk region. How developed is cycling in your region?

– At the time when I started cycling, there were 3 cycling bases in the city. Now, unfortunately, there is only one left. Regional competitions were quite popular, and a lot of athletes from the Sverdlovsk region, even from Kamensk-Uralsky, grew to a professional level. For example, one of the riders still competes as a member of the Katyusha team. He won the Russian championship last year.

– Where do you like to train on a bicycle the most?

– I really love our track in Krylatskoe – it’s probably my favorite place for competitions. So I like to train there too. I used to be based in Cyprus and did a lot of training there. It is very comfortable in terms of weather conditions and traffic. You could say that Cyprus is my second cycling home.

– What would you choose: track or open air?

– It’s a difficult question because track is one emotion, street is another. They can’t be combined, but without the former, the latter will always be missing. I like to train there and there.

– What do you find hardest in racing?

– The hardest thing about cycling is the long training. It includes not only physical strain, but also psychological. At a certain point you have to overpower yourself to get your body into training mode, to get it into a rut. Then everything becomes easier. And, of course, an important moment is to cope with emotional excitement before the start. As it is called in athletes – chill. We have a long, long war with it.

Matvey Zubov at the start of the Gran Fondo

– What is the easiest thing?

In professional sport, in general, there are no easy things. It is important to use your good physical shape when you have it. So when you’re ready, that’s the easiest thing. Because everything starts to work itself out. And if you are not ready, it will never be easy in any phase of preparation.

– Tell us about the most important victory of your career.

– It was the World Junior Track Championships in 2009.

At that time I joined the Moscow team, having moved from the Sverdlovsk region. We were preparing for the team race. That world championship was a big goal, which took in the neighborhood of three years to prepare for. It was such a long period of training that it was basically regarded as a small, although it felt not so small, life. And when the goal was reached, at the moment of victory there were some inexpressible sensations. I didn’t realize it for a very long time.

At a more mature age, there were victories too. I can’t say that they were unimportant, but they were predictable. But back then, everything was so unfamiliar, a new world opened up for me. I looked at cycling from a different perspective.

– Do you remember a moment on the course when you were scared?

– Fear happens when you fall. But you still put it on the back burner, because you have to be as focused as possible on overcoming obstacles. If you give in to fear, you are doomed to fall.

When you arrive at the finish line in the gap from the group and you have to finish, there is also a certain excitement in the fight for position. You think: “What if it doesn’t work out?”. But these are, so to speak, secondary fears.

– Have you encountered unsportsmanlike behavior of your fellow cyclists?

– Of course. There have been quarrels and misunderstandings between athletes. It’s a normal phenomenon. I think such situations exist to this day and will continue to exist, because during the races everyone rides at the limit of their abilities. At such a moment, not everyone can fully control their emotions. Yes, there were fights and insults, but after the finish, as a rule, all these misunderstandings were discussed and athletes came to some decision.

– Which bike will you choose: road bike or road bike?

– It depends on the distance, because there are group races and individual races. So for individual races, a road bike is suitable, and for group races, a road bike is suitable. It can be used for individual races, but will not be as effective as a split bike.

– Which one would you suggest a beginner start with?

– In the case of beginners, it all depends on the budget. But if you take a person who didn’t know how to ride a sport bike and wants to take part in races for different distances and in different disciplines, I recommend him to start on a group bike. All technical basics are easier and more correct to understand on it.

– Do you enjoy riding any other bikes in your spare time? For example, mountain or city bikes.

– I’m so busy now that I don’t have much time like that. But when there are outings on vacation, I take recreational bikes to get somewhere in a relaxed mode and enjoy it. And sometimes I can do it on a scooter.

– How did you discover the Gran Fondo Russia race series?

– I have been to almost every Gran Fondo that takes place in Russia. Absolutely – at the first and, at least, at the last one. Before that I was already familiar with this series of races, as I had already competed in Europe. I was amazed by the organization and the number of participants – it’s a whole sports festival.

From the moment I discovered the Russian part, I was able to follow the whole dynamics of cycling. The organizers are smartly approaching the issue and increasing the number of participants as people learn. At the Suzdal race it was really cool. A lot of good teams appeared, which encourages athletes to develop.

– Is the upcoming final different from previous stages? This cycling race promises to be more difficult?

– All the distances are roughly similar. Since we live in the realities of Moscow and the Moscow region, the terrains also overlap. So I think that the complexity of this route will be about the same as in the previous races.

– How long have you been preparing for this race?

– I arrived just yesterday from the World Championship, for which I was selected at the Gran Fondo stage in Volokolamsk. That is, the preparation was built for two competitions at once. It coincided very well: now we are coming back, we have a little rest, keep in shape, and next weekend we will start at the Gran Fondo Russia final.

– What does your preparation consist of?

– I spend a lot of time on the bike because I train other people and prepare them for different races, including the Gran Fondo. And in my free time I often use the trainer, because I can work on the intervals I need in the right heart rate and power zones. After these workouts I try to do the same in the open air, that is, not only to bring everything to functional fitness, but also to combine it with technical fitness.

– In cycling, as in running, do volumes make the difference? Do you need to run a certain distance before the start?

– They are absolutely necessary. Imagine a house. When you build it, it’s important to lay a good foundation. Then it will stand for a long time, and everything will be fine. Physical fitness is not just about running or cycling. I think it is, in general, a component of any sport. You need a certain base on which to build your training. It is varied: there are strength, speed, explosive work – all of them are built on this foundation.

But if, for example, there is a week or two left before the start, it is pointless to try to pump up the maximum volume. It is important to combine load and rest. Recovery is no less important.

– What would you advise or wish to those who want to take part in such races? How important is it to set the right technique and how best to do it?

– You need to make sure that a person knows how to at least start, stop, corner, brake correctly. Of course, technique is a very important component, because there are group races. The slightest wrong movement can harm not only one participant, but also all the others who came to enjoy themselves.

If a person is not sure that he does everything correctly, I advise to turn to professionals. Now we have many different schools, coaches. They will be happy to help anyone.