Heathland Gravel's 160-kilometer Unbound qualifier runs through Hoge Kempen National Park from Maasmechelen, Belgium. The course is more than 80 percent unpaved, climbs 543 meters, and uses 10 timed sections, rewarding speed where it counts without wasting energy between sectors.
This 8-week Time-Crunched plan uses compact climbing sessions and purposeful longer rides without filler for Heathland Gravel: repeatable timed-section speed, efficient recovery between sectors, confident forest-path handling, and fueling discipline across nearly 100 miles.
99 MI · 1,781 FT CLIMBING · 80% UNPAVED AND 10 TIMED SECTIONS · 8 WEEKS · 4–6 HR/WK · TIME-CRUNCHED
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Structured workouts on your calendar, with real power and heart-rate graphs
- Strength work built in, with video walkthroughs
- Weekly notes from me, plus the Gravel Grit mental program
- A testing week, so the plan runs on your real numbers
- The full Heathland Gravel guide — terrain, gearing, fueling
Hey, I'm Matti. I spent 11 years at TrainingPeaks, where they trusted me to teach coaches how to coach at TrainingPeaks University. I raced Amateur Elite with Rio Grande Cycling Team and podiumed my age group at Unbound 200 in 2026. I have a degree in biology and exercise physiology from St. Olaf. I'm also a middle-aged dad of three, so I know training doesn't happen in a vacuum. I help gravel riders get stupidly fast without becoming the person who brings a food scale to a party