CoachingAnswer

HOW DO I PLAN AROUND A, B AND C RACES?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The rider with a busy race calendar

You've entered a lot of events and need to know how to prioritise them without burning out.

The rider who tapers for everything

You ease off before every event and wonder why you're never truly flying for the ones that matter most.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

The A-B-C system is one of those ideas that sounds obvious until you look at how most amateurs actually race. They enter ten events and treat all ten like they matter equally — easing off before each, getting nervous before each, trying to be fresh for each. The result is a season with no genuine peaks and no real training stimulus either, because you can't build fitness while perpetually tapering. Categorising your events ruthlessly is what fixes that.

Here's the framing Anthony comes back to: B and C races aren't lesser events, they're tools. A B-race is a hard training session you happen to pin a number on — you ride it tired, you use it to sharpen race skills, you find out where your fitness actually is under pressure. A C-race is even more relaxed: you train through it entirely, no easing off, treating it as a fun hard day in the saddle. Neither gets a taper because neither is the point of your season.

The A-race is where the discipline pays off. Because you didn't taper for the other eight events, you arrive at your one or two A-races genuinely fresh, having used the rest of the calendar to build and sharpen. That's fixable for anyone — it just requires the honesty to admit, in advance, that not every event you've entered actually matters equally. Pick the one or two that do, and let the rest serve them.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Joe FrielAuthor of The Cyclist's Training Bible; co-founder of TrainingPeaks
Friel's A-B-C race classification is the backbone of the annual plan: A-races are the one or two events you peak for with a full taper, B-races get a short freshening, and C-races are trained through with no taper at all. The system exists precisely because you cannot peak for everything — prioritising is what makes a genuine peak possible.
Hear it: Joe Friel's Cycling Training Plan Structure | Roadman Cycling
Dan LorangHead of Performance, Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe
Even at the top of the sport, riders cannot be at peak condition for every race on the calendar. Lorang plans Roglič's season around a small number of true targets, with other races serving as preparation and form-finders. The amateur lesson is identical: pick the events that matter, and let the rest build toward them rather than competing with them.
Hear it: Roglic's Coach Builds A Training Plan For Amateur Riders | Dan Lorang

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Classify every event on your calendar as A, B or C
A: the one or two events you most want to perform at. B: events you'll race hard but won't fully taper for — strong secondary goals or form checks. C: events you'll train through entirely. Be honest and ruthless — most events on a typical calendar are B or C, not A.
Give A-races a full peak and taper
Build the year around your A-races. Each gets a 2–3 week peak phase and a proper taper, with the build phase timed so peak fitness lands on the event date. This is where the season's discipline is repaid.
Give B-races a 2–3 day mini-taper
Reduce volume slightly for two or three days before a B-race so you're not completely buried, but don't interrupt the training block. Ride them as hard fitness checks — useful data on where your form is, and a sharper stimulus than a solo session.
Train through C-races with no taper
Slot C-races into your normal weekly load as a hard day. No easing off, no special preparation. They build race fitness, sharpen skills like pack positioning and pacing, and keep racing fun without disrupting the plan.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKETapering for every event on the calendar.
FIXReserve the full taper for one or two A-races. Tapering for everything means you're either freshening or recovering all season and never building fitness.
MISTAKELabelling five or six events as A-races.
FIXOne or two A-races a year. If everything is a priority, nothing is — and the peaks become meaningless because you can't taper that often and still build between events.
MISTAKESkipping B and C races to 'protect' your legs for the A-race.
FIXB and C races are valuable training and skill practice. Used correctly they sharpen you for the A-race rather than threatening it. Train through them; don't avoid them.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between an A, B and C race?

An A-race is a top-priority event you fully peak and taper for — one or two a year. A B-race is a secondary goal ridden hard with only a 2–3 day mini-taper. A C-race is a low-priority event trained through with no taper, used for experience, skills, or fun. The categories define how much you disrupt training for each.

How many A-races should I have in a season?

One or two for most amateurs, three at the absolute maximum. Each A-race needs its own taper and a peak phase, and you can't taper more than two or three times a year while still building meaningful fitness between events.

Should I taper for a B-race?

Only lightly — a 2–3 day reduction in volume so you're not completely buried, without interrupting the training block. The point of a B-race is to race it as a hard, useful session and a form check, not to arrive fully fresh. Save the full taper for A-races.

Can a B-race become an A-race during the season?

Yes, plans shift. If your form is exceptional or your goals change, you can promote a B-race to an A-race and adjust the surrounding training to peak for it. The reverse is also fine — demote an A-race if it no longer matters. The categories are a planning tool, not a contract.

How do I use C-races to get faster?

Treat them as hard training days that happen to have a number on them. They build race-specific fitness, let you practise pack positioning, pacing and nutrition under pressure, and add a sharper stimulus than solo intervals — all without disrupting your block or requiring a taper.

What if all my events are within a few weeks of each other?

Pick the single most important one as your A-race and peak for it. The others within that window become B or C races you ride on the form you've already built. You can hold a peak for roughly 7–14 days, so tightly clustered events can share one peak rather than each demanding their own.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

Joe Friel's Cycling Training Plan Structure | Roadman Cycling

Roglic's Coach Builds A Training Plan For Amateur Riders | Dan Lorang

First Race of the Season | Roadman Cycling Vlog