This plan is for: Riders who are relatively new to the sport and who are keen to embark on a challenge to improve their fitness and overall health. You do not need to have previously completed any cycling events or be part of a local club or training group.

This plan will: This 10-week plan is focused on building your aerobic fitness over 10 weeks to a level at which you can ride confidently at a consistent pace for three hours — you will be sportive-ready within six months.

Before you start, you will need: A moderate level of fitness, having exercised once or twice a week for at least the past four weeks.

How it works: The training is divided into two five-week blocks with training targets within each block. The first five weeks is primarily focused on building consistency in exercise doing low-intensity workouts and making sure the frequency of training is prioritised. The second five-week block sees the training volume increase as your aerobic fitness moves to a higher level. Some higher-intensity workouts are also introduced as a training stimulus to further develop your endurance capacity. Alternative training sessions off the bike help develop muscle groups that are not used in cycling, so as to continue building endurance while reducing the likelihood of injury as the training load increases.