Major Taylor Day 1 review and Nationals week: October 25
- Athlete: Sidney McGill
- Prepared: 2026-10-25 by Coach Luca
- Period reviewed: October 21-25, since the Kings review.
- Evidence:
- The second-by-second files for Wednesday's VO2 session, Thursday's ride and run, Friday's pre-ride in Indianapolis, and Saturday's warm-up, race and cool-down.
- TrainingPeaks fitness (CTL, ATL, TSB), with runs now scored by heart rate.
- Weather for Indianapolis on race day, and the forecast for Nationals at Oro-Medonte.
- The previous race reports.
- Result: 2nd, 1 second behind Alyssa Sarkisov (USA), who won a two-rider sprint. Lizzy Gunsalus was 3rd, 1:44 back. Sources: cyclocross24.com, and Sidney's own account via the operator.
- Status:
- Saturday's files are relabelled in TrainingPeaks: "Major Taylor Day 1 – Warm-up", "– Race" and "– Cool-down". There was no Saturday pre-ride file.
- The operator approved the plan changes on October 25, and they're applied to TrainingPeaks and the calendar. The Tábor World Cup weekend is added too. See "Applied on October 25" at the end.
Bottom line
- Saturday: 2nd by 1 second, in a two-rider race against a road specialist.
- Sidney and Alyssa Sarkisov were 1:44 clear of everyone else.
- Sidney opened gaps in the technical sections; Sarkisov closed them on the road-like power sections. It came down to a sprint on a short finishing straight.
- Sidney came out of the last corner in second place and couldn't come round.
- The data says the same: race NP 225 W in 21°C sun, an average heart rate of 182, a warm start again (heart rate 126 at the gun, 586 W for the first 15 seconds), and a 9:00 last lap.
- The same limiter, and now we know what it costs.
- Her power drops on the open, power sections, after the climb and on the finishing stretch. That's exactly where Sarkisov closed every gap.
- Lap 2 was the hardest: NP 233 W, with 415 W up the climb. Lap 3 then dropped to 212 W and was 26 seconds slower.
- Holding a gap on the road sections is the same skill the threshold-with-surges work builds: high, steady power straight after an effort.
- The finish was decided by position, not legs.
- The sprint came off a slow corner, at about 16 km/h, onto a short straight.
- She did 586 W for 10 seconds (759 W peak), from second wheel. On a straight that short, the rider who leads out of the last corner usually wins.
- The lesson for Nationals: be first into the last technical section, or go clear before the final power section.
- Midweek she was flat, then recovered by the weekend.
- Wednesday:
- All four VO2 reps were 244-247 W, against a target of 276-291 W.
- Her heart rate in those reps was 150-153. On October 9 it was 164 at the same power.
- Her starts were weak: 409 and 384 W for 15 seconds, and 220 W follow-throughs against a 299 W floor.
- Thursday: only one opener came near target.
- By Friday and Saturday she was back:
- Friday's pre-ride heart rate was normal and her starts were back to 490-510 W.
- On Saturday her heart rate reached 197, with 8 minutes above 188.
- Wednesday:
- That's her known fatigue pattern, the same as on September 29 to October 1 after Roanoke.
- Two to three days after a race weekend with travel, her heart rate stays low at high power and the reps come in about 10% short.
- This time a big Tuesday (a 47-minute run plus a 2:03 ride) came on top of it.
- The new rules only half worked.
- On Wednesday the stop rule was triggered (two reps under 250 W), but she rode all four. It turned into a solid threshold set, so no harm done, but it wasn't the planned session.
- On Thursday she ran 30 minutes against 22, and rode 1:21 against 1:15.
- Load:
- CTL is 67.3, and TSB this morning is about -5.
- Nationals projects at TSB +3, PanAm at +5, and Ostrava at CTL 68, TSB +4.
- What I recommend:
- Today (time-sensitive): race Day 2 controlled unless she's clearly fresh. Saturday was deep, it's 21°C again, and Nationals is in six days.
- Nationals week: swap Wednesday's VO2 4 x 3 for race-pace 3 x 3 with starts, with a readiness check at the top. Leave the rest of the week as it is.
- Readiness checks: add the same check to the Wednesday sessions before PanAm (November 4) and before Europe (November 18).
- Steep climbs and power sections: add a note to the race plans. A short steep climb needs whatever power it takes; the surge rule is for attacks. Gaps are kept by holding threshold on the power sections that follow.
- Finishes: practise the last corner and the finishing straight on every Friday pre-ride. Swap Thursday's seated accelerations for corner-exit sprints.
Saturday in numbers
- Her race power is stable at 222-226 W across three races, and she has now started three races in a row with her heart rate at the gun on or close to target (117-126).
- The extra 6 minutes at HR 188+ compared with Kings is mostly the heat: 21°C and sunny, against 9-17°C at Kings.
- Her best minute (355 W) matches her best in a race this season (354 W at Roanoke).
Lap by lap
Where lap 3 lost 26 seconds
- Every effort above 360 W was the climb itself, 0.9-1.2 km into the lap and about 10 m up in 30 seconds. The course asks for 370-415 W there on every lap; she wasn't chasing attacks.
- The time went after the climb, on the next 800 m, and on the finishing stretch. After each climb her power fell to 157-177 W for two minutes.
- That's the limiter again: getting back on the power over the top.
- The threshold-with-surges work trains exactly this.
- Lap 5 shows what she can do: a 9:00 lap at 229 W NP, with the finishing stretch back to 74 seconds.
How the race was decided
- Sidney's account:
- She couldn't shake Sarkisov.
- She'd open a gap in the technical sections, and Sarkisov would close it on the road-like power sections.
- She went into the sprint second, on a short straight, and couldn't close.
- The file shows the same:
- Her power on the open sections after the climb fell to 157-177 W for two minutes on every lap. Against a road rider who holds 230-250 W there, a few seconds' gap disappears.
- She had the gaps; she couldn't hold them on the power sections.
- The sprint:
- The last technical section, at 2.7-2.9 km, was ridden at 17-22 km/h with short accelerations.
- Then came the final corner at about 16 km/h, and a sprint of 10 seconds at 586 W (5 seconds at 668 W, peak 759 W) up to 32 km/h.
- She was on the wheel and ran out of straight. Her sprint power wasn't the problem: she hit 814-855 W off the start line this season. Position into the last corner was.
- The contrast with Kings: at Kings C2 she won a three-rider finish.
- The difference is the finishing straight and who leads out of the last corner.
- That makes the finish worth planning before every race: learn it on Friday, and decide where to be first.
The week since Kings
Wednesday, in context:
- The same power came at a heart rate 11-14 beats lower, and the reps fell 10% short of target. For Sidney, that's tiredness, not a fitness problem. Three days later she raced at a heart rate of 197.
- Wednesday after a race weekend with travel is her flattest point, with or without the extra volume. This week the 47-minute run and the 2:03 ride on Tuesday added to it.
- The stop rule triggered after rep 2 (two reps under 250 W), but she kept going. Riding 4 x 4 at threshold isn't harmful, but the planned 276-291 W wasn't reachable that day.
- For the rest of the block, the check needs to sit at the top of the session, where she'll see it before the first rep.
Readiness and load
Heart rate at a steady 165-195 W:
Load (TrainingPeaks values, runs scored by heart rate; today assumed raced at about 80 TSS):
- Fitness is holding at 66-68 through the race block, as planned. Nationals and PanAm land in her best range for freshness (0 to +6).
- This week's load came in a little under plan: Wednesday was 76 TSS against 98 planned, because the reps were short.
Her season so far
The plan
Today: Major Taylor Day 2 (time-sensitive)
- The plan already says "by feel". I'd lean controlled:
- Saturday was her deepest race of the block: 8 minutes at a heart rate of 188 or higher.
- It's 21°C and sunny again.
- Monday is a 10-11 hour drive, and Nationals is Saturday.
- Controlled means:
- Race the start and lap 1 for position as usual.
- Ride the climb at what it needs, then hold steady threshold rather than answering every move.
- Race the last lap only if the legs are good.
- If she does race it fully against Sarkisov: the finish is the same short straight, so she needs to be first out of the last corner. Make the move in the final technical section, not in the sprint.
- For the heat:
- Stay in the shade before the start.
- Drink 500-750 mL with electrolytes in the 2 hours before.
- Pour cold water on her neck at call-up.
Nationals week (applied October 25)
- Why change Wednesday:
- Three days before Nationals, the job is sharpness, not a VO2 stimulus.
- This week showed that a VO2 session three days after racing ends up at threshold anyway.
- Three race-pace reps and starts keep her sharp without digging a hole before the race that matters most this month.
- The readiness check, at the top of the description:
- "If your first rep is under 246 W, or your heart rate doesn't reach about 160 by the end of it, stop the reps there. Ride 3 x 1 min openers and the starts, then go home."
- Forecast:
- Thursday: rain (about 4 mm).
- Friday: dry, 13°C.
- Saturday: dry and overcast, 13°C, light wind.
- Sunday: 17°C, chance of drizzle.
- That means cool starts again: jacket on until call-up, as at Kings.
- Hardwood is close to her Severn base:
- She can sleep at home all week.
- Friday's pre-ride is the only course time she needs.
- It's a hilly venue, so the climbs and getting back on the power over the top will decide it.
Later weeks (applied October 25)
- Readiness check: add the same check to the Wednesday sessions after race weekends:
- Race-pace 3 x 3 on November 4 (3968330202), with the same thresholds.
- Threshold with surges on November 18 (3968330267): if set 1 is under 235 W between surges, or her heart rate doesn't reach about 160, make it two sets.
- The November 11 test is already an option day with its own check.
- Steep-climb and power-section note: add one line to the race plans for Nationals, Hardwood, PanAm, DCCX and Boulder: "On short steep climbs, ride the power the climb needs; the surge rule is for attacks. Gaps are kept on the power sections over the top: get back to threshold straight away and hold it."
- Finish plan in every race description: "Learn the last corner and the finishing straight on Friday. On the last lap, be first into the final technical section. If the straight is short, the rider out of the last corner first usually wins."
- Corner-exit sprints:
- Friday pre-rides: add 2 sprints out of the final corner to the line, at race speed, so she knows the line and the gear (Nationals: October 30, 3968330190).
- Thursday leg-openers: the 3 x 10 sec seated accelerations become 3 x 10 sec standing sprints out of a slow corner (from about 15 km/h). Same cost, more specific (October 29 and the later Thursday openers).
- December block: a heavier emphasis on sustained power on the flat (over-unders, big-gear threshold work). That's the gap a road specialist exposes, and the race block has no room for it.
- No change to load. The extra 30 minutes on November 10, 17 and 19 stay, each with its cut-back rule. I'll check her Monday and Tuesday data before each of those weeks.
Process fixes
- Warm-up power still isn't recording: Saturday's warm-up was on the trainer with no power. That's the third race weekend in a row.
- The stop and easy-day rules: the TrainingPeaks descriptions are the only coaching that reaches her, and this week both rules were missed. It's worth a direct word from you, so she knows the rules are meant to be followed even when she feels fine.
Questions for Sidney
- Saturday: on lap 3, was the slower lap tactical (sitting on Sarkisov) or tired legs?
- Wednesday: how did the VO2 session feel? Did she see the stop rule?
- The heat on Saturday: how did she cope at 21°C?
- Today: is she racing fully or controlled?
- Trainer power: can the warm-up trainer be paired before Nationals?
Summary for Sidney
Major Taylor and the week: the short version
What's working:
- 2nd on Saturday by 1 second, and 1:44 clear of the rest of the field. You were the one making the gaps in the technical sections.
- Your warm-up routine worked again: heart rate 126 at the gun, and a good start.
- Your race power is consistent now, 222-226 W across your last three races.
- You bounced back fast from a flat Wednesday to a strong race on Saturday.
What needs attention:
- Hold the power on the road sections. That's where Alyssa closed every gap on Saturday, and where Manon gained at Kings. Ride the climbs and technical sections as hard as they need, then get straight back on the power and hold it.
- Plan the finish. On a short finishing straight, the rider out of the last corner first usually wins. Learn the last corner on Friday's pre-ride, and on the last lap be first into the final technical section.
- Follow the stop rule. On Wednesday your reps were under 250 W and your heart rate was low, which means tired legs. Stop the set there; pushing on doesn't build anything.
- Keep easy days easy. Thursday's run and ride both went over the written time.
- Pair the trainer power meter for your warm-ups.
Coming up:
- Today: race it controlled unless your legs feel really good. It's hot again and Nationals is Saturday.
- Monday: the drive home. Ride only if it helps.
- Wednesday: a short race-pace session. If your first rep is low, switch to openers.
- Saturday: Nationals at Hardwood. Sleep at home, pre-ride Friday (including the last corner and the finish), jacket on until call-up.
- Let Luca know: how Wednesday felt, and how you handled the heat.
/luca
Applied on October 25
Approved by the operator ("update her live calendar as you feel is best for Nationals, PanAm and the World Cups"). The changes went into TrainingPeaks and the calendar, then I checked the two against each other: 65 items from October 25 to November 29, with no mismatches.
- Nationals week:
- October 28 is now "Race-pace intervals 3 x 3 min with starts" (3968330178): 3 x 3 min at 273-291 W and 3 starts.
- The readiness check sits at the top of the session: first rep under 246 W, or heart rate under about 160, means openers and starts only.
- The stop rule is now under 246 W.
- Readiness checks:
- November 4 race-pace (3968330202) and November 23 race-pace in Europe (3968330292): the same check.
- November 18 threshold with surges (3968330267): two sets if set 1 is under 235 W or heart rate stays under about 160.
- Corner-exit sprints: the Thursday leg-openers on October 29, November 5, November 12 and November 25 (3968330187, 3968330207, 3968330239, 3968330300). The seated accelerations are now 3 x 10 sec standing sprints out of a slow corner.
- Final-corner sprints: the Friday pre-rides on October 30, November 6, November 13 and November 26 (3968330190, 3968330217, 3968330247, 3968330305) now include 2 sprints out of the final corner to the line. The course laps went from 30 to 25 min, to keep the total under 1:20.
- Race plans: the steep-climb and power-section note and the finish plan are added to Nationals, Hardwood, PanAm, DCCX, both Boulder races and Ostrava (40520367, 40520368, 40520369, 40520370, 40520371, 40520372, 40520373).
- Ostrava (40520373):
- Provisional targets from her current race power: start 600 W or more, lap 1 no more than 245 W, laps 2-4 at 230 W or more. They replace 720/260/250, and I'll reset them after the November 11 test and PanAm.
- Also added: the surge rule, a cold-weather staging line, and a corrected recovery note (Saturday is the drive to Tábor, not a race).
- Tábor World Cup weekend added: it wasn't in the plan before.
- November 28: TrainingPeaks note "Travel to Tábor" (about 4 hours from Ostrava), and "Course pre-ride and openers" (4023721376), 55 min. Easy laps, 2 x 1 min openers and 2 starts.
- November 29: the "UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Tábor" event (40982508), B priority, CyclingCyclocross. It has the same provisional targets and race plan as Ostrava.
- She raced Tábor in November 2025.
- Still to plan: November 30 onward, which is the December block.