Gran Fondo Coaching: Systematic Preparation for Mountain Sportives

We establish your aerobic foundation with Zone 1-2 endurance work at 55-65% FTP, building your body's ability to sustain effort for 6-12 hours. Simultaneously, we develop climbing-specific strength through progressive grade work.

This phase focuses on building aerobic capacity, developing climbing-specific strength, power-to-weight optimisation, and establishing sustainable training volume without injury. Base building isn't about intensity, it's about building the endurance foundation that allows you to climb strongly in hour 8 when others are fading.

This phase introduces gran fondo-specific demands: long climbing days (4-6 hour rides with 1,500-2,500m climbing), back-to-back weekend blocks (big Saturday ride followed by recovery Sunday), heat adaptation (indoor turbo sessions in warm environments, progressive acclimatisation), nutrition testing (finding what works for YOUR stomach), and climbing under fatigue (repeated efforts when already tired).

By Week 16, you have practiced fuelling strategies, tested heat management approaches, and developed confidence in your climbing endurance.

We run comprehensive gran fondo simulations: 150-200km rides with major climbing (2,000-3,000m), testing race-day nutrition and pacing strategies. The final 2-3 weeks taper volume by 40-50% while maintaining intensity sharpness. You arrive fresh, confident, and with tested systems.

Gran fondo pacing demands discipline learned from ultra-distance racing. From my experience at Trans Atlantic Way and London-Edinburgh-London, I understand how to pace multi-hour efforts sustainably.

Successful gran fondo riders pace at 65-75% FTP on flats, 60-70% on climbs. This feels too easy in hour 1 but ensures you finish strong when others are suffering in hours 8-10. We establish your sustainable power zones and practice staying within them. By race day, you have absolute confidence in your pacing strategy.

Mountain gran fondos reward high power-to-weight ratios. We work on progressive climbing volume, threshold development for sustained 20-60 minute climbs, optimal race weight, and climbing technique for steep gradients. Power-to-weight optimisation isn't just about losing weight, it's about maximising sustainable climbing power while maintaining the endurance to use that power for 6-12 hours.

European gran fondos present conditions UK riders rarely train in. We develop heat adaptation protocols for 25-35°C riding, altitude strategies for alpine events with passes at 1,500-2,600m, and hydration planning for 6+ hours. Heat and altitude adaptation requires weeks of progressive training, we build adaptation into your training plan from the start.

Gran fondo nutrition requires tested systems developed during training. We establish calorie targets (3,000-5,000 calories over 6-12 hours), timing protocols, aid station efficiency, and what works for YOUR stomach under stress. By race day, nutrition is automatic.

Gran fondos create psychological challenges: late-race doubts, pain management, staying focused when exhausted. We practice mental strategies during training: visualisation techniques, staying present, breaking the event into manageable segments, and having tools for inevitable low points.

Race strategy includes pacing discipline (riding YOUR race), climb management (when to push, when to back off), descent strategy, and staying mentally engaged for 6-12 hours.

Gran fondo success requires more than fitness. We address mechanical preparation, clothing strategy, pre-race fuelling, start line positioning, and contingency planning. These details can determine whether you achieve your goal time or struggle with preventable problems.

Gran fondos typically take 6 to 13 hours to complete depending on distance, terrain, and rider ability. Events like Mallorca 312 (312km, 5,000m climbing) take experienced riders 10 to 13 hours. La Marmotte (174km, 5,000m+ elevation) typically requires 8 to 12 hours. Maratona dles Dolomites (138km, 4,230m climbing) usually takes 6 to 10 hours. Completion times vary significantly based on climbing ability, pacing strategy, weather conditions, and individual fitness. Most gran fondos have time limits (often 8 to 10 hours for long routes) ensuring support services remain available for all finishers.

Yes, proper training significantly improves your gran fondo experience and completion chances. Gran fondos present unique challenges: significant climbing (3,000 to 5,000m), multi-hour efforts (6 to 12 hours), varied weather conditions, and mental demands that require systematic preparation. Attempting a gran fondo without training typically leads to struggles, suffering, or not finishing within time limits. Gran fondo preparation typically takes 16 to 20 weeks depending on your current fitness and target event. Training must address climbing endurance through progressive volume, sustainable pacing under fatigue, heat adaptation for Mediterranean and Alpine events, and tested nutrition strategies.

During a gran fondo, aim for 3,000 to 5,000 calories consumed over 6 to 12 hours from aid stations, pockets, and on-the-go fuelling. What works in 2 to 3 hour training rides often fails by hour 6 of an event. Successful gran fondo nutrition requires tested systems developed during long training rides: what works for YOUR stomach (not generic recommendations), timing protocols (eating before you are hungry), aid station efficiency (in and out quickly), backup plans when preferred foods are not available, and how to keep eating when nothing appeals. By race day, fuelling should be automatic, not something you are figuring out while climbing at 2,000m altitude.

Mediterranean and Alpine gran fondos often happen in 25 to 35°C heat. UK riders training in cool conditions struggle with heat unless specifically prepared. Heat adaptation requires progressive acclimatisation: indoor heat training (turbo sessions in warm rooms), timing strategies for hotter parts of the day, hydration planning for 6-plus hours in heat, and understanding how heat affects sustainable power output and nutrition. Without heat preparation, riders bonk earlier, struggle with hydration management, and experience significantly reduced power output. Heat adaptation is not optional for Mediterranean and Alpine events, it is what separates successful finishes from disappointing results.