L’Etape du Tour de France Training Club: Phase 3 – Build

ZWIFT COMMUNITY | on 23 aprile 2019 by Matt Noble

Phase 3: Build

Our preparation for the 2019 L’Etape du Tour de France ramps up this month as we enter the Build Phase of training. You built a good endurance base in earlier training phases. Now it’s time to add intensity as we look to increase your ability to ride hard and fast on the many climbs of L’Etape du Tour de France.

In the Build Phase, you’ll encounter intervals specific to the L’Etape du Tour de France. This includes extending the duration of threshold-type intervals and introducing specific VO2 max work. Expect to see an increase in your FTP.

Along with structured workouts, we’ll continue with our free-ride climbs. During the Build Phase, look to increase the elevation gained with each ride.

Racing on Zwift also plays an important role by providing unstructured high-intensity training. Aim to complete a race each week. Challenge your ability to dig deep in these races.

Keep up the great work!

Build Phase Training Schedule

This training schedule can help map out which days you do what. Use it as a guide, but feel free to switch up days to best suit your schedule. Recovery is just as important as training during this period. Remember, if you’re feeling sick or stressed, rest is usually the best option.

These workouts aren’t date-restricted. Feel free to do them at whatever time best suits you.

Workouts:

Workouts highlighted in Yellow must be finished to count towards completion for in-game unlocks. They can be found on Zwift, in the Training tab of the Workouts dropdown, listed as “L’Etape du Tour Training Club.”

Other events (don’t count towards unlock progression but do count to fitness progression):

L’Etape du Tour de France Training Race – Schedule here
L’Etape du Tour de France Endurance Training Event – Schedule here

WEEK 9:

Monday: Workout – TT Steps – 60 minutes (TSS 60)
- Focus on efforts that increase in intensity. Ramp up the pace as you reach the top of the climbs, just like the L’Etape du Tour de France.
- We’re looking at the repeatability of these efforts. Everyone is good on the first climb. We want you good on the last climb!
Tuesday:
- Rest day
Wednesday: Zwift L’Etape du Tour de France Training Race
- Find an L’Etape du Tour de France Training Race in the events calendar here or on Zwift Companion. Go hard. See how you stack up. We’ll use this as a benchmark of your fitness.
Thursday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1**
Friday: Workout – Escalating 3-minute VO2 max – 52 Minutes (TSS 60)
- VO2 max is the amount of oxygen your body can sustain at maximum output. The more oxygen your body can absorb, the more power you’ll produce.
- Today’s session focuses on 3-minute VO2 max efforts. Each interval will be more intense than the last. It’s tough work, but worth it. We promise.

Saturday: Free-ride
- Ride a route in Zwift with more than 3,000 feet of climbing.
- If you’re riding a route you’ve done before, try to climb it a little faster than last time. This shouldn’t be an all-out effort, though. Just a slight rise in pace.
- Want to ride with a friend or two or 50? Use our new Meetups function in the Zwift Companion app to organize your own group ride. Learn more here.
- OR
- Head outside and join a friend or local group to get in some solid miles. Don’t worry about managing your efforts, just go with the flow, have fun, and get used to riding in a group.
Sunday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1

WEEK 10:

Monday: Workout – Explosive Power into Zone 4 – 55 minutes (TSS 65)
- Usually, long-tempo efforts are preceded by surges of high-energy work. This is what we’ll work on today. Focus on completing these long-tempo rides, and be ready to knock out multiple high-power accelerations before each one.
Tuesday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1**
Wednesday: Community Race
- Find any Zwift L’Etape du Tour de France Training Race in the events calendar here or check on the Zwift Companion app. Go hard. See how you stack up. Use this to measure your fitness level.
Thursday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1**
Friday: Workout – Rolling TT – 53 minutes (TSS 61)
- Today’s session consists of 3×8-minute rolling TT intervals. Before each interval, we’ll perform a 30-second Zone 5 effort. This is where you bring the heat.
- Rolling intervals are performed within Zone 4. However, the aim today is to disrupt your rhythm by moving the target power up and down every minute.
Saturday: Free-ride
- Ride a hilly route of your preference on Zwift. Focus on sustained climbing endurance.
- Want to ride with a friend or two or 50? Use our new Meetups function in the Zwift Companion app to organize your own group ride. Learn more here.
- OR
- Head outside and join a friend or local group to get in some solid miles. Don’t worry about managing your efforts, just go with the flow and have fun.
Sunday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1

WEEK 11:

Monday: Workout – VO2 max Descending – 57 minutes (TSS 73)
- VO2 max training is one of the best ways to improve your climbing speed. These are high intensity intervals performed above threshold. By the end of this, your body’s ability to utilize oxygen will have increased.
- Today might be tough. But the rewards are big!
Tuesday:
- Rest day
Wednesday: Zwift L’Etape du Tour de France Training Race
- Find a Zwift L’Etape du Tour de France Training Race in the events calendar here or check on the Zwift Companion app. Go hard. See how you stack up. Use this to measure your fitness.

Thursday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1**
Friday: Workout – 10-minute Ramps – 59 mins (TSS 63)
- Your ability to perform intense long efforts will be a major factor in your L’Etape du Tour de France performance.
- These efforts require tip-top physical condition, along with the ability to stay focused. In today’s session, we have 3×10-minute efforts varying in intensity.
Saturday: Free-ride
- Look to get some good climbing in on Zwift today. Aim for 3,000 feet or higher. We recommend the Three Sisters route!
- Want to ride with a friend or two or 50? Use our new Meetups function in the Zwift Companion app to organize your own group ride. Learn more here.
Sunday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1

WEEK 12 (REST WEEK):

Maintain volume. Reduce intensity.

Monday:
- Rest day
Tuesday: Workout – Sweet Spot 6 – 55 minutes (TSS 59)
- Sweet spot work balances intensity and volume, aimed at increasing functional threshold power (FTP). It’s a great way to put some stress on your body without accumulating large amounts of fatigue.
- This type of work is ideal in maintaining the fitness gains you’ve made. It’s medium intensity, but the efforts are short with good recovery in between.
Wednesday:
- Rest day or 30–45 minutes of Zone 1**
Thursday:
- 30–45 minutes of Zone 1
Friday: Free-ride
- Find any Zwift route that looks fun to you and ride at endurance pace, or join a community group ride.
- Want to ride with a friend or two or 50? Use our new Meetups function in the Zwift Companion app to organize your own group ride. Learn more here.
Saturday:
- Rest day
Sunday: L’Etape du Tour de France Endurance Training Event
- Join and ride the L’Etape du Tour de France Endurance Training Event here. Test your legs against hundreds of others or sit in and focus on pacing.

Notes:

**If you perform a recovery ride on Tuesday, then you should use Thursday as a rest day or vice-versa.
Log in to Zwift to access these workouts.

Welcome to the 2019 Zwift L’Etape du Tour de France Training Club.

16 weeks. 4 blocks of distinct training phases. This plan will shape you into the best cycling version of yourself. You’ll need it to take on all 135km // 83.8mi of the 2019 L’Etape du Tour de France and its 4,563m // 14,970ft of climbing.

Each of the four training blocks carries a specific focus. Geared toward leveling up your fitness in tangible ways, you’ll come out of every block fitter, faster, and ready to ride.

View more details about the L’Etape du Tour de France Training Club here.