WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The sportive rider who always blows up on the last climb
You start strong and fade badly in the final quarter.
The first-timer on a hilly course
You have signed up for a mountainous sportive and need a pacing strategy.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
Anthony has ridden enough hilly sportives to know exactly how they go wrong. You arrive at the base of the first climb surrounded by riders going 10% too hard, your ego pulls you with them, and by the third col you are hanging on in survival mode wondering why you paid money for this experience. Every single time.
The fix is almost embarrassingly simple: start slower than feels natural. On the first climb, when your legs feel fresh and you want to push, hold 75-80% of FTP. That is a conversational pace — you could speak in short sentences. It should feel like you are leaving something in the tank. You are. That is for later.
On the descents, eat and drink. These are free recovery. Most riders blast down descents and forget to refuel, which means they arrive at the bottom of the next climb with an empty stomach and a rising heart rate. The descent is the feed zone. Eat a gel, drink half a bottle, recover. Then ride the next climb at the same controlled pace you used on the first one. The riders who finish strong are never the ones who attacked climb one — they are the ones who paced climb one and still had legs at climb five.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Dr Sam ImpeySports nutritionist
In hilly events, fuelling on the descents is critical because eating on a hard climb is difficult. Riders who plan their nutrition around the terrain — eating on flats and descents, taking only gels or drink on climbs — maintain blood sugar and power output far better than those who eat reactively.
Hear it: Why Pros' 120g Carb Rule Fails Amateurs | Roadman Cycling
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Set a power ceiling for climbs
Before the event, calculate 75-80% of your FTP. That is your climbing ceiling. Programme it as an alert on your bike computer so you get a warning if you drift above it on any climb.
Ride the first third at conversational pace
For the first 30-40% of the event distance, ride at 65-70% FTP. Groups will go past you. Let them. You will see many of them again later, stopped at the side of the road.
Use descents as active feed zones
On every descent, take a gel or a few bites of bar and drink half a bottle. Descents are free recovery time — use them to refuel so you arrive at the next climb with a full tank.
Save your matches for the last 25%
If you have paced correctly, you will have energy to increase your effort on the final climbs. The sportive is won in the last quarter. That is when the riders who started too fast are walking and you are still pedalling.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKEGoing too hard on the first climb because legs feel fresh.
FIXYour legs always feel fresh on climb one. That is adrenaline, not fitness. Hold 75-80% FTP and save the effort for climb three or four.
MISTAKEForgetting to eat on descents.
FIXSet a reminder on your bike computer to eat every 20 minutes. Descents are the easiest place to fuel — use them.
MISTAKEMatching the pace of faster riders early on.
FIXRide your own pace. A sportive is not a race — your only opponent is the course and your own fuelling plan.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What power should I hold on climbs in a sportive?
How should I pace a sportive without a power meter?
Should I ride with a group in a hilly sportive?
How do I know if I am pacing correctly?
What gearing do I need for a hilly sportive?
How far in advance should I start fuelling?
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