Dylan was already racing A-grade and competing in UCI events overseas, but despite training 24–26 hours a week, his performance had barely progressed in 12 months. His biggest limiter was maximal aerobic power (power at VO₂max), which was holding him back on the opening sections of climbs. He also needed to develop his threshold to sustain power over longer climbs in Italy.

We reduced his training volume to 12–14 hours per week, removing sessions that weren't contributing to his key performance goals. Training became more targeted, prioritising VO₂max power and threshold development alongside heavy strength training, progression towards maximal strength, and ballistic power work in the gym.

We also needed to develop Dylan’s explosiveness so he could respond when attacks went, accelerate through corners and repeated surges in the bunch, and initiate or follow breakaways. These qualities were essential to translating his improved fitness into competitive racing performance.

The result was a season of personal-best power outputs and a clear change in how Dylan raced in Italy. Instead of simply sitting in the bunch, he was initiating breakaways. By prioritising targeted training and recovery, we turned less training time into measurable performance gains while continuing to build the physical capacities needed for future progression.