A gran fondo or sportive rewards riders who can keep a steady effort for hours and still climb well late in the day. Twelve to eighteen weeks of structured training, depending on the distance, prepares most cyclists well.
Endurance rides
Long rides at an easy aerobic effort (Zone 2) build the engine and the fat-burning capacity that long days need. Extend your longest ride gradually towards the duration of your event.
Climbing and threshold
Sweet-spot and threshold intervals, such as 3 × 12 minutes, raise the power you can hold on long climbs. Practise climbing seated and standing.
Fuelling
Eat and drink from early in the ride: roughly 60 to 90 g of carbohydrate per hour for long efforts, practised in training.
Pacing
Ride the first half below your capacity, especially on climbs. Riders who hold back early finish stronger.
Indoor training
Many of our plans are indoor-ready, so structured sessions work on a smart trainer when the weather or daylight doesn’t.
Ready to start?
The Endurance Lab gran fondo training plans come in four levels (Start, Develop, Perform and Podium), in power and heart rate versions. Use Find your plan to filter by level, the hours you have each week and the weeks until your event. New to training by effort? Read our RPE guide and training zones guide first.
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