The advertised 160-kilometer Atlas route makes climbing durability the entry fee
Part of a three-day weekend (village/packet pickup Fri Nov 20, gravel/MTB Sat Nov 21, road gran fondo Sun Nov 22) based in Taroudant, at the foot of the Anti-Atlas/High Atlas ranges. The road event offers four distances — 160, 120, 80, and 40 km. The 160 km option's roughly 2,100 m of total climbing — the highest elevation total among the four road distances, though the 120 km's ~1,500 m is a real climbing day in its own right.
For the rider bringing eight focused weeks and seven to eleven hours a week, this plan concentrates the work most likely to matter at Atlas Gran Fondo: sustained climbing, repeatable climbing power, descending confidence, and fatigue resistance.
INSIDE THE FINISHER PLAN — 7–11 HR/WK
Includes zone-tailored structured rides for your devices, built-in strength with video walkthroughs, heat protocols for when your race calls for them, peloton skills workouts, and nutrition and hydration guidance.
The Complete Atlas Gran Fondo Guide — the training, the tactics, the gear and race day, explained simply and clearly: what to do, when to do it, and why it works.
Questions? Great. Hit me up at support@roadielabs.com.
Hey, I'm Matti. I spent 11 years at TrainingPeaks, where they trusted me to teach coaches how to coach at TrainingPeaks University. I raced Amateur Elite with Rio Grande Cycling Team and podiumed my age group at Unbound 200 in 2026. I have a degree in biology and exercise physiology from St. Olaf. I'm also a middle-aged dad of three, so I know training doesn't happen in a vacuum. I help gravel riders get stupidly fast without becoming the person who brings a food scale to a party