The non-stop nature of a criterium – the action starts from the gun and rarely relents – means that working on improving your lactate threshold is key, according to Roe.

It’s not fun, but it’s a necessarily evil as Roe – who is coached by compatriot James McCallum – readily admits and she recommends an ’20-40′ interval session to improve your ability to cope with the constant sprints and short periods of recovery that make up a criterium.

“If you want to do training sessions for criterium racing then the type you are looking for are the ones which work on your lactate threshold,” says Roe. “You have your 20-40 sessions, which everyone hates. I hate them, everyone hates them and if they say they don’t hate them then that’s a lie.

“That’s a 20-second sprint, followed by a 40-second rest and then another 20 and so on. Or you can then be evil and do a 20-second sprint with just ten seconds to rest.”

A ’20-40′ session can be dictated either by time or the number of intervals. For example, using a five-minute climb and riding 20 seconds on and 40 seconds off, or completing five sets of intervals over five minutes. Whatever method you choose, the key is to maintain consistency through the session, without a drop-off in power.

While there’s plenty you can do to train for a criterium, Roe recommends throwing yourself into the action and using a series of races to build form, and it’s an approach which brought her plenty of success last season.

“My training last year was basically racing and that’s the best kind of training I think you can possibly get,” she admits. “As the season wears on you will find you get better and better.”