Expert tip on road bike training - Mountain training in the flatlands? Is that even possible?

Question from TOUR reader Thomas F.: In July 2016, I would like to cycle up the Stelvio Pass with two colleagues. We are all hobby cyclists with decent equipment, but as we all live more or less in the flatlands, the question arises: How do you prepare seriously for such a climb, what training options are there for us? Nobody has ridden a climb of this length before. We don't have the time or the money for a longer training camp because of our family. We would be very grateful for tips of any kind, as we naturally want to approach this as well trained as possible.

Answer from Robert Kühnen: There are various ways to prepare for long climbs, even on flat or hilly terrain. Long, somewhat power-orientated speed intervals in the upper basic endurance range (GA2) on the border to the development range are central to this. Long means: 20 minutes to a good two hours at a time, whereby you should gradually increase the duration of the effort. The duration of exertion can also be made up of many repetitions on a short incline - if necessary, you can ride up and down 30 times - or a long tempo ride on the flat. The advantage of riding uphill: The typical sitting posture is trained and the mountain provides a clear goal.

To make intervals on flat terrain a little more mountain-specific, use a slightly heavier gear than normal and a correspondingly lower cadence, such as 80 rpm in a high gear. The aim is to achieve a consistently high continuous power output below the aerobic-anaerobic threshold. How does that feel? You have enough air to breathe, but the muscular effort increases over time, making it difficult to maintain the level until the end. This is not easy to achieve on the flat without a watt power measurement, as there is no pressure to set the power accordingly high without a hill, but the heart rate can serve as a guide.

The second element is harder intervals in the development zone - deep breathing is just in balance or slightly above, so that breathing becomes difficult over time. You can choose to train on the mountain again (easier) or on the flat. We recommend 3 to 5 intervals of 10 minutes each. With one tempo training session and one development training session per week over three months (except in regeneration weeks), the Stelvio Pass will not be lower, but it will certainly be fun to conquer.