This 16-week program is specifically designed for both gravel and mountain bike (MTB) disciplines, combining endurance, power, and technical skills to help you excel in your stage race. Whether you’re targeting your first gravel or MTB event or aiming to crush your personal best, this plan will guide you to peak performance.

Before you get started, it's essential to note that this is a power-based training program. To maximize your progress, you'll need a power meter on your bike or access to an indoor trainer that measures power. Using power as a reference will ensure you’re training at the right intensities, helping you progress efficiently and effectively.

This program offers three different training loads: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Choose the level that aligns with your current fitness and experience. If you're preparing for a specific event, we recommend allowing at least one week of recovery after completing the program to arrive at your race feeling refreshed and ready to perform.

The program is divided into two key phases:

Phase 1 (Weeks 1–8): Focuses on building a solid endurance foundation. During this phase, you'll work on enhancing your aerobic capacity, improving technical skills for gravel and MTB terrain, and preparing your body for sustained efforts over rough and challenging surfaces. You’ll gradually increase your mileage while developing efficient pacing strategies that will be critical during the race.

Phase 2 (Weeks 9–16): Shifts the focus to improving your threshold power, stamina, and technical ability. Structured interval sessions in this phase will help you maintain higher speeds and power on more demanding terrain. You'll also fine-tune your ability to handle technical sections like descents, climbs, and loose gravel, simulating the specific conditions of your race.

Throughout the 16 weeks, you’ll incorporate endurance rides, interval training, and gravel/MTB-specific long rides. Rest and recovery days are built in to help prevent overtraining and ensure you stay on track to meet your race day goals.

When you start this program, you’ll have the option to share your email with us. This allows us to send you additional resources, tips, and updates to support your journey. It also gives you the opportunity to provide feedback, helping us improve the program for future athletes. Your email will be used exclusively for these purposes.

By the end of this 16-week program, you’ll have the strength, endurance, and technical resilience needed to tackle your gravel or MTB stage race with confidence and efficiency. Let’s start this exciting journey and prepare for a successful race day!