Train hard
‘In total I do about 30 hours of training per week,' says Clarke. 'In the hard weeks I try and hit 14 to 16 hours of cycling. I have a block of two hard weeks and then an easier week.’

Do intervals
‘We do it on the bike, especially leading into races,' says Clarke. 'When I was training for the [2006] world champs, I found a training route that was similar to the two hard hills on the course. I went hard up the hills and recovered on the flat. When it came to the race, I felt better than everyone else and got away on the bike.’

Build cycling endurance
‘The best way to do this is by going out for long rides,' says Clarke. 'They need to be hard enough that you're tired when you get to the end.’

Do shorter training sessions in the week before a race
‘Cut down on miles and throw in some intensity,' says Clarke. 'You can’t get any fitter the week before a race. You can only get more tired. I might do three three-minute bike intervals three days before a race.’

Speed up your transitions
‘Clip your bike shoes onto your pedals before the race so you can slip straight into them when you get to the cycle stage,' says Clarke. 'At the other end, practise getting off your bike while it’s still moving.

No straight-armed biking
‘Make sure you’re not reaching too far with your arms,' says Clarke. 'If you ride with straight arms you’ll start rocking, which is inefficient.’

Go wide into corners
‘Go in wide, cut in at the shortest line and come out wide,' says Clarke. 'That way you can maintain your speed. Lift up your inside knee and put your weight on your inside handlebar. Brake before rather than in the corner to avoid crashing.’

Go hard at hills
‘Some people like to sit, others like to stand,' says Clarke. 'It depends on the athlete but it's best to keep as high a cadence as possible. It's important to really bend your elbows and transfer all your weight to your legs so you don’t bob around.’

Save some juice for the run
‘Don’t cycle too hard in the last 5K because you’ll be absolutely dead,' says Clarke. 'Shake out your legs and stretch while on the bike.’

Have a gander of our race winning tri running tips.