TRAINING FOR PROGRESSION IN ROAD CYCLING

How to train to improve in road cycling?

Whatever your cycling discipline, training sessions need to be tailored and well-managed to ensure consistent progress under the best conditions throughout the year.

Road cycling seems to be an easily accessible sport because most people know how to ride a bike.

However, improving as a cyclist is a whole different challenge and rushing through stages can lead to mistakes and setbacks. Cycling requires a structured approach and consistent practice—skipping two weeks of training can result in losing up to a month’s worth of progress. So to continuously improve year-round, it's important not to stop all physical activity for two to three months, and to follow a methodical, step-by-step approach.

This article is not intended to replace a coach, who is much more qualified than I am and can tailor sessions based on each individual's fitness and capabilities. However, understanding the basics can at least help you avoid common pitfalls.

The different areas and types of efforts

Historically, cycling has been categorised into various types of efforts, such asendurance and sprinting.

However, as knowledge continues to evolve, particularly with scientific advancements, we can now identify seven types of efforts and corresponding intensity levels to target specific performance parameters.The Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax) serves as the basis for calculating all these types of efforts.

The table below, titled "Intensity Zones", was created by David Giraud, who has coached the VAN RYSEL AG2R LA MONDIALE U19 runners for over 8 years.

Although only a comprehensive stress test can precisely determine the thresholds for optimal training, your maximum heart rate can initially serve as a foundation to accurately identify basic training zones.

To determine this maximum heart rate, first ensure you are in good health and have received approval from your general practitioner. If cleared, find a hill of 1 to 2 km near your location. Tackle this climb at a quick pace, but only after completing a thorough 30-minute warm-up. Climb the hill at a fast pace while ensuring you can reach the top. At 150 meters from the summit, sprint as if victory awaits you there. Your heart rate monitor should display a value close to your maximum heart rate.

The different intensity zones

Zone 1: Light / This is the lowest intensity zone after resting. You should not feel any muscle pain, and pedalling is completely relaxed. Conversation is easy, and fatigue only sets in after several hours.

Zone 2: Moderate / In this zone, there should still be no muscle pain. Maintaining the exercise intensity is easy, and conversation flows naturally. Fatigue appears after 3 to 4 hours.

Zone 3: Sustained / In Zone 3, effort becomes more noticeable. This is the zone where muscle pain starts to appear. Conversations become difficult, and exhaustion occurs after 2 hours.

Zone 4: Critical / Zone 4 is a critical zone. Muscle pain increases gradually but remains manageable. Conversations are challenging, and exhaustion may occur after just 20 minutes for untrained individuals.

Zone 5: Supra-Critical / You are performing at your maximum aerobic capacity. Muscle pain increases quickly and becomes hard to tolerate. Conversations are extremely difficult, if not impossible. Exhaustion occurs within 5 to 10 minutes depending on your training level.

Zone 6: Sub- maximal / Zone 6 is the zone for long sprints lasting 30 seconds to 1 minute. Discomfort is extreme due to the build-up of lactic acid, and nausea might set in. Conversation is, of course, impossible.

~~Zone 7: Maximum / Effort in this zone is so brief that muscle pain does not have time to manifest. Exercises are performed while holding your breath, leading to hyperventilation immediately afterwards.

Recovery, a component of training

Many cyclists believe that riding is always better than resting, even when they feel tired or unmotivated.

However, recovery is a crucial part of training because the benefits of training are realized during rest periods. You can only reap the full rewards of your effort if you allow your body time to absorb and adapt to it — which means recovering.

After a long ride lasting 3 to 4 hours, it will take 2 to 3 days for the body to fully recover. After a shorter ride (e.g. 1.5 to 2 hours) that includes specific high-intensity work, recovery can happen within 24 hours.

Skipping recovery and pushing through fatigue not only stalls progress but also risks over-training.

After an intense effort that depletes your energy reserves, the body — a finely-tuned machine — adapts by rebuilding those reserves to a higher level than before. This process, known as supercompensation, is essential for progression. Imagine a car with a fuel tank that can hold 600 km worth of fuel. If you frequently drive 800 km, the tank adapts, expanding its capacity so you can cover 800 km without needing to refuel.

But this supercompensation can only occur during periods of rest.

Physiological limits

It's important to remember that genetic predispositions inherently impose limits on our performance. Some people will naturally be stronger or more skilled simply because they are genetically more gifted.

Even if you were to train exactly like a Tour de France champion — and could withstand the same workload — it doesn’t guarantee you would win the Tour...or even turn professional.

Vo2max

You are genetically programmed with a VO2max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use to produce energy (and thus sustain effort). Expressed in ml/kg/min, the higher this value, the faster and longer you can ride. For context, a sedentary person typically has a VO2max of around 30, while elite athletes can exceed 85 ml/kg/min (with the record for a cyclist being 97.5)

Another naturally limiting factor is muscle fibre composition. There are white fibres (for explosiveness) — predominant in sprinters — and red fibres (for endurance).Each individual has a genetically determined proportion of these fibres, and training cannot alter this ratio. Some people are born sprinters, while others excel at endurance. Fortunately, training can still enhance key parameters, enabling you to become more efficient.
Anaerobic Threshold

The anaerobic threshold is one of the most recognised benchmarks in cycling. It represents the heart rate at which your muscles produce more lactic acid (by-product) than your body can eliminate. Beyond this threshold, you enter the "red zone", where sustaining your effort becomes increasingly difficult due to the burning sensation in your legs. This threshold varies depending on age and sex, but targeted training, particularly through interval workouts at specific intensities, can help push this limit higher. For example, when I began cycling, my anaerobic threshold was around 155 beats per minute. It is currently at 165 beats per minute.Those 10 beats make a big difference. For most cyclists, the anaerobic threshold lies between 85% and 90% of their maximum heart rate.
Power-to-Weight Ratio

Another crucial factor for cyclists is the power-to-weight ratio. This ratio highlights the importance of maximising power output while minimising body weight to achieve the best performance efficiency. However, as discussed in the article about bike weight, it's essential not to drop below your optimal body weight, known as your racing weight. If you lose too much weight, it can lead to a decline in power output.

Rules for progressing and building strength

Warm-up: the often-neglected essential. A warm-up should last at least 20 minutes, during which you should pedal smoothly (80-90rpm) but avoid excessive spinning that could strain your ligaments. During these 20 min your heart rate should gradually increase.

Avoid engaging exclusively in club rides where you return home completely drained after riding at full intensity for the entire session. Such practices can be counterproductive.

Whether you’re a beginner or returning after a break, the season should always start with base endurance training. These rides help build a solid foundation, which is essential for progressing to higher-intensity sessions later. Base training typically begins in January. Over time, progressively extend ride distances (or rather, time in the saddle). During this period, maintain a steady rhythm for most of the ride. But don’t hesitate to briefly elevate your heart rate now and then — such as when climbing a short hill.

video: how to increase your average speed?

Targeted training involves structured and repeated exercises within a single ride, also known as Interval Training. These exercises alternate between varying intensities and recovery periods.

As with any intense workout, a proper warm-up is critical before this kind of session. At least 30 minutes is necessary to prepare your body for the demands ahead. One of the most effective interval training exercises is the Gimenez model, structured as follows: 9x (1min at I5 + 4min at I3).

So, 1 min at 96% of your max HR followed by 4 minutes at 85–90% of your max HR. This cycle should be repeated 9 times.Don't worry, you certainly won't be able to maintain this pace right from the start. It's a very challenging exercise to master, but ideal for making progress. Notice that speed is irrelevant —the only metric that matters is your heart rate. Even so, heart rate remains an empirical method of gauging effort. For optimal precision, using a power meter is recommended.

If you find it difficult to complete all repetitions initially, start with 3–4 repetitions. It's better to reduce the number of repetitions than to compromise on quality.

If you do the whole exercise, including warm-up, intervals and cool-down, the session should take approximately 1 hr 30 min. Despite its brevity, this focused approach delivers better results than a 3-hour group ride and your body will have fully recovered within 24 hours.