Ride your next Gran Fondo or century stronger

Build the endurance and repeatable power to perform late in a long event. This Intermediate plan is for experienced cyclists preparing for a Gran Fondo or century ride with power-based, structured training and a realistic four-to-five-ride schedule.

Best fit

• You have completed a century, Gran Fondo, or several rides of at least three hours.


• You can train four days most weeks and five days in the opening week.


• You use a power meter or smart trainer and understand FTP-based training zones.


• You want better pacing, fatigue resistance, and sustained power, not merely more mileage.

Weekly structure

• Four rides most weeks: steady endurance, sustained steady-state work, over-unders or higher-intensity power intervals, and a progressively longer endurance ride.


• Regular recovery days: three non-riding days in most weeks help you absorb the workload, which also makes the plan practical for many masters cyclists.


• Event week: culminates in a planned 5-hour 15-minute century ride, followed by an easy spin.

Time commitment

The TrainingPeaks calendar averages 6 hours 44 minutes per week. Weekly bike volume ranges from 5 hours 42 minutes to 8 hours, including event week. The longest planned ride is 5 hours 15 minutes.

Equipment

• A power meter or smart trainer.


• A road, gravel, or endurance bike appropriate for your event.


• A cycling computer or compatible app that can display TrainingPeaks structured workouts.

This is a self-guided plan and does not guarantee a specific finishing time. Begin with current power zones and enough long-ride experience to complete the opening week without excessive fatigue.