6-Week Spring Dragon Ride Training Plan (Zwift compatible)

If you’re an intermediate cyclist coming out of winter and ready to turn the dial up, this 6-week spring plan is designed to rebuild momentum, lift fitness, and lay a strong foundation for the specific demands of the Dragon Ride. It’s the ideal transition from winter consistency into focused preparation for one of the UK’s most iconic sportives, set among the long climbs and rolling terrain of South Wales.

Who’s it for?
This training plan is aimed at intermediate cyclists with a solid winter base who are ready to begin a more purposeful build toward the Dragon Ride. Whether you’ve trained steadily through winter or are finding your rhythm again as spring approaches, this plan provides structure and direction at exactly the right point in the season. It’s designed to help you move from general winter fitness into the strength, endurance, and confidence needed to handle a long, hilly sportive ridden at a steady, demanding pace.

Is it for you?
This plan assumes you’re comfortable riding both indoors (such as Zwift) and outdoors, and happy combining structured quality sessions with longer endurance rides as daylight and conditions improve. It’s ideal if you want to transition smoothly into spring training without burning out, while developing the key qualities required for the Dragon Ride: sustained climbing strength, efficient pacing over long ascents, repeated efforts on rolling terrain, and the ability to stay composed deep into a long day in the saddle.

You’ll be building the foundations needed for classic South Wales climbs such as the Bwlch, Rhigos, Black Mountain, and Devil’s Elbow, where length, gradient, and accumulated fatigue place a premium on endurance and pacing rather than short-term power.

What’s involved?
The plan builds progressively over 6 weeks, balancing structure with flexibility to allow consistent improvement without excessive fatigue. Each week works across the key training zones, using indoor sessions for precision and control alongside outdoor rides to develop endurance, climbing strength, and real-world durability. There’s a strong emphasis on aerobic conditioning, sustained tempo and sweet-spot work, strength endurance, and fatigue resistance; all essential for repeatedly tackling long climbs and rolling terrain over the course of the Dragon Ride.

The goal isn’t to peak during these six weeks. Instead, it’s to come out of this spring block fitter, stronger, and more resilient, perfectly positioned to move into the final, more Dragon Ride–specific phase of preparation feeling confident, motivated, and ready to train with real intent.