This training plan has been designed by Pav Bryan — Olympic cycling coach, TrainingPeaks Level 2 Coach and Amazon #1 Author.
Preparing for a 7-day stage event?
This plan is designed for cyclists who want to prepare for the demands of a seven-day race, tour or paced event while working with limited training time.
Seven consecutive days of riding require much more than strong single-day fitness. You need aerobic endurance, sustainable power, excellent fatigue resistance, disciplined pacing and the ability to recover well enough to perform again the following day.
This plan develops those qualities progressively so that you arrive prepared not just for day one, but for the accumulated fatigue of the full event.
Who this plan is for
This plan is best suited to riders who already have a reasonable endurance base but need to make efficient use of limited training time.
It is designed around relatively short weekday sessions, typically around an hour, with longer rides available at weekends.
You should ideally have at least 4–8 weeks of consistent riding completed before starting.
If you have more training time available, you can extend appropriate endurance sessions while keeping the intended intensity and purpose of each workout.
What the plan includes
- Progressive endurance work developing multi-day fatigue resistance
- Focused sessions building sustainable power and aerobic fitness
- Back-to-back training to prepare you for consecutive days of riding
- Supporting endurance and recovery rides
- Core and strength work
- Regular recovery to support adaptation
Event-style practice rides can be valuable during the later stages of the plan. Where appropriate, replace similar planned sessions rather than simply adding extra training load.
The plan also includes guidance around pacing, nutrition, hydration, recovery and preparing for repeated long days in the saddle.
You can follow the cycling sessions using power, heart rate or perceived exertion, although a power meter provides additional precision.
Many sessions use TrainingPeaks structured workouts with power, heart rate and cadence targets where appropriate.
Bonus 40-week strength programme
You'll also receive access to a 40-week strength and conditioning programme that you can continue using after your stage-event preparation is complete.
Planning your taper
This plan does not include a fixed taper. Taper requirements vary between athletes, so allow an appropriate gap before your event to reduce training load and arrive fresh.
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, event 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 efficiently, recover well — and arrive ready for all seven days.
Olympic cycling coach, TrainingPeaks Level 2 Coach, Amazon #1 Author and Seven Summits cycling world record holder. I coach riders from first Gran Fondos and amateur races through to ultra-endurance, national and world-class performance. My approach combines proven training principles with your goals, available time, recovery and life outside cycling.