Gran fondo training plan
- 10 weeks
- Cycling
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Sessions
- 79 in total
- avg. 7.9 per week
- Training time
- avg. 9.6 h/week
- Peak week 11.7 h
- Key sessions
- 16 key sessions
How the training load develops
Training time per week over 10 weeks. The toughest week is week 8 with 11.7 h.
Plan structure
79 sessions spread over 10 weeks, around 96 hours of training and a total load of 4,366 TSS.
- Cycling 60 sessions 2,475 km in total
- Strength training 19 sessions
| Week | Sessions | Sports | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 2 Key |
|
10.3 h |
| 2 | 8 2 Key |
|
10.8 h |
| 3 | 8 1 Key |
|
7.1 h |
| 4 | 8 2 Key |
|
10.9 h |
| 5 | 8 2 Key |
|
11.2 h |
| 6 | 8 1 Key |
|
7.7 h |
| 7 | 8 2 Key |
|
11.5 h |
| 8 | 8 2 Key |
|
11.7 h |
| 9 | 8 1 Key |
|
7.8 h |
| 10 | 7 1 Key |
|
6.6 h |
A look inside the plan
Sample week: week 5 of 10
This is exactly how your plan will look in the Aspect App after you buy it. Tap a session to see its structure, intervals and target ranges.
You can also download bike workouts as FIT files for Garmin, Wahoo, COROS and others, or as ZWO files for Zwift.
Week 5 Build Phase 2 – Load Week 2 8 sessions 11:09 h 292.5 km 2
About this training plan
Ride at the front, close down attacks, sprint for the placings: this plan trains you for exactly that role in a gran fondo. It’s for performance-focused riders who have been training in a structured way for years and want to finish in the front group. The plan is guided by heart rate: a chest strap is all you need – no power meter required.
Who the plan is for
You’ve been training in a structured way for more than four years, know what hard intervals feel like and ride confidently in a bunch. Six riding days a week are part of your everyday routine. If your aim is more to hold your own in the bunch and you have five riding days, Level 2 is a better fit.
How the plan works
Three phases, each with a clear job, with a recovery week between them and a taper and race week at the end.
- Base: Threshold intervals of up to 15 minutes and VO2max intervals of four to five minutes. Sprints are part of the plan from the start, and on the very first weekend you ride four blocks at race pace.
- Changes of pace: Over-unders in up to four twelve-minute blocks, anaerobic capacity and Tabata in a 20/10 rhythm, where the short break is deliberately not long enough to recover. That’s what a finale feels like when one attack follows another.
- Race simulation: Race pace with regular attacks out of the saddle, straight back to the pace without a break, in up to four twelve-minute blocks. Plus VO2max in a 30/30 rhythm and sprints on pre-fatigued legs the day after the long ride. In this phase, the easy Friday also becomes a proper endurance ride.
Every week up to race week includes core stability and strength training, with cycling-specific stretching throughout. In the taper week, volume drops while intensity stays the same; in race week, short openers keep you sharp.
What you need before you start
Your threshold HR (bike) from a 30-minute test at the weekend before you start; you’ll find the exact protocol in the plan. All targets are given as a percentage of it, built on Joe Friel’s proven zone model. A chest strap, which is enough for every session, including the race-pace and threshold blocks outdoors. For the hard midweek intervals, a turbo trainer works well – ride it in standard mode and control your heart rate through gear choice and cadence; you ride sprints and short attacks by perceived exertion, because your heart rate lags behind such short efforts. Plus a safe stretch of road for the sprints and, ideally, a training group for the long weekend rides, with you on the front for the race-pace blocks.
Support within the plan
At the beginning of the plan you mark two places on the course profile – the point where the bunch breaks apart and the last few kilometres before the finish – each with a specific goal. In the race-simulation phase you rehearse the finale in your head until the sequence of positioning, finding a wheel and attacking is second nature. There’s also a prompt on dealing with nerves, a race-day checklist and advice for the time after the race.
Which level is right for you?
- Level 1: Four riding days. You want to ride your first gran fondo in the bunch and still be able to attack in the finale. VO2max intervals of three minutes, anaerobic repeats of one minute, race pace with attacks in up to three ten-minute blocks.
- Level 2: Five riding days. You want to hold your own in the bunch and still have something left in the finale. VO2max intervals of three to four minutes, anaerobic repeats of one minute and longer, race pace with attacks in up to three twelve-minute blocks.
- Level 3: Six riding days. You want to ride at the front and sprint for the placings. Longer threshold and VO2max intervals even in the base phase, over-unders in up to four twelve-minute blocks, plus Tabata, more race pace at the weekend and attacks at race pace in up to four twelve-minute blocks.
Intensity guidance
Your training thresholds
Session intensity is based on your personal thresholds. After buying, you enter them in the Aspect App – the plan then converts every target for you. If they’re already stored in Intervals.icu, you can import them with one click during setup. Here’s how to find your values:
- Threshold heart rate (cycling)Targets are given as a percentage of your threshold heart rate on the bike – the highest heart rate you can sustain for about 60 minutes. How to find it: after a good warm-up, ride a 30-minute time trial on your own as hard as you can hold evenly – your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your threshold HR. A chest strap gives the most accurate reading. Stopgap without a test: about 90% of your reliably known maximum heart rate on the bike (185 bpm → 167 bpm).
Device sync via Intervals.icu
Your plan on your watch
Send your plan to your free Intervals.icu calendar in just a few clicks. From there, your bike sessions go to your watch and bike computer as structured workouts with intervals and target ranges – or into Zwift. No retyping and no file imports.
Ready in six steps
- Buy the planOnce your payment has been received, you’ll get your access link by email.
- Save it to your Aspect accountWith a free Aspect account, you save the plan under “My plans”.
- Connect Intervals.icuTap “Intervals.icu” at the top of your plan and connect your free account on intervals.icu (opens an external site). No account yet? You can create one there in a minute.
- Match your target valuesThe app checks whether Intervals.icu holds the same values as your plan (e.g. FTP, threshold heart rate or threshold pace). Any differences can be matched with one click.
- Choose a start date and sendChoose your start Monday, check the preview, send.
- Connect your deviceIn Intervals.icu, go to Settings → Connections, connect your device or platform and enable uploading of planned workouts (e.g. “Upload planned workouts”).
What arrives where
| Platform | What arrives |
|---|---|
| Garmin | Cycling as structured workouts; strength: title only, no exercises (supported) |
| Wahoo ELEMNT, BOLT, ROAM | Bike workouts (supported) |
| Zwift | Bike workouts (supported) |
| Suunto | Planned workouts (watches with SuuntoPlus Guides) (supported) |
| COROS | Planned workouts – the first time only, drag the “Intervals.icu” training plan into your calendar in the COROS app. (supported) |
| Hammerhead Karoo | Bike workouts – you set up the connection with Hammerhead (on the Karoo or in the Hammerhead dashboard) (limited) |
| Apple Watch | No official integration – only via third-party apps (e.g. Watchletic – the Intervals.icu import is a paid feature) (limited) |
| Polar, TrainerRoad | No direct transfer (not supported) |
- Most services receive roughly the next 7 days at a time. The complete plan is in your Intervals.icu calendar.
- Intervals.icu calculates the target ranges from your values there (e.g. FTP, threshold HR, threshold pace). If you change them, upcoming workouts are adjusted with the next sync.
- During setup, the Aspect App checks whether your values in Intervals.icu match your plan. You resolve any differences with one click – in either direction, with a side-by-side comparison first.
- If you move a session within its week in the Aspect App, Intervals.icu updates automatically – and so does your device at the next sync.
- Zwift uses the values in your Zwift profile (FTP, 5K time). Enter the same values there as in Intervals.icu.
- Strength sessions appear in the Intervals.icu calendar with a description and planned duration. On your watch they only show their title. You’ll find the exercises in the Aspect App.
In the Aspect App you can also download bike workouts as FIT files (e.g. for Garmin, Wahoo, COROS) or as ZWO files for Zwift.
What you get
- The complete 10-week plan79 sessions, structured week by week and day by day.
- All sessions in the Aspect AppEvery session with its full structure. In the browser on your smartphone, tablet or computer.
- Flexible within your weekIf a day doesn’t suit you, you can use a free Aspect account to move sessions to another day within the plan week or change their order – by drag & drop on a computer, or via “Move to…” on a smartphone. You can restore the original order at any time. If you’ve sent the plan to Intervals.icu, it is updated there automatically.
- Straight to your watch and bike computerAs structured workouts via your free Intervals.icu account – to Garmin, Wahoo, COROS & more. Or as a FIT/ZWO download. How it works
- 16 marked key sessionsThe sessions that matter most in each week. They take priority if you need to reschedule.
- Access with or without an accountPersonal access link by email. With a free Aspect account, saved permanently under “My plans” – and ready to send to your watch and bike computer.
How it works
- OrderAdd the plan to your basket and pay with PayPal, card and more (via Stripe) or by bank transfer.
- Check your inboxOnce your payment has been received, you’ll get your personal access link.
- Open your planThe link opens your plan straight in the Aspect App – nothing to install.
- Save it to your accountOptional and free: save the plan to your Aspect account and open it again at any time.
- Get it onto your watchOptional: send it to your calendar via Intervals.icu with your start date – and from there to your watch and bike computer. Here’s how
Created by your coach
Hi, I’m Alex – coach and the mind behind aspect®. My training plans grow out of my endurance coaching work in triathlon, cycling and running. If you’d rather have individual coaching than a ready-made plan, take a look at 1:1 coaching.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the training plan after purchase?
Once we’ve received your payment, you’ll get an email with your personal access link. Use it to open the plan directly in the Aspect App – in the browser on your smartphone, tablet or computer. You’ll also receive your invoice by email.
How does the plan get onto my watch and bike computer?
Via Intervals.icu. Open your plan in the Aspect App, tap “Intervals.icu” at the top and follow the steps: connect your free Intervals.icu account, match your target values, choose your start Monday, check the preview and send the plan to your Intervals.icu calendar as structured workouts. From there, Intervals.icu sends the upcoming sessions to Garmin, Wahoo, Zwift, Suunto and COROS – to set this up, go to Settings → Connections in Intervals.icu, connect your device or platform and switch on the upload of planned workouts (e.g. “Upload planned workouts”). For Hammerhead Karoo, set up the connection in your Hammerhead account. Zwift uses the values in your Zwift profile (FTP, 5K time). Most services receive roughly the next 7 days at a time.
Does it work with the Apple Watch?
Not directly: there’s no official Intervals.icu integration for the Apple Watch. It’s only possible via third-party apps (e.g. Watchletic – the Intervals.icu import is a paid feature). Polar and TrainerRoad aren’t supported directly either. You can still see all your sessions in the Aspect App at any time – including in your smartphone’s browser.
Does Intervals.icu cost anything?
No. A free Intervals.icu account is all you need for the transfer. Intervals.icu also offers an optional supporter subscription – you don’t need it for this. Transferring from the Aspect App doesn’t cost anything extra either.
Do I have to keep my values up to date in two places?
No. In the plan view, the “Match target values” step (“Intervals.icu” button) checks whether Intervals.icu holds the same values as your plan – FTP, threshold HR, threshold pace or swim threshold pace (CSS), depending on what your plan uses. If anything differs, you see both values side by side, choose which one applies for each, and match them with one click. Nothing is overwritten without asking. To do this, you confirm access to your Intervals.icu sport settings once when connecting. Your indoor FTP stays unchanged, and HR zones are only recalculated if you explicitly ask for it. Zwift still uses the values in your Zwift profile.
Do I need an account in the Aspect App?
Not to view it: the access link also works without an account. With a free Aspect account, you save the plan permanently under “My plans” – and only then can you transfer it to your watch and bike computer via Intervals.icu.
When can I start the plan?
Whenever you like. The plan isn’t tied to a date but built in weeks (week 1 to 10), and each week starts on a Monday. If you have a race in mind, simply count back 10 weeks from race day. For the transfer to Intervals.icu, you choose your start Monday yourself – the Monday of the current week at the earliest.
What happens if I start later or need to reschedule?
No problem. If you want to start the whole plan later, simply choose a new start date in the plan view under “Intervals.icu” → “Reschedule” – the sessions are moved in your Intervals.icu calendar without any duplicate entries. If you no longer need the plan there, you can remove it again. Your own entries in Intervals.icu remain untouched. If just a single day doesn’t work, move the session within its week (see the next question).
Can I move sessions to other days?
Yes, within the plan week in question. With a free Aspect account, you can move a session to another day of the same week in the plan view or change the order within a day – by drag and drop on a computer, or via the “Move to…” menu on each session on a smartphone. The plan itself stays unchanged: moved sessions are marked with a small icon (e.g. “originally Tuesday”), and “Reset week” or “Reset whole plan” restores the original order. If the plan has been transferred to Intervals.icu, moves and resets are applied there automatically – and to your watch and bike computer at the next sync. If you move a transferred session within its week directly in the Intervals.icu calendar, the Aspect App picks this up (it can take about a minute). If a session ends up outside its plan week there, the app moves it back to its week and lets you know. Without an account, you can view the plan but not move sessions.
Is the plan tailored to me personally?
No – it’s a ready-made training plan that works for many athletes with a similar goal. If you’d like individual support, you’ll find 1:1 coaching at aspect-sports.com.
Do I have a right of withdrawal?
The training plan is digital content. With your express consent, it is made available before the withdrawal period has expired – your right of withdrawal then expires when provision begins (Section 356(5) of the German Civil Code, BGB). You’ll find the details in our withdrawal policy.
Gran Fondo (Heart rate)
10 weeks · 79 sessions · €26.00 (final price*)
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