Prepare well and make your GF a great success!

I'll say it right away: You don't have to be afraid to participate in a Granfondo! Yes, they are generally tough events. But if properly prepared, anyone can cycle a Granfondo such as the Maratona dles Dolomites. In this article I will explain how you can be well prepared at the start.

Text: Gerrit Vermeulen

Schedule an exercise test and have your training zones determined.

A granfondo (long-distance race) is an organized ride for cycling tourists with mass start and timekeeping. In the open air, through nature and usually through the mountains or hills. In the early morning, thousands of cyclists are nervously waiting for the start. One to get a good ranking, the other to reach a certain time and many just want to finish it. Everyone sets their own goal and that makes it so cool. (cycloworld.cc)

A race, not for me

I often hear around me that people are a bit anxious about participating in a Granfondo. Frequently heard comment: it's a competition, that's not for me. Let me help you out of your dream. Yes, a Granfondo is a timed ride and a man and a woman are honored as the winner. There are often thousands of people at the start, but only a very small portion of the participants actually participate for the main prizes. The rest goes for a good performance and often the goal is to finish.

Why do you cycle? Is this for fun, for your health, for fame? Everything is possible, and one does not have to exclude the other. In order to provide you with good tips, I divide the cyclists into two groups for convenience. 1 the racer and 2 the rider.

Riding out a Granfondo

If you want to prepare your body for a Granfondo, the body will have to get used to cycling a long distance. By making more and more kilometers, the body gets used to sitting on the saddle for a long time. You train the body to perform physical exertion for a longer period of time.

With two or three rides a week you can go a long way. A quiet ride during the week of 60 minutes in the beginning and 90 minutes later is a great starting point. A longer ride can then be planned on the weekend. In the beginning it could be a 90 minute drive. Gradually expand this to rides of 240 minutes.

Training intensity

The training scope has been determined. It is also important to think about exercise intensity. If you really want to be well prepared, plan an exercise test and have your training zones determined. Good training is very important to make progress. The following schedule can be a good guideline to make your Granfondo a success.

• 1x weekday ride on 85% from the turning point
• this ride can be divided into blocks of 15-20 minutes with 3 minutes of rest
• 1x ride during the weekend on 75% from the turning point

If your body responds well to this effort, you can cycle a 15-minute block at 85% from the turning point at the end of a long ride (weekend) or you can replace this block by cycling 2×5 minutes in D3.

I think everyone will understand that you cannot prepare yourself for a Granfondo in three weeks. A minimum of three months of preparation is necessary.

Racing at a Granfondo

To really be able to race at a Granfondo, the training volume will have to increase considerably. This can be done by slightly adjusting the schedule mentioned above.

• 2x weekday ride on 85% from the turning point
• this ride can be divided into blocks of 15-20 minutes with 3 minutes of rest
• 1x ride during the weekend on 75% from the turning point

If you really want to go for a top ranking, the chart below can serve as a guideline. The training volume increases even more and the intensity becomes lower. You do 3 or 4 workouts in a week. In the months before the Granfondo you can plan short competitions. Think of a criterium or time trial nearby. This competition will then replace the short ride during the week.

• 2x training of 90 minutes that will be expanded to 240 minutes on 65-70% from the turning point
• 1 or 2x short training of 60-90 minutes with 5-minute blocks in D3
• expand blocks D3 to Intensive 1 and 2. The heart rate is then around the turning point.

Is the above THE way to make your Granfondo a success? No, it's ONE way. There are plenty of options for good training. Several roads lead to Rome.

Would you like to know more about how to be optimally prepared at the start? Please contact Melvin Keppel from Rhino Sports Care

In a next article I will discuss the Granfondo itself. Being well prepared at the start is a prerequisite for success. But on the day of the Granfondo itself, plenty can go wrong :-).