MXA Mid-Week Report: Training With Jeff Spencer, Meet Kyle Summers, The Tour Is Here

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By: Zap

ROAD BIKE ACTION WEB SITE IS LIVE

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In terms of lasting racing careers and winning records, it’s safe to say that Jeff Spencer is among those who stands with few peers ? and yet he has never actually raced a motorcycle. However, Spencer has nonetheless been an indispensable part of the careers of some of the winningest riders in the sport.

Like many of us, Jeff’s two-wheeled career actually began on a bicycle. Back in the 60’s Jeff became an avid track cyclist and started to race in Southern California. A bronze medal at the 1971 national championships and a win at the ’72 Olympic trials would eventually provide Spencer with a slot on the U.S. team headed for the Munich Olympics that year.

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In the ensuing years Jeff hit the books and earned a Masters Degree in Sports Science. By 1980 he was hired by Team Honda to provide some direction for their latest crop of up and comers. From everything he learned working with riders like Chuck Sun Donnie Hansen, David Bailey and Johnny O’Mara, Jeff wrote “Total Training” in 1984, one of the sport’s earliest primers on motocross specific training and conditioning.

In 1999 Jeff got the call for what would become his most celebrated job ever. Lance Armstrong was returning to racing following his near-death bout with cancer and he wanted Jeff to accompany him at the Tour de France. Lance would go on to win that race a history making seven times with Jeff Spencer by his side each time. Following the team’s disastrous 2006 effort (without Lance or Jeff present), Spencer was called back by the team for 2007 and once againÿhe worked his magic to help Alberto Contador and the team win the Tour for an eighth time.

From Lance it was back to motocross where Jeff hooked up with riders like Chad Reed, Tim Ferry and Kevin Windham. At this year’s AMA Supercross awards banquet when Kevin Windham was congratulated for his second overall in the series, Kevin made sure to throw some love Spencer’s way when he told the crowd that, “Jeff helped me turn over a new leaf. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be up here now.”

To purchase Jeff’s new book – Click Here.

Jeff has worked closely with Motocross Action for over two decades and following his success with K-Dub this season we decided it was time to check in with himÿto find out the latest which includes the publication of his newest book, “Turn It Up!”.ÿAlso, for exclusive training tips (“The Ten Worst Training Mistakes”) from the man himself, be sure to check out theÿSeptember issue of MXA.

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WHO IS JEFF SPENCER?
MXA: How did you get involved in motocross?
Jeff: A neighbor of mine, Bruce Burness, was a recreational cyclist and heavily involved in the motocross industry developing suspension and frame geometry systems for all the factories. When we would ride in the hills of Pasadena we would discuss the demands of the sport and what the riders were doing for training. And, from my experience as an Olympic cyclist and my academic training in exercise physiology I saw there was a huge mismatch between what the riders were doing for training and what the demands of the sport were. I saw tremendous opportunity for improvement He mentioned my comments to American Honda’s management who wanted to hear what I had say on the topic as they were revamping their motorcycle sports program that year. They liked what I said and in January, 1980, we held the first ever organized factory training camp in motocross to get ready for that year’s supercross season. My tenure lasted four years with the Honda factory with the last two showing complete dominance of the sport.ÿÿ

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MXA: Honda was considered the dominant team back then. What was the atmosphere like within the team?
Jeff: The ?80’s was an inspired time of creativity and development for the riders and bikes. The riders and factory were hungry for innovation to gain the competitive advantage. There was a sense of innocence, in a certain way, combined with iron-like will and work ethic. At Honda during that time came the advent of low radiator on the two stroke, linkage single shock suspension systems, anti-squat devices, springer front ends, and other pivotal ideas; some of which survived the cut and are standard equipment on today’s bikes. On the riders’ side training programs were becoming more individualized and systematic. More attention was being paid to injury prevention and management, and diet. There was real team atmosphere and cooperation among the riders to help each other get the best out of each other. It was very dynamic time as Roger DeCoster, and Dave Arnold, were at the helm of the program and they both had tremendous skill and creativity in innovation and weren’t afraid to try new ideas. Many teams get trapped by their traditions making shifts in policy difficult to keep pace with necessity. It was a lot of fun.

MXA: What riders have you trained and who you currently work for.
Jeff: Since 1980 the national champions I’ve worked with either on training, and, or injury management,ÿ include Chuck Sun, Johnny O’Mara, Donnie Hansen, Darrel Schultz, David Bailey, Bob Hannah, Rick Johnson, Broc Glover, Jeff Ward, Jeremy McGrath, Mike Kiedrowski, Mark Barnett, Jeff Stanton, Timmy Ferry, and Chad Reed. I also had the good fortune of being the trainer for the 1981 and 1982 MX des Nations teams that began the U.S. dominance in the event that continues today. Currently I’m working with Nathan Ramsey and Kevin Windham in the Supercross class.

MXA: Lance Armstrong is definitely your biggest success story, what do you think his take away was from working with you?
Jeff: What we both knew in our own way going into the first Tour in 1999, and confirmed through the last Tour in 2006, is that the key to a successful career is to have the proper balance of training to recovery and maintain a champion’s mentality at all times. You’ve got to be physically and mentally capable of creating and taking advantage of opportunity and the only way that can happen is through proper preparation and trust in your ability, training, and history of success.

MXA: What’s a secret Spencer training tip can you throw out that any aspiring racer can learn from?
Jeff: Winning is learned behavior and no amount of will or talent will make up for bad choices, stubbornness, or not doing the work to develop the skill and talents necessary to put in top performances. Study and emulate what the great champions have done to win their first race and repeat their championships. It’s no accident they’re perennial winners.ÿ

MXA: In the last few years there has been a real surge in riders hiring trainers.
Jeff: Although I question what some of these guys are bringing to the table, it’s a positive step that the riders are thinking about having an outside counsel in their lives. I think it’s ridiculous how the factories spend millions of dollars on these kids every year and base their investment only on their talent on the track. Talent isn’t enough. There is a huge difference between having a training partner and having someone to help you build a long and prosperous career. Putting too much emphasis on a training parting can be detrimental because it can build up a sense of dependency which isn’t good. What I try to do is identify the landscape that the rider finds themselves in and then make the intelligent choices to enhance their effort within that landscape.

MXA: How does it feel to have worked with such a long list of great riders?
Jeff: My greatest passion is to see the guys I work with get the rewards they deserve from all the time and effort they put into themselves. They turn the throttles. All I try to do is set the compass headings and let them take it from there. My record speaks for itself, but I think it’s safe to say that I know how to win.

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For more info, Click Here.

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JEFF SPENCER & THE TOUR DE FRANCE

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Michael Barry is a Canadian rider who has spent time on the Discovery team and now rides for the Columbia/Slipstream team, one of two American squads competing in the Tour de France. We caught up with Michael as he was beginning his preperations for another summer of race action which will of course include the Olympics in August.

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RBA: What will some of the specifics of your June program be?
Michael: There are four guys from my team that also live in Girona, Spain so I’ll be riding with them and maybe some of the guys from Slipstream. I ride a lot with George (Hincapie) and we’ll start heading for the bigger mountains outside of town in the week befofre the Tour.ÿUsually we’ll ride up into the mountains and stay at a hotel up there for a few days and then ride home. There’s a big difference between riding a six kilometer climb and a ten to twenty kilometer climb. Just the effect on how your lower back feels is pretty extreme and your body has to learn to adapt to that.

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RBA: How would you explain to someone not familiar to cycling about just how hard a job it is to be a Pro bike rider?
Michael: That’s actually hard to put into words. It makes me think back to one of the stages in the Dauphine. We rode 235k and had to climb five mountain passes and afterwards George and I were riding back to the hotel and we were both starving. The only thing we could find to eat was a sandwich that our soigneur had been saving for himself and we just laughed about that. It’s kind of ludicrous to try and explain to someone what we had just done, especially when they ask what we got for the effort. On that long Dauphine stage I burned about 10,000 calories. On the other end, I think if people saw how much we eat after a race they might start to get an idea of what we put ourselves through. But when you summit climbs in a race, it’s not even just an accomplishment, it’s something rewarding inside you, it’s a spiritual reward.

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Talk about a Tour de France missle, Giant just unveiled their latest high end road weapon in the shape of the TCR Advanced SL.ÿFourÿversions of the carbon fiber bike will be available, three with the integrated seat post (as seen on this model) and one with a traditioanl telescoping seat post. The frames are made at the Giant factory and features the brands signature slopping top tube (Compact) design frame, but beyond that the frame is all new. From the massively oversized and box section down tube to the the wider 86 mm wide bottom bracket and a tapered head tube, the new bike is all about increased performance and rider comfort. Choose betwwen Shimano Dura-Ace or Sram Red drivetrains. Prices haven’t been set, but be sure to watch the bike underneath American George Hincapie and the rest of the Team Columbia/High Road squad peform in the Tour this year. For more info, Click Here.

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The MotoGiro,ÿa classic motorcycle timed-tour, covers more than one hundred miles each day during its five-day route and explores the Monterey Peninsula’s twisting country roads, challenging mountain passes and spectacular Pacific panoramas. The MotoGiro takes place in Laguna Seca the week prior to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Key Italian manufacturers of high performance motorcycles and scooters, and makers of apparel and accessories will participate.
Featured Classes:

Vintage Class (up to 1957): A maximum of 120 competitors will be welcomed. Motorcycles up to 175 cc (which meet the Highway Code and are properly insured), built before 1957 or thereafter, but inspired by those which used to race in the Motogiro, and that have been individually selected upon the obligatory receipt of two photos (right and left sides) will be admitted. Participants in the historical competition will undergo time ability trials during the run.
Super Sport Class (up to 250cc and 1968, includes all sidecars): To celebrate the great “success” of Italian industry and to complete the traveling museum, which the Motogiro is, in 2008 the organization is proposing something novel: the new TSS class open to motorcycles and sidecars of all makes with 250 cc cylinders, built up to 1968. Those enrolled in the TSS will participate in ability trials set aside for them and from which a special classification will be assigned.

Super 70s Class (all brands, up to 1000cc, up to 1979): This class is open to all makes of bikes with a minimum 200cc cylinder and bikes of historic interest (at the discretion of the organization), in accordance with the Highway Code, properly insured, and built between 1968 and 1978. Registered in the Memorial class will participate in ability trials reserved for them, and from which a special classification will be assigned.
Scooter Class (all brands, all sizes; up to 1979): Vespa will have its own special Motogiro class to celebrate the more than one hundred versions of the iconic scooter produced during the last half century.
Tourist Class (all brands, all sizes, all years): Open to those who own a bike of recent manufacture and who want to live the atmosphere of the Motogiro in a more relaxed way and at a non-competitive level. Bikes of all makes (and in accordance with the Highway Code and properly insured) are admitted and they will follow the same itinerary as the Historic Revival. Participants will be divided into groups of about 25 motorbikes and will be assigned a group leader who will serve as a guide along the route and to whom it will always be necessary to make reference.
Side Car Class (all brands, up to 900cc, up to 1979): Open to all motorcycles up to 900 cc with sidecars up to 1979.

The Motogiro America 2008 will start and finish in Monterey, California, motor sports capital of the West. Special attractions and local events will be held throughout the Peninsula and the itinerary will evoke the authentic spirit of the original tour. The end of the rally will be celebrated with a gala dinner. A more detailed itinerary and program of events can be found by Click Here.

SPEAKING OF MOTOGP