Planning a cycling trip in 2025? This episode breaks down how to pick the right events and locations from the 30 LA Tapa Series races happening across 21 countries. You'll learn a practical filtration system to match events to your ability, goals, and lifestyle — and discover how to prepare for everything from heat training to nutrition logistics.
Key Takeaways
- Start your annual training plan with non-negotiable life events (weddings, work trips, family commitments) before adding cycling events — this prevents peak periods clashing with unavoidable time off
- Use a power profile test (10-sec, 1-min, 5-min, 20-min efforts) to identify your strengths (climber, sprinter, endurance) then match events that suit your physiology for better enjoyment and performance
- Filter event choices through: logistics, your skill set, climate preferences, and budget — narrowing from 30+ global options down to 2-5 that actually suit you
- Heat acclimatization is trainable — gradually expose yourself to warmer conditions before hot-weather events to increase blood plasma volume and improve your body's temperature regulation
- Rope your mates into the same event — you'll have more fun riding with people at your level than tackling something alone that doesn't suit your abilities
Expert Quotes
"I've fallen into this habit now of I'm almost not even excited to go away because it feels like I'm not going away — I've been there so many times before."
"Just being a cool place isn't enough you need a cool route — it's not even about just getting to the different country."
"When you go through that kind of filtration system starting with the wide funnel and narrow it down I think you're probably going to end up with two to five events that suit you."