THE SHORT ANSWER
Wakefield runs a lab-to-bike performance setup in Girona, and his recurring frustration is the one that costs amateurs the most: their power-derived Zone 2 is usually set too high. Metabolic testing keeps revealing zone errors that FTP-percentage maths can't see, and the result is riders grinding their easy days at a pace that quietly compromises everything else. His tell-tale sign of an aerobic-base deficit is second-half fade on rides over two hours — something a 20-minute test will never show you. Get the bottom end tested and honest, and the rest of the week starts working the way it's supposed to.
WHO IS JOHN WAKEFIELD?
John Wakefield is the South African-born coach and bike fitter who runs Science to Sport in Girona — one of the leading lab-to-bike performance facilities in cycling — and now serves as Director of Coaching & Sports Science at Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe. He spent four seasons as Performance Coordinator and Coach at UAE Team Emirates working alongside the Pogačar-era programme, and has coached riders from amateur to Grand Tour level using a metabolic-testing-led methodology. His work matters because he is one of the few coaches who systematically translates lab data — VO2max, Fat Max, lactate response — into the actual training week amateurs and pros ride.
WAKEFIELD ON ZONE 2
Wakefield’s key positions on Zone 2 training.
- Most amateurs ride too hard on easy days because their power-derived Zone 2 is set too high.
HEAR IT ON THE PODCAST
Episodes where John Wakefield covers Zone 2 training and related ground.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What does John Wakefield say about Zone 2 training?
Wakefield runs a lab-to-bike performance setup in Girona, and his recurring frustration is the one that costs amateurs the most: their power-derived Zone 2 is usually set too high. Metabolic testing keeps revealing zone errors that FTP-percentage maths can't see, and the result is riders grinding their easy days at a pace that quietly compromises everything else. His tell-tale sign of an aerobic-base deficit is second-half fade on rides over two hours — something a 20-minute test will never show you. Get the bottom end tested and honest, and the rest of the week starts working the way it's supposed to.
What is Wakefield's main point on zone 2?
Most amateurs ride too hard on easy days because their power-derived Zone 2 is set too high.
Which Roadman Cycling Podcast episodes cover John Wakefield on zone 2?
Wakefield discusses Zone 2 training in this episode: "John Wakefield on Endurance Training at Bora | Roadman Cycling Podcast".