How to create a training plan for cyclists

Creating a good training plan is crucial, so it’s helpful to know how to make one and what the important factors are when developing a training plan.

When you want to create a schedule, you should always start by asking yourself a few athletic questions such as:

• What is my goal?

• What is my current level as a cyclist?

• How much time do I want/can I invest per week?

• How much time do I have until the goal?
  

Once you have answered these questions, we can start building a training plan.

What Goals Can I Choose?

When choosing a goal, it’s important to select a realistic one. Everyone wants to win the Tour de France someday, but even Mathieu Van der Poel knows he will never achieve this due to his body type. My personal goal this year was to qualify for the Granfondo World Championships in Aalborg, which seemed achievable at the start of the year and I succeeded. So, choose a primary goal for the year and work with B and C goals underneath it. An example of a B goal could be improving your FTP value or your VO2 max value. A C goal should be seen as a small improvement in your performance, such as enhancing your explosiveness or sprint, but everything is personal. For a sprinter, increasing explosiveness could be an A goal, while for a pure climber, it might be less important.

Different Training Methods

Nowadays, there are many different training methods, but the two most discussed methods are the following: Polarized Training and the Pyramid Method.

Polarized Training is a training method that best suits cyclists who train many hours per week, such as professionals (20-35 hours). With Polarized Training, there is a clear distinction between hard and volume training. You’ve probably heard about the 80/20 rule, which means that you should ride 80% of your hours at low intensity and 20% at high intensity. You can see that professionals even modify this to 90/10 or 85/15, depending on the goal and the period in the season.

The Pyramid Method is a structured training method that can be particularly useful for amateur cyclists who have less time during the week. This means you should spend most of your time in your lowest zone and the least in your highest zone (see image). Since you have less time to train than professionals, this is the ideal method because you still work in every zone.

How Often Should I Test?

Testing is very important when working towards your A goal. Based on testing, you can see your progress and, if necessary, adjust the schedule to the achieved or less expected progress. Many coaches perform a lactate test to see the progress of their athletes, but this raises many questions, as is a lactate test accurate enough? Just like training with heart rate, a test is dependent on many factors such as what you did the day before, nutrition, daily form, etc. Personally, I prefer to work with different tests during an endurance or interval training where you have a block of intervals at the beginning of a session and do the same block again at the end to evaluate your progress. This is also done by coaches at Alpecin-Deceuninck, among others.

How Far in Advance Should I Plan My Goal?

There is no limit to how early you can know your goal—the sooner, the better. This way, you can create a very calculated and specific training plan where you don’t overtrain out of panic because your goal is approaching. Goals are usually chosen at the beginning of the winter period so that your winter preparation can already be aimed at the goal. Think of Wout van Aert, who decides to ride only a few cross races, keeping in mind that it will be a long season with the Olympics. The mental aspect is just as important as the physical because if you are not mentally sure about your goal, it will be a very difficult task. A good tip is to calmly reflect after the season and write down your A, B, and C goals for the coming season and discuss them with your coach, parents, friends, etc., so you can get feedback on the feasibility of your goal.

What Should You Do the Last Week Before Your Big Goal?

Tapering. This is a term often used in cycling. Tapering means letting your body recover from the training load and recharging physically and mentally towards the big goal. The length of the taper depends on your goal. If your goal is a multi-day race, you can start tapering earlier, for example, 10 days before the start of the race. If your goal is a one-day race, you can have a shorter taper of 5 days, but this also varies per rider, as some professional riders do a long volume training session 3 days before a major classic.

What is the Importance of a Coach Leading up to My Goal?

Having a personal coach is important because you are guided by someone who has knowledge of the training methods and who can also support you in the mental aspect. It is not mandatory, but it is recommended to have a coach on your journey to the big goal. As a coach, I find it important to have a good relationship with the athlete so that you can communicate daily about training and progress. As a coach, it is your duty to ensure that the rider is in optimal condition at the start of their goal, not only physically but also mentally.

Do you have a goal in mind and want to be in the best possible shape at the start? Be sure to contact me for a conversation!