12 Week Intermediate Winter Cycling Training Plan for Gran Fondo / Century Riders
Who is it suitable for?
Ideal for intermediate riders and who are looking to build fitness over the winter. Whether you prefer sportives, road races or time trials, this structured plan will help you to be faster, fitter and with more sustainable power available in the spring. You should already be capable of comfortably completing a 100 km (60 mile) ride and regularly logging five-to-six hours of riding time per week.
How much training is involved?
The training weeks are typically a mix of two indoor / interval types of workouts with the weekend having an outdoor choice and a session that can be done indoors or out, feel free to swap the weekends workouts to fit in with the weather! There are also some bodyweight exercises, although optional I would recommend them. Every week has at least one rest day, besides it’s up to you how many workouts that you complete! Everything is swappable to fit the plan into your schedule but try not to have more than two harder workouts back-to-back. The shortest week is about 6hrs and the longest is 9hours.
Is it all cycling?
No, there are some body weight exercises for you to do.
What equipment do I need?
I would hope that you have a suitable bike and winter clothing by now, (perhaps even mudguards?), for winter riding. Also required are a bike computer that displays cadence, heart rate and a power meter or smart trainer or similar.
How will the plan be delivered?
All sessions will go live onto your TrainingPeaks account and should work on Zwift or other platforms or via your head unit. You can re-use any workout or indeed the whole plan should you wish to do so.
What other support will there be?
You can also e-mail me at robert@fergsusonscoaching.co.uk with any questions that you have regarding the plan or your training.
Watts Ahead... (Ferguson's Coaching)
UCI Level 3 Coach | CAS High Performance Cycling (UCI / UNIL) | British Cycling Level 3
I’m Robert Ferguson, a high-performance cycling coach specialising in road, time trial and track. With over 30 years in the sport, I deliver structured, data-led training that fits around real life while building sustainable performance. I work with riders who want clear structure, accountability and measurable improvement.