Hey all, i’m after the knowledge of the collective!
I’ve entered the Tour of Flanders sportive (174km) next April (6 April 2019) and wondering what would be my best options for a training plan.
i’m current mid-way through my CX season and following the low volume cx plan. The season and this plan come to an end during the week of 21st Jan (final race of my season being on the 26th). This then leaves 10 weeks until the sportive.
so i’m going from a race season of short, very punchy, cx races into a longish day with steep cobbled climbs.
my current thinking was to have a week of physical/ mental recovery/re-fresh followed by a week of getting back into things then hitting the Mid Volume Rolling Road Race specialty plan.
But is this the most approriate?
Other options could be stepping back to a Build phase plan (Sustained Power?) or the Climbing Road Race or Century specialty plans. Or even 4 weeks of a build followed by 4 week specialty.
Any thoughts?
Bit of background-I’ve been racing bikes for years (about 25!) in everything from tt’s, triathlons (inc several IM), road racing and now CX, so i have a good level of base fitness. Currently sat at around 4.1w/kg. I generally only do the low volume plans due to family commitments but should be able to increase to a mid-volume plan in the run up to Flanders.
So then, what do folk reckon as to a good plan from late Jan onwards??
A very punchy cx races and steep cobbled climbs could “go together”. I have done the 2018 edition (but the 229km route) and the anerobic power is probably the most important. You do need solid endurance to stay alive (although my longest training was 5hour at most) but the punchy anerobic power is the most important, there is a massive ammount of people who you can ride with in the easy Z1/Z2 however, if you want to stay in the group, or more often you intend to ride and not walk the bergs you need to put Z6 efforts. (Plus faster you go, less it hurts…)
My zone distribution from the Flanders:
Yup! Details to come, but at the very least there’s a TR user who’s local to the area and he’s offered to show us some nice places for “recovery drinks” after the ride and a few of us actually doing the ride.
As for training, I’m finishing SSB 2, and then I’m planning on general build and rolling road race specialty. I’ll get 4 weeks of specialty in before ToF, so my taper week will lead me right into the event.
