What training program for road cycling?

If you're a cycling enthusiast and want to progress in road cycling, you're probably wondering what road cycling training to follow. In this article, we offer you a sample five-week training plan.

Why do a training program for road cycling?

Even professional cyclists can't be in shape year-round: their season is built around one or more goals. In order to arrive in peak form at the right time, it all comes down to training, precisely through the development of a training program. Generally, a training plan is broken down into several blocks.

Each workout should begin with a progressive warm-up and end with a cool-down, followed by stretching after the ride.

First block: general cycle (7 days)

We always start a training program with a general cycle. This cycle will later allow you to gain in intensity and volume for subsequent training blocks.

• Tuesday: solo outing, 2 hours. Strength exercise: gear up on bumps to ride them with a cadence below 60 rpm. Excessive leg turning on downhill (100 rpm minimum).
• Thursday: solo ride, 1.5 hours. Velocity exercise: ride for 40 minutes on the flat with a cadence greater than 100 rpm and an intensity greater than 70% of maximum heart rate (HR Max).
• Saturday: solo ride, 2 hours. PMA exercise: do 4 x [6 x (30 second sprint, 30 second recovery)] with 4 minutes recovery between 2 sets.
• Sunday: group ride, 3:30. Race simulation: gradually increase pace, take short stints at the front of the pack on the flat at 90% of HR Max and do a sprint sign every hour. Finish with 30 minutes quiet to recover.

Second block: specific preparation cycle (10 days)

This second block is dedicated to specific work. This second block is to be adapted according to your goal (long distance cyclosportive, climb a mountain pass, race, etc.). In this example, we will work on power here.

• Tuesday: solo ride, 2 hours. Choose a steep hill of 1 kilometer. Climb it hard and come back down. Repeat between 10 and 15 times.
• Wednesday: 40 minutes of home-training on an empty stomach. Slow pace.
• Thursday: group ride, 3 hours. Do a 30-second sprint as a block every 30 minutes.
• Saturday: solo ride, 2h. Velocity: ride for 40 minutes on the flat with a cadence greater than 100 rpm and an intensity greater than 70% of HR Max.
• Sunday: group ride, 4h. Choose a hard course. Take relays at the head of the group. Do the last hour solo at threshold (80% FC Max).
• Tuesday: solo outing, 2:30. PMA exercise: 2x [10 x (20 second sprint / 20 second recovery)].
• Thursday: solo outing, 2 hours. Anaerobic threshold work: 4 x (5 minutes at 80% FC Max + 5 minutes at 50% FC Max).

Third block: goal in sight (8 days)

With 8 days to go until the goal, you need to continue to move up, without increasing the workload too much so as not to deplete your reserves before D-Day.

• Saturday: solo ride, 2:45. PMA work: 3 x [8 x (12 second sprint / 12 second recovery)]. Finish the outing with 15 minutes at 60%.
• Sunday: group outing, 5h. Choose a course similar to the goal. Enjoy yourself by taking a few relays but without forcing.
• Tuesday: solo outing, 3h. 1h at a cool pace, 1h with 3 hard bumps to ride hard, then 45 minutes on the big plateau at 80% intensity and a cadence above 100 rpm.
• Thursday: solo outing, 2h. PMA work: 2 x [7 x (30 second sprint / 35 second recovery)]. Finish with 20 minutes at 60% of Max HR.
• Saturday (D-1): solo outing, 2h. Free pace ride. In the middle of each hour, ride as long as possible at 70% of FC Max.
• Sunday (D-Day): stay calm until halfway through the event. Try to keep up with small groups at 3/4 of the event, then finish hard.

Fourth block: active recovery cycle (7 days)

This final block should allow the body to recover from the efforts made to reach the goal, but also to prepare for the next goals.

• Tuesday: group ride, 3:30. On a hard track, ride all the bumps sitting on the saddle with a soft gear, without forcing.
• Thursday: solo outing, 2 1/2 hours. On a hilly circuit, keep the same gear ratio for 1h30, regardless of the difference in altitude (50% of the FC Max).
• Saturday: solo outing, 2 hours. Velocity: ride for 40 minutes on the flat with a cadence greater than 100 rpm and an intensity greater than 70% of FC Max.
• Sunday: group ride, 3h. Endurance: fun outing at a leisurely pace. Keep a soft gear and turn your legs well.

Now that you have all the elements in hand, all you have to do is get to work preparing for your next goal. And, if you're a beginner, you may be wondering how to progress in road biking and what road bike training program to follow when you're just starting out?