This plan is for: This plan is for those riders getting started in racing, who wish to reach a peak fitness for targeted road events of 30-90km.

This plan will: This plan is focused on developing your road racing ability and building on your current base fitness. The priority within this plan is developing your race pace intensities and working on those specific areas of performance which are crucial come race day. If you are looking to start racing, this plan will help sharpen your racing edge. Alternatively, if your fitness has stagnated or you have not seen progress in the past months/seasons, then this plan will help you step up a level and hit new peaks.

Before you start, you will need: A solid level of base fitness from at least one year of consistent training, riding several times per week; confidence to ride fast in a bunch.

How it works: The first five weeks of the plan works on your ability to react to changes of pace. The intervals will help simulate the extended surges encountered in the peloton or when climbing during a road race — tougher sections of terrain, attacks, etc. This period also works on your anaerobic threshold by combining some longer sustained efforts just below your threshold using sweetspot blocks, before developing your higher-capacity efforts.
In the second five weeks, the plan works on your tolerance to high intensity using short but explosive efforts to work. This enhances body’s ability to process lactate and recover adequately to maintain performance, even when under fatigue. Your VO2 max power and anaerobic capacity are addressed as the final icing on the cake before you take on your big goal.
The overall priority of this plan is targeting specific race intensities, in a strategic way. Overall volume is kept relatively low to avoid excessive fatigue or burnout.