Overview

This plan is for cyclists who can already ride 100km comfortably and want to race a sportive or gran fondo competitively. Over 12 weeks, you'll build fitness through structured intervals, targeted hill work, and strategic periodisation — peaking on race day.

You'll train 4–5 times per week with a mix of intensity, endurance, and recovery. A power meter or heart rate monitor is strongly recommended to keep your sessions precise.

Golden Rule: Hard days hard, easy days easy. The biggest mistake experienced cyclists make is riding too hard on recovery days and too easy on interval days. Polarise your training (keep most rides genuinely easy and make the hard sessions genuinely hard — avoid the "grey zone" in between).

What You'll Need

A well-fitted road bike in top mechanical condition
A power meter (pedal, crank, or hub-based) or reliable heart rate monitor
A turbo trainer or smart trainer for structured indoor sessions
Cycling computer with data fields for power, heart rate, and cadence
Race-day nutrition tested in training — never try anything new on the day
A training log or app (TrainingPeaks, Strava, or similar)

Power Zones

All sessions in this plan reference the zones below, based on your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) — the maximum power (measured in watts) you can sustain for roughly one hour. It's the cycling equivalent of your lactate threshold. If you don't know your FTP, do a 20-minute all-out effort and multiply the average power by 0.95.

Zone	Name	% of FTP	Sensation	Purpose
Z1	Active Recovery	< 55%	Barely turning the pedals	Recovery rides
Z2	Endurance	56–75%	Comfortable, all-day pace	Aerobic base, long rides
Z3	Tempo	76–90%	Comfortably hard, breathing notable	Sustained efforts, sportive pace
Z4	Threshold	91–105%	Hard, conversation very difficult	10–30 min efforts, climbing
Z5	VO2max	106–120%	Very hard, gasping	3–8 min intervals
Z6	Anaerobic	121–150%	Maximum, burning legs	30 sec–2 min efforts

The 12-Week Plan

Weeks 1–4: Base and Build (Accumulation Phase)

Establish volume and aerobic fitness. Introduce threshold work gradually.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Weekend
1	Rest	Intervals: 4 × 8 min Z3, 3 min rest (indoor or road)	Easy spin 45 min Z1–2	Tempo ride 60 min Z3	Rest	Long ride 90km Z2 with 2 × 10 min Z3 efforts
2	Rest	Intervals: 4 × 10 min Z3, 3 min rest	Easy spin 45 min Z1–2	Tempo ride 60 min Z3	Rest	Long ride 95km Z2 with 3 × 10 min Z3
3	Rest	Intervals: 3 × 12 min Z4, 5 min rest	Easy spin 50 min Z1–2	Hill repeats: 5 × 4 min Z4–5, spin-down recovery	Rest	Long ride 100km Z2 with rolling hills
4	Rest	Intervals: 3 × 15 min Z4, 5 min rest	Easy spin 45 min Z1	Easy spin 40 min Z1 — recovery week	Rest	Long ride 80km Z2 easy — recovery week

Weeks 5–8: Intensity and Specificity (Build Phase)

Sharpen your threshold, add VO2max work, and simulate race demands.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Weekend
5	Rest	VO2max intervals: 5 × 4 min Z5, 4 min rest	Easy spin 50 min Z1–2	Tempo ride 70 min Z3 with 2 × 10 min Z4	Rest	Long ride 110km Z2 with a sportive-style hilly route
6	Rest	VO2max intervals: 6 × 4 min Z5, 4 min rest	Easy spin 50 min Z1–2	Hill repeats: 6 × 5 min Z4–5, easy descent recovery	Rest	Long ride 115km Z2. Practise race nutrition strategy
7	Rest	Threshold intervals: 2 × 20 min Z4, 8 min rest	Easy spin 50 min Z1–2	VO2max: 5 × 3 min Z5, 3 min rest	Rest	Long ride 120km Z2–3. Ride at target race pace for final 30km
8	Rest	Threshold: 2 × 20 min Z4, 8 min rest	Easy spin 45 min Z1	Easy spin 40 min Z1 — recovery week	Rest	Long ride 90km Z2 easy — recovery week

Weeks 9–11: Race Sharpening (Realisation Phase)

Maintain intensity, reduce volume, and fine-tune your race-day effort.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Weekend
9	Rest	VO2max: 6 × 3 min Z5, 3 min rest	Easy spin 45 min Z1–2	Threshold: 3 × 12 min Z4, 5 min rest	Rest	Long ride 110km Z2–3. Full race simulation — same kit, food, pacing
10	Rest	VO2max: 5 × 3 min Z5, 3 min rest	Easy spin 45 min Z1–2	Tempo: 50 min Z3	Rest	Long ride 100km Z2 — starting to taper
11	Rest	Threshold: 2 × 15 min Z4, 6 min rest	Easy spin 40 min Z1	Short sharp efforts: 4 × 2 min Z5, full recovery	Rest	Steady ride 70km Z2 — legs should feel fresh

Week 12: Race Week (Taper and Peak)

Less is more. Arrive at the start line rested, sharp, and hungry.

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Weekend
12	Rest	Openers: 30 min Z1–2, include 3 × 3 min Z4	Easy spin 30 min Z1	Rest — bike check, prep kit and nutrition	Rest — stay off your feet	Race day! Warm up 15 min, ride your plan, empty the tank in the final 10km

Race Day Strategy

Start conservatively — the first 30 minutes should feel almost too easy. Let the eager riders burn themselves out
Ride your own pace — stick to Z2–3 for the bulk of the event. Save Z4+ for climbs and the finish
Fuel from the first hour — aim for 60–80g of carbohydrate per hour once rolling
Use groups wisely — drafting saves 20–30% energy. Sit in, take your turn, but don't chase every attack
Split the ride into thirds — ride the first third with your head, the middle third with your legs, and the final third with your heart

Periodisation at a Glance

Phase	Weeks	Focus	Volume	Intensity
Accumulation	1–4	Aerobic base, tempo	High	Moderate
Build	5–8	Threshold, VO2max	High	High
Realisation	9–11	Race sharpening	Moderate	High
Taper	12	Freshness and peak	Low	Short and sharp

Tips for Success

Test your FTP every 4 weeks to keep your training zones accurate
Sleep is your best recovery tool — aim for 7–9 hours, especially during high-intensity weeks
Recovery weeks are not optional — they're where your body absorbs the training and comes back stronger
Train the course if possible — or find roads that replicate the elevation and terrain profile
Stay on top of bike maintenance — a clean drivetrain alone can save you several watts

What's Next?

You've raced your sportive — what a ride. Here's how to keep the momentum going:

Debrief and recover: take a full easy week, then review your data and set your next goal
Explore new challenges — a multi-day touring ride, time trial, or cyclocross event
Go back to our Century Ready: 100km Cycling Plan for a fun, lower-pressure training block
Strengthen your engine with strength training for cross-training during the off-season
Try trail running to build complementary fitness and give your saddle a rest

Sportive Training Plan🔒

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