Hill Climb Plan
Eight weeks aimed at climbing: low-cadence strength work, threshold intervals, VO2 max, and a timed climb simulation at both ends of the plan.
← Training plansW1Open the block
W2Build the base
W3First peak
W4Recovery week
W5Threshold enters
W6Add VO2
W7Four hours
W8Recovery week
W9Peak power
W10Fatigue resistance
W11Unload
W12Taper
Specialty · 8 weeks · 4 rides a week Build · 8 weeks · 4 rides a week
Specialty phase · intermediate · 12 weeks
12-week gran fondo training plan
Long, hilly, and faster than you meant to ride it. A gran fondo is a century with climbs and a timing chip, and both of those change the training. The climbs mean sustained power matters far more than it does on a flat century; the timing chip means you will ride harder than you planned to, particularly in the first hour.
Free, with no trial. Pick a start date and your training days; the sessions land on your own calendar. Switch or stop at any point. Every workout in it can be ridden without an account.
Weeks12
Rides a week5
Typical week7:14
Biggest week9:33
Week by week
EnduranceTempoThresholdVO2 max● Key session
W1Open the block245
Week 1: five rides, moderate load. The low-cadence session should feel muscular, not breathless.
W2Build the base276
Week 2: 2×20 sweet spot and 2h30 on the weekend. Settle into the weekly rhythm.
W3First peak330
Week 3: three hours on the weekend and four low-cadence intervals. The biggest week of block one.
W4Recovery week189
Week 4: recovery. Five rides still, all of them easy. Volume without stress.
W5Threshold enters312
Week 5: threshold intervals replace one sweet spot session. This is where the climbing power starts.
W6Add VO2393
Week 6: 4×8 VO2 and 3h30 on the weekend. The steepest week-to-week jump in the plan.
W7Four hours404
Week 7: the threshold builder, five low-cadence intervals, and a four-hour ride. Fuel it properly.
W8Recovery week189
Week 8: recovery. Two thirds done. The last block is the sharpest.
W9Peak power435
Week 9: 3×20 sweet spot, 4×8 VO2, four hours long. The hardest week of the plan.
W10Fatigue resistance377
Week 10: threshold work plus a long ride with efforts late in it. Event day is decided in the last hour.
W11Unload370
Week 11: volume comes down, quality stays. The group ride keeps the legs sharp without digging a hole.
W12Taper127
Week 12: short, easy, with openers. Everything this week is about arriving fresh.
Every session is a real workout you can open and ride now. Starting the plan schedules all 60 from your chosen date, on the days you pick.
Start Gran Fondo Training PlanRide this plan if
- You have a hilly sportive or gran fondo about 12 weeks away.
- You can ride five times a week, roughly seven to nine hours.
- You have finished a base block or ride consistently year-round.
What you get out of it
- Sustained climbing power built through threshold and low-cadence work.
- A four-hour long ride in the legs, with fuelling practised.
- A taper that puts you on the start line sharp rather than cooked.
How the plan is built
This plan runs five rides a week across twelve weeks. The weekend long ride ramps to four hours, the midweek work moves from sweet spot to threshold, and a dedicated low-cadence session every week builds the muscular side of climbing that pure interval work misses.
It assumes you have a base. If you do not, ride a base block first — sweet spot base or the winter indoor plan — and come back to this one twelve weeks out from your event.
- Five rides: two hard, two easy aerobic, one long.
- A low-cadence torque session every week through the loading blocks.
- Recovery weeks at four and eight; taper in week twelve.
Gran Fondo Training Plan: common questions
How long should you train for a gran fondo?
Twelve weeks of focused work on top of an existing base. If you are starting from very little riding, allow twenty to twenty-four weeks in total and put a base block in front of this plan.
How is gran fondo training different from century training?
Climbing and pace. A gran fondo puts you on sustained climbs where power at threshold decides how long you are out there, and the timed format pushes riders harder than a social century does. This plan carries more threshold and low-cadence work as a result.
What is low-cadence training for and does it help climbing?
Riding at 50–60 rpm at high torque loads the muscular side of the effort rather than the cardiovascular side. It is not a substitute for threshold work, but it builds specific strength for long seated climbs where cadence drops whether you like it or not.
What to ride after this
Training works in blocks. These plans pick up where this one leaves off.
Sustained Power Build
The build block that follows base: threshold intervals and VO2 max work, holding onto the aerobic volume that made them possible.