In June 2019 I am attending a cycling event in the Italian Alps. It is a 2 day event with some famous cols from the Giro d’Italia like the Stelvio, Gavia Mortorillo etc… It is not a race but I want to be in the best possible condition to climb those cols at a decent pace while being able to enjoy the scenery.
Summary
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Tomorrow I will start using trainingroad after using Zwift all winter.
I want to combine inside training with my Tacx Neo and outside training.
What training plan would you recommend me?
This is a whole topic of its own. There is a lot of great discussion on incorporating outdoor riding into your cycling plan here:
in general, consistency is the cornerstone of a successful season of training. How restricted will you be on the busy weeks?
If you can still get three days of riding in on your busy weeks, I would recommend selecting a low-volume training plan so that you can always complete your scheduled workouts. Then, on weeks that you have extra time to ride, you can do additional outdoor rides to increase your overall riding volume for that week. This also gives you the chance to enjoy some unstructured outdoor riding, which can have a positive impact on your morale and motivation over the course of the racing season
Those are some of the best roads I’ve ever ridden a bike on. Bucket-list climbs for sure. Check out a few ‘reviews’ or rides others have done on those climbs and use those as motivation when you’re training for this one.
(and post and update in a few months to let us know how you go!)
Thanks for the information guys. Now I know where to begin and what to read.
For sure I will write down my ‘memoires’ on this forum after the event.
If the training sessions arrn’t too long, I should be able to squeeze in 4 maybe 5 training sessions in a ‘busy’ working week. But then maybe only 1 longer training.
I run 1 or 2 times a week, can I continue doing that, or is it better only to focus on cycling till the event?
Climbing for life?
I’m a beginner on TR myself ,so take everything below with a grain of salt …hopefully smarter and more knowledgeable people show up.
If you can train 4+ times a week on busy weeks I think what plan you pick it will mostly depend on :
-how much TSS you can handle. Indoor TSS is nothing like outdoor, so be careful if this is your first time really training indoors.
-What you consider long. If you can cope with 1.5-2hour sessions both mentally and timewise, mid volume might suit you well. If not pick low volume and try to do plus versions or add an endurance ride or sweet spot session when possible.
Problem is you only have 14 weeks left, so running a full base-build-specialty plan will be impossible.
IF! your zwift training was done following a plan, or at least was focussed and not just riding around, I would skip SSB I and do SSB II - sustained power build.
Otherwise a modified SSB like this one + first 4 weeks of build
As for outdoor rides.
If you want to do long ones, substitute them with the longer sweet spot sessions as advised in the week tips. Shorter,easy ones you can do on endurance days or add on if you feel fresh.
A few cyclo’s in the Ardennes might help you build confidence in your climbing and pacing.
Be sure to book your hotel on time, last year everything filled up fast in Bormio.
And if possible it’s worth staying longer, 2 days travelling for 2 days riding is a shame for such a nice region. It’s worth riding to Livigno, Lago di Cancano, Tirano, Switzerland (Umbrailpass), …
Enjoy it!
Will be hard to top for a cycling vacation
Climbing for life indeed. I will rent an appartment in Bormio.
I did FTP builder on Zwift, but stopped it beginning of february. Since then no training plan anymore (skiing and mostly outside rides)
So I might skip volume 1.
Hesitating between low volume and mid…
Or since I have not enough time, is it better not to follow a plan?
I think you will definitely need a 11-32… especially if you’re going to do back to back days in those mountains. I will also be around early in June doing the Gran Fondo Stelvio, for the second time. I just keep going back every time I can, the area is stunning.
If you have a long cage derailleur, I’d go with a 11-34
They fit on any long cage ,not just the newer series.
These are long climbs with a few nasty gradient pitches, so anything that will help keep your cadence up will be welcome.
As for the roads, mostly good. Only the Gavia descent into Bormio was rougher. (not my video, just an example)
R8000 SS is officially meant for cassettes up to 11-30.
Some people flip the b-screw and fit larger, but you better know what you’re doing and set it up perfectly , don’t shift into large-large, etc or you might end up breaking something.
You could also install a Wolf Tooth Roadlink-hanger to expand the range. Will be a cheaper option.
A lot depends on your weight really, 34-30 will get you to the finish if you’re light and strong.
