Tapering Fact and Fiction

Alright, just to make sure people don't think I feel tapering is the devil (which I've stated it isn't),I've reached out to some of the cycling world's heaviest hitters to get their opinions to make sure you guys are getting the most up to date cutting edge info available.

I've contacted my sources for a crossit + cycling article I wrote a few months back. So hopefully Darcy Norman (HTC/Columbia strength coach) Joe Friel, Jim Rutberg (CTS), Ann Trombley (Olympic MTBer and cycling coach), Ben Day (pro cyclist/coach) and Frank Overton (coach regularly featured in VeloReviews) can shed some light on the subject for us. I lucked out on the crossfit article, so hopefully lightening will strike twice here.

Here is specifically what I asked them:

1) How far out from an event?

- Century

- XC MTB "A" race

- Time trial "A" race

- Ultra endurance events, the Death Ride (16000' and 120 miles), Double centuries, etc

2) How much intensity do you leave in (Friel says 40% if I understood it correctly) each week leading up to the event?

3) How do you mix functional training in to combat the repetitive stress motions of cycling?

4) How much of a factor is the fact that you get your body used to a certain level of activity, and it does its best when those levels remain constant?

5) I get "clever rest = performance improvement," but how much is too much?

6) How much fitness can someone lose if they taper too long?

When I get the answers back, I'll write the article and put it up!