The partnership is not all that new in fact; Lõiv and Sollie have been working together for six months now.

Lõiv told ERR: "I got to him through the Norwegian national team, who recommended him. Why did I choose him in particular? I think it was his great desire to coach me specifically, such enthusiasm and the willingness to discuss everything with me."

Sollie brings broad experience, having advised athletes from various endurance disciplines.

Since beginning their collaboration, Lõiv has trained under his science-based approach, with a heavy focus on aerobic capacity through five-hour rides and high-effort intervals.

Sollie, who has a PhD in exercise physiology and has been coaching for 20 years, emphasized: "Mountain biking is a sport where you have a lot of high-intensity efforts. It's natural to think we have to train for that, but every high-intensity effort requires a wide and strong aerobic capacity."

Lõiv meanwhile noted that these methods differ from previous coaches', saying: "The new coach's philosophy is really different from my previous coach's. Most of the training sessions seem easier and aren't as anaerobic as what I used to do, but the overall volume is greater and some days are extra tough. There are two very, very hard sessions."

However, the preparation period was not without setbacks — the Estonian struggled with a severe cough for nearly two months. "My season prep began in January in Spain. At first, I was able to train really well, but starting in February I was plagued by a very strong cough and tried to find a solution for two months straight. To this day it's still not entirely clear what the cause was."

Despite the illness, she has picked up three wins in Spain since March but is not yet in peak form. Coach Sollie noted she has been able to raise his charge's anaerobic threshold already, and shown strength in climbing.

"What we need to work more on I think is top power, the highest power, like sprinting, and some technical parts," he went on.

The season runs through to October and includes the European Championships in Portugal in July, the World Championships in Switzerland in September, followed by World Cup races in the U.S. and Canada.

Lõiv represented Estonia at last year's Paris Olympics, and three years before that, in Tokyo.

Mountain biking requires a somewhat different type of fitness than road racing, though both involve cardiovascular endurance. Mountain biking for instance demands explosive power bursts and is more of a a full-body workout compared with road racing's sustained, steady-state power and muscle endurance. 

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!