You need to have some form of performance check-in to see if you get faster as a cyclist. If you ask yourself at different times of the season whether you’ve got faster and your answer is a consistent “I don’t know” that’s a problem. Now, a fitness assessment doesn’t always have to be a max test. In fact, research has found that a simple talk test is a reliable way to determine your LT1. I’m not a huge fan of using max tests throughout the season because it’s very demanding. Sometimes it doesn’t even fit in your calendar.
As a result, this plan will guide you through submax testing to establish your baseline fitness and get you back to structured training. It’s a simple but reliable way to assess your FTP. Since intensity is rather moderate in these submax tests, they are easy to repeat.
As always the plan is based on research and results-proven practice.
I’m a cycling coach and elite cyclist based in Duesseldorf, Germany. My coaching philosophy is simple: focus on timeless principles that are grounded in decades of endurance training science and observed in elite endurance athletes. My training plans reflect this. Easy to follow and based on evidence, my plans balance intensity and volume to optimize adaptation and minimize burnout. Built for the long game.