Video: Riders' plans for the off-season

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The racing is coming to a close and the nights are drawing in. It is just under three months before racing begins again on January 20 and team training camps won’t begin for another month, giving the peloton a small window to enjoy a break. So what will the riders do with their precious time off?

Cyclingnews caught up with several pros at the Japan Cup to see what they had planned for their precious time off. Team Sky rider Bernhard Eisel has had a busy race schedule this year, beginning with the Tour Down Under and getting two Grand Tours under his belt. For the Austrian, there is one thing he certainly isn’t doing this winter.

“Definitely not going to ride my bike,” he told Cyclingnews. “After Japan, I’m going to go home and enjoy my time at home. I did 94 race days this year so I just want to be at home for a little bit.”

Tinkoff-Saxo’s Karsten Kroon will probably have more time than most this winter, as he is expected to retire at the end of the year. After 17 seasons as a professional, the Dutch rider is ready to put his feet up. “The original plan was to put a chair in my garden and sit in it and drink beers but I guess it’s not very sustainable. I don’t know, there are a lot of ideas in my mind but I haven’t really decided yet,” he said.

Watch the below video to see what Phil Gaimon, Steele von Hoff and Rory Sutherland have planned for the off-season, some plans are slightly more aspirational than others.

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