WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The gran fondo or sportive racer
You have a target event in 2–3 weeks and want to arrive at the start line actually ready.
The rider who always feels flat on race day
You've been doing nothing but riding hard up to the event and wondering why you feel empty.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
The taper is where amateur cyclists lose the most time without knowing it. They either don't taper at all — riding hard until the day before — or they go to the opposite extreme and do nothing for two weeks, arriving stale and heavy-legged. The sweet spot is a 40–50% volume cut with the intensity preserved. That combination is what makes the difference between surviving and performing.
Anthony covered this directly in the vlog around his Majorca training camp: the first time you properly taper, it feels almost irresponsible. You keep waiting for the fitness to disappear. It doesn't. What disappears is accumulated fatigue, and what's left underneath it is all the adaptation you've been building for months. That's what you want on the start line.
The other piece that gets skipped is the taper week itself off the bike — sleep, food, stress. You can nail the ride structure and undo it by eating rubbish, sleeping six hours and working until midnight. Treat the taper like race prep for your whole life, not just your training plan.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Joe FrielAuthor of The Cyclist's Training Bible; co-founder of TrainingPeaks
A proper taper reduces training stress enough for the body to complete supercompensation — the final adaptation window where fitness peaks. Most athletes undertaper, not overtaper. The volume reduction should be meaningful: 40–50%, not a modest trim.
Hear it: Joe Friel's Cycling Training Plan Structure | Roadman Cycling - Dan LorangHead of Performance, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe
The biggest taper error at every level is cutting intensity along with volume. Short, sharp efforts in the final days keep the neuromuscular system primed. Without them, riders arrive physically rested but physiologically 'switched off'.
Hear it: Roglic's Coach Builds A Training Plan For Amateur Riders | Dan Lorang
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Set your taper start date: 10–14 days out
Mark day 10 before your event as taper day one. If your event is a gran fondo or longer, 14 days. If it's a shorter criterium or club race, 10 days. Write this in your calendar now — not the day before.
Cut volume, not intensity
Reduce total hours by 40–50%. Keep two sessions with short, sharp efforts — 4–6×1 minute at race pace or 3×8 minutes at threshold. These sessions are 30–40 minutes, not two hours.
Stack the controllables
Aim for 8 hours of sleep every night of the taper. Eat normally — don't under-fuel and don't eat things you wouldn't normally eat. Keep carbohydrate intake consistent until the final 48 hours, when you can increase slightly.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKERiding hard until 3–4 days before the event.
FIXStart a proper 10-day taper. The final hard session should be 10 days out, not 3.
MISTAKEDoing nothing for two weeks and arriving with dead legs.
FIXKeep short intensity sessions throughout the taper. Complete rest creates staleness, not freshness.
MISTAKEPanicking when you feel tired on day 3 of the taper.
FIXThe first few days of a taper often feel worse as the body catches up on accumulated fatigue. Stick to the plan.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long should a taper be for a gran fondo?
Should I do any hard riding in taper week?
Will I lose fitness during a taper?
What should I eat during the taper?
I feel sluggish on day 5 of my taper. Is that normal?
Can I taper for a one-day club race the same way?
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