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FRANCE / ITALY / SWITZERLAND · SPORTIVE

HAUTE ROUTE ALPS
TRAINING PLAN.

Seven days of timed Alpine stage racing — 920km from Nice to Geneva over 21,000m of climbing, including Bonette, Galibier, Iseran, Colombière, and Joux Plane. Each stage is timed against the field; the GC after stage 7 is what people remember. ASO-quality logistics, transfer trucks, mass starts, and a peloton that races every day.

920 km·21,000 m climbing·7 days (stage race)·August

PICK YOUR WINDOW

HOW LONG TILL YOUR HAUTE ROUTE ALPS?

Count back from your event date. Pick the weeks-out plan that matches your window. Each one is a week-by-week framework built around the demands of this specific course.

16 WEEKS OUT

BASE PHASE

Aerobic foundation. High volume, low intensity. Don't skip this.

12 WEEKS OUT

LATE BASE

Bridge phase. Volume still rules, but structure begins.

8 WEEKS OUT

BUILD PHASE

Structured intensity enters. Threshold + VO2 max work.

4 WEEKS OUT

PEAK PHASE

Event-specific sharpening. Volume drops, quality rises.

2 WEEKS OUT

TAPER

Sharpness is banked. Now shed fatigue.

1 WEEK OUT

RACE WEEK

Don't do anything clever. Eat, sleep, show up.

EVENT INTEL

WHAT THE HAUTE ROUTE ALPS ACTUALLY DEMANDS

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

  • ✓Seven daily stages averaging 130km + 3,000m climbing — the cumulative load is the event
  • ✓Multiple HC climbs each day — Bonette (2,802m), Galibier (2,642m), Iseran (2,764m), Joux Plane (1,691m)
  • ✓Timed format with daily GC — riders race, not just finish
  • ✓Altitude exposure 2,000-2,800m on most stages — power drops 8-15% at the top
  • ✓Recovery between stages is the real workload — massage, nutrition, sleep, repeat

COMMON MISTAKES

  • ✗Riding day 1 like a sportive PR attempt and arriving at day 4 cracked
  • ✗Under-fuelling the recovery window — calorie debt compounds across stages
  • ✗No back-to-back long-ride training — sportive fitness does not transfer to multi-day

PACING

Treat each stage as a 70-80% effort, not a 100% effort. Day 1 power should be the slowest you can hold for 5-6 hours, not the fastest. The leaderboard rewards consistency — riders who finish day 4 at 90% of day-1 power move up the GC; riders who blow up on day 2 ride defence for the rest of the week. Pace climbs on rigid wattage ceilings, not on the wheel in front of you.

FUELLING

On-bike: 80-100g carbs/hour for 5-7 hours daily, with feed-zone discipline. Off-bike: this is where the event is won. 1.2-1.5g protein per kg body weight per day, refined carb intake 8-10g/kg/day during the week, and a recovery shake within 30 minutes of crossing every finish line. Sleep is fuel — riders who skip the post-stage protocol crack on day 4 regardless of fitness.

KIT

Climbing bike with 34x32 minimum, 34x34 if you have it. Two complete kit setups so one is always laundered. Light insulated layer for high-pass descents (Bonette, Iseran tops can be sub-5°C even in August). Recovery kit: foam roller, compression, recovery shake powder, electrolyte tabs. Massage is included most years — book early, every day.

FAQ

HAUTE ROUTE ALPS TRAINING, ANSWERED.

How long should I train for the Haute Route Alps?

For the Haute Route Alps (920km with 21,000m of climbing), most riders benefit from at least 12-16 weeks of structured preparation. If you've been riding consistently, 8 weeks of focused work can still be enough to transform your result. Pick the weeks-out plan that matches your window.

What's the typical finish time for the Haute Route Alps?

Most amateur finishers complete the Haute Route Alps in 7 days (stage race). The spread is driven by climbing fitness more than flat speed — the course has 21,000m of vertical, and pacing the climbs is what separates a strong finish from a suffering one.

When does the Haute Route Alps take place?

The Haute Route Alps typically runs in August. That sets the training window: count back from your event date and pick the weeks-out plan that matches.

What's the biggest mistake riders make at the Haute Route Alps?

Riding day 1 like a sportive PR attempt and arriving at day 4 cracked

How should I pace the Haute Route Alps?

Treat each stage as a 70-80% effort, not a 100% effort. Day 1 power should be the slowest you can hold for 5-6 hours, not the fastest. The leaderboard rewards consistency — riders who finish day 4 at 90% of day-1 power move up the GC; riders who blow up on day 2 ride defence for the rest of the week. Pace climbs on rigid wattage ceilings, not on the wheel in front of you.

WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?

READY FOR A PLAN MADE FOR YOU?

The framework above gets you in the right territory. Roadman coaching builds it around your FTP, your life, and your weeks remaining.

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