This training plan has been designed by Pav Bryan — Olympic cycling coach, TrainingPeaks Level 2 Coach and Amazon #1 Author.

Ready to climb the racing categories?

This plan is designed for road racers who want a structured approach to improving race fitness, building confidence and progressing through the categories.

Road racing demands more than steady endurance. You need strong aerobic fitness, repeatable high-intensity power, good positioning, tactical awareness and the ability to respond to attacks, climbs and changes in pace.

This plan develops those qualities progressively so that you arrive at races fitter, more resilient and better prepared to compete.

Who this plan is for

This plan is best suited to developing road racers who already have some consistent cycling behind them and want a manageable route towards stronger race performance.

It can be used for criteriums, road races and shorter stage events, with the training designed to improve the mix of endurance, power and repeatability needed for racing.

You should ideally have at least four weeks of regular riding completed before starting.

What the plan includes

• Focused sessions developing sustained power and aerobic fitness


• Higher-intensity work improving repeatability and race-specific power


• Endurance rides supporting aerobic development


• Core and strength work


• Regular recovery/rest days

The plan also includes guidance around pacing, technique, tactics and preparing for the demands of road racing.

You can follow the plan using power, heart rate or perceived exertion, although a power meter can provide additional precision.

Many cycling sessions contain structured workout files that can be used with compatible TrainingPeaks devices and training platforms.

Bonus 40-week strength programme

You'll also receive access to a 40-week core and leg strength programme that you can continue using after your racing preparation is complete.

A note about this Classic Plan

This is one of my Classic TrainingPeaks plans, developed from the coaching methods I've used with road racers over many years.

The training itself remains fully usable, but because the plan was originally created on an earlier version of TrainingPeaks, some older external links or legacy TrainingPeaks features within individual sessions may no longer be available.

An updated guide is included at the beginning of the plan with additional information and current resources.

Want the plan adapted around you?

A pre-built plan is a great option if you're comfortable managing your own training.

But no generic plan can know your exact fitness, available time, recovery, race schedule, strengths, weaknesses or how you're responding from week to week.

If you'd like me to build and manage your training personally, you can upgrade to 1:1 coaching at any point.

TrainingPeaks plan customers receive an exclusive coaching upgrade offer.

You'll find details and a link to book a free consultation with me at the start of the plan.

Train smart, race well — and climb the categories.