Road bike training: Basic training plans for bike marathons and everyman races

In mid-February, it's definitely time to get going if you want to get your legs going at the start of the summer. The two basic plans each run for nine weeks and comprise an average of nine hours of sport per week if not shortened - this adds up to around 2000 kilometres. If you have less time available, you can cancel one of the five training sessions. Basic training dominates the exercise mix - which is why anyone can join the plans, regardless of their individual training history. To keep things moving forward and avoid monotony, specific training sessions with higher intensity are included - from mountain training to sprinting.

Plan A of road bike training: continuous power for endless metres in altitude

Plan A is aimed at marathon runners who primarily want to develop and increase their endurance performance - the Key training sessions in the plan are strength-focussed intervals at the sweet spot to retrain the remaining "sprinter muscles" for continuous power and thus get the maximum out of them for climbing. One fasting workout per week stimulates the fat metabolism.

The end of the sixth week has a small focus on volume - in keeping with the Easter period if you started training on 19 February. The volume and load increase slowly. The intensive training takes up ten per cent of the total time. In the end, four hours or more should be easily achievable. Your legs will be ready for a larger dose of challenging climbing tours.

Training plan B: Effervescence for everyman races

Plan B is aimed at all those for whom dynamism is more important than continuous power. If you want to race in packs and take part in everyman races, for example, this is the right place for you. The intensive training sessions are shorter than in Plan A, but more demanding. In addition to longer rides at the weekend, the key training sessions are the VO2max intervals to improve maximum oxygen uptake and the short sprints, both of which are on the programme every week.

The additional units in the threshold area are best completed on the flat - head down and chain on the right in an aerodynamic position. Developing and maintaining full power on flat terrain is usually more difficult than on the mountain. After the basic plans, we continue with the competition plans. The basic plans can also be used for so-called maintenance training between several competition highlights.

Road bike training: Basic cycling marathon plan

>> You can find an explanation of the training symbols here.

Road bike training: Basic plan for everyman races

>> Progress can be made even without a fixed training plan. Here you can see how it works.

Read on now:

1. The basics of road bike training
2. Train sensibly even without a training plan
3. Key training units and symbol knowledge