THE INSTITUT CATALÀ DEL PEU CONDUCTS A BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS TO THE WOMEN’S CYCLING TEAM UCI MASSI-TACTIC.

During the month of January, the biomechanical team formed by Miguel Ángel Baños, Rafael Martín and Julia Muñoz, from the Institut Català del Peu and Fitmetric, carried out the biomechanical and podiatric assessments to the UCI Massi-Tactic women’s cycling team. The tests took place both in the installations of the Institut Català del Peu, where the Fitmetric project has its headquarters, and in the Massi-Tactic high level of achievement center, where the foreigner and catalan women cyclists bring together to carry out group trainings in the province of Gerona. The biomechanical assessments are a very important tool for the team, because most of the women cyclists are beginners and also the bicycles are new. Therefore, it is essential an assessment of the position in order to fit the cyclists in a suitable position, as well as the test of level of achievement where we value the muscular response and the biomechanics of cycling during an increased test of power. The task of the biomechanical staff is indispensable in the pre-season in order to perform a suitable monitoring during the season. Our main function is to assure that the cyclists will go in a correct position, to avoid lesions caused by the position, to improve the pedaling technique and other technical aspects  we have noticed in the biomechanics during the pedaling. Thus, we keep assessing the necessary adjustments during the season. The biomechanical staff carries out synergies with the head coach, the trainer and the technicians to conduct the necessary adjustments in the suitable moments. The responsibility that the work will be suitable and perfectly synchronized with the rest of the technical staff of the team is very important. Not only for the work to conduct, which implies a change in the pedaling technique, but also  by assuring that the cyclists will have a suitable level of achievement and will be able to keep the level which they come from their countries. Many foreigner cyclists have found the opportunity in the UCI Massi-Tactic in order to be promoted after being national champions in their countries and other cyclists who keep their level competing in UCI, like the case of Vita Heine, national champion in Norway in 2016, 2017 and

2018. Agua Marina Espinola, on the way to Tokyo 2021, in 2020 twice national champion in Paraguay and with an incredible list of achievements in an international level.

In spite of the uncertainty of the 2021 season, we are continuing  working with great positivism and as normally as possible with the aim that  all will be okay and the cyclists will have the best performance, giving the best in our team in the tasks which concern us.