A Dragon Ride entry needs a distance beside it. The Gran Fondo and Dragon Devil share an event name, but choosing the longer route changes the training you need and the day you should expect.
Start there. Then look at the riding you have done recently, the time you have before June and the hours you can consistently protect. Those are more useful starting points than a target W/kg pulled from a finish-time table.
Route update, 7 September 2026: the organiser has announced 13 June 2027 for the next event. Its routes are still unconfirmed. The figures below describe the 2026 edition, using the organiser's route announcement. Check the 2027 event update before booking around a particular course.
Which Dragon Ride route are you preparing for?
| 2026 route | Distance | Ascent |
|---|---|---|
| Cymru Classic | 99km | 1,324m |
| Medio Fondo | 153km | 2,332m |
| Gran Fondo | 222km | 3,583m |
| Dragon Devil | 298km | 4,504m |
The organiser's 2026 Gran Fondo description names Black Mountain, Devil's Elbow and Rhigos. Its Dragon Devil description names Devil's Staircase, Rhigos and The Bwlch. Check the edition and direction when looking at an old GPX file: the organiser reversed the routes for 2026.
Use the Dragon Ride route guide alongside this preparation guide. Once the new roadbook is available, confirm your own course, starting arrangements, feed stops and cut-offs.
Choose with your training diary open
Look at your recent long rides. What distance and climbing did you cover? How did the final hour compare with the first? Could you eat comfortably? Were you riding normally again afterwards, or did the effort disrupt the following week?
Then look ahead. A plan that relies on weekends you cannot spare will not become more realistic because the entry is paid for. Put work trips, family commitments and unavailable weekends in the calendar before you place the longest rides.
If you are weighing up two routes, identify the extra demand of the longer one and the training time available to prepare for it. Ask a coach to review that choice if you cannot reconcile the two. There is no single FTP or weekly-hours threshold that settles the decision for every rider.
Give the long ride a job
A long ride should answer a question about your event preparation. Choose the question before leaving home.
Pacing: on a hilly route, pay attention to what happens after several climbs. Note where the effort became difficult to sustain and whether early enthusiasm contributed. Use that record to adjust the next ride rather than judging the day only by average power.
Food and drink: carry the products you intend to use at the event. Record quantities, timing and comfort. Work out what fits in your pockets and bottles, then compare that with the distance between the published feed stops. The cycling fuelling guide explains how to choose and practise an intake appropriate to the ride.
Gearing and handling: use comparable hills to check that your lowest gear suits you late in a ride. Check braking, tyre condition and descending confidence before adding the pressure of a large group or an unfamiliar road. Have mechanical concerns addressed before the final week.
Clothing: try the layers you intend to carry. Can you reach them, put them on and stow them without losing essentials? Follow the forecast and organiser's kit requirements as the event approaches.
Record the problem and the change you will make. That turns a rehearsal into something you can use.
What if you have fourteen weeks?
Fourteen weeks gives you a calendar to work with; it does not tell you what volume to prescribe. An established club rider and someone returning after months off need different starts.
First, establish a week you can repeat and recover from. Then build the longer rides and climbing gradually from that starting point, adjusting when work, illness or recovery interrupts the plan. As the event approaches, make the long rides more representative of the chosen route and bring the pacing, food and kit rehearsals together.
Leave room before the event to recover and deal with travel or equipment problems. Trying to catch up on missed training in the final week makes the calendar look complete without answering whether you are ready.
For a broader planning framework, read how to prepare for a sportive. A personal plan needs your training history and response to the work, not just the number of weeks until the start.
Set a target from evidence you have
Begin with the official cut-offs for your chosen route. Include stops when considering how long the day may take. Compare the course with your own recent hilly rides and allow for differences in terrain, weather and fatigue.
An FTP test describes one part of your fitness. It cannot tell you how smoothly you will descend, whether your stomach will tolerate the food you packed or how much time you will spend stopped. Keep those questions visible when setting a target.
Get help building the plan
If you want Roadman to review your preparation, include your chosen route, recent training, longest rides and available weekly hours in your coaching application. Those details let the team assess how the event fits your starting point and schedule.
Not Done Yet coaching combines an individual TrainingPeaks plan with weekly review by the Roadman coaching team and live group coaching with Anthony. For free resources and rider discussion, visit Roadman Clubhouse. The coaching-price guide explains the differences between published service packages.