THE PROBLEM MOST RIDERS IN THIS SPOT FACE.
Most gravel racers come from a road background and train like road racers. Long endurance rides, threshold intervals, sweet spot blocks — and then they show up to a 200-mile gravel event and discover the bottleneck is not their FTP. It's their nutrition, their pacing, their handling on rough surfaces, and their ability to keep eating at hour 7.
Gravel performance is built on three things: a huge polarised aerobic base, the technical skill to hold speed on loose surfaces without burning matches, and a fuelling system that keeps you eating 80-100g of carbs an hour for 8+ hours. Most road-derived plans cover the first one. The other two are where most gravel racers actually leak time.
We coach the whole problem.
WHAT CHANGES IN THE COACHING
- ✓Heavier polarised distribution — closer to 90/10 for ultra-distance gravel
- ✓Long, structured endurance rides (5-8 hrs) periodised into the plan
- ✓Technical skills as a coached pillar — handling, descending, group dynamics
- ✓Fuelling at 80-100g carbs/hr practiced and tested before race day
- ✓Equipment and tyre-pressure decisions integrated, not left to forum advice
- ✓Race-day pacing built around average power, not threshold targets
GRAVEL
HOW THE COACHING WORKS
The five pillars adapted for this segment. Same system — periodised differently to fit what you actually need.
POLARISED AEROBIC BASE
Gravel races are won by the rider who can hold a respectable power for 4-12 hours, not the one with the highest FTP. The base block is bigger, slower, and more disciplined than a road racer's.
LONG STRUCTURED ENDURANCE
5-8 hour rides aren't just 'get out and ride'. They're periodised: HR caps, fuelling targets, terrain-matched routes. Each one is dress rehearsal for race day.
TECHNICAL SKILL WORK
Loose-surface handling, line choice, group riding on gravel, descending fast on gravel without burning matches. The watts you save with skill outweigh most of the watts you can build through training.
FUELLING THE LONG DAY
80-100g of carbs an hour for 8+ hours is a trained skill. We test products, dial timing, and rehearse the full race-day fuelling plan in long training rides. No surprises on event day.
RACE-PACE DISCIPLINE
Average power, not threshold pace, is the gravel race target. We build the pacing strategy from your event's profile, your weight, and your goal time — and the discipline to hold it when the early group flies away.
FIXABLE MISTAKES
MISTAKES TO AVOID
The patterns that hold this segment back the most. Each one is fixable — that's the whole point.
01. TRAINING LIKE A ROAD RACER
Threshold blocks and 90-min sweet spot sessions don't prepare you for 8 hours on gravel. The aerobic base for ultra-distance gravel has to be bigger and more polarised than the road equivalent. More volume, slower volume, longer rides.
02. UNDER-FUELLING IN TRAINING
If you only practise fuelling on race day, your gut can't handle 80-100g an hour and you'll bonk. Gut training is a real adaptation — practice eating during long rides for weeks before the event. The stomach has to learn just like the legs do.
03. TREATING SKILLS AS 'SOMETHING I'LL JUST FIGURE OUT'
On gravel, technical skill saves more watts than any training block. Riders who handle loose corners, washboard, and gravel descents efficiently arrive at hour 6 fresh. Riders who white-knuckle every descent are cooked. Skill is a coachable pillar.
04. GOING OUT AT THRESHOLD PACE
Gravel races aren't won at threshold. They're won at a sustainable percentage of FTP held for 5-12 hours. Most blow-ups come from sitting on someone's wheel at 90% FTP for the first hour — pace it from your own number, not theirs.
05. IGNORING TYRE PRESSURE AND EQUIPMENT CHOICES
On gravel, tyre pressure is worth more than 10 watts of fitness. Equipment choices — tyre size, sealant, gearing, hydration setup — meaningfully affect performance. We coach these decisions; we don't leave them to forum threads.
IS THIS COACHING RIGHT FOR YOU?
YES, IF YOU...
- ✓Race or plan to race gravel — local league, ultra-distance, or anywhere in between
- ✓Are coming from road and want a structured transition to gravel
- ✓Have a specific gravel event 8-20 weeks away
- ✓Want fuelling, pacing, and technical work coached as part of the plan
- ✓Have plateaued on road methodology applied to gravel events
- ✓Are willing to do 5-8 hour long rides as part of the build
NOT IF YOU...
- ×Are new to cycling generally (start with our beginners coaching)
- ×Don't have access to gravel routes or terrain to train on
- ×Want a generic plan with no event-specific periodisation
COACHING FOR OTHER SEGMENTS
Same five pillars. Different periodisation depending on who you are and what you're training for.
MASTERS CYCLISTS
40+ — preserve power, manage recovery
OVER 50
Deeper recovery, heavy strength, joint-aware
BEGINNERS
Build a real base. Skip the bad habits.
WOMEN
Female-specific physiology and benchmarks
BUSY PROFESSIONALS
6-8 hrs/week — every hour earning its keep
TIME-CRUNCHED
Under 6 hrs/week — maximum return per hour
YOUR COACHING STARTS HERE.
7-day free trial. Five pillars. Personalised to your goals, your schedule, and your life. Cancel anytime.
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