Movistar Team riders and super siblings Emma and Mathias Norsgaard know a thing or two about winter training. After all, cycling in their home country of Denmark means you either learn to embrace the cold or find a different sport. On a recent winter spin, Emma and Mathias put our new Artica GTX road shoes through their paces, chatting about cycling’s chilliest season along the way. 

What’s your relationship with winter? 

Mathias: The best thing about winter is you actually get to spend time at home. For me, it means I have to train in tough conditions sometimes, but how can you prepare for a wet Roubaix if you can’t even train in this weather? 

Emma: For me, winter is the best time of the year because I get to spend so much time with my family, Mathias, and just spend some time here in Denmark and freeze a little bit. We sweat the whole year, so it’s super nice in the winter. 

How do you prepare for a winter ride?

Emma: First of all: coffee. It’s important to get a good start to the day, and that’s of course with a hot cup of coffee. I like to wake up early in the winter when it’s still dark outside. That way, I have a lot of time in the morning to just relax and enjoy some Danish morning television.

Mathias: I always make sure to put on as many layers as possible, and I always have extra with me so I can put on another layer after a coffee stop. And if it’s really cold, I make sure to go super hard so that my body temperature rises. 

What was your training like when you were a child during the winter in Denmark?

Mathias: When I was a kid, I remember we never really had the best winter clothing. On almost every Sunday ride in January and February, I would be crying when I came home because I was freezing. Sometimes I even changed clothing in the shower afterwards. But I loved it anyway, and I never sacrificed a ride because of the weather.

Emma: A core memory for me is winter training rides every Tuesday and Thursday evening with my dad. We always started the training at 17:00 when it was already completely dark outside. The best part was coming home to the smell of my mom’s dinner, freezing a little bit, so I would sit on the couch, tucked in a blanket, surrounded by my family with a really nice dinner.

In Denmark and looking for a fun winter ride?

Riders – Emma and Mathias Norsgaard
Photo – Radcom