THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW
SHARPEN FOR THE DATE.
Four weeks out, you stop building and start sharpening. Volume drops 15-20%. Intensity gets very specific to your event. Long rides mimic race pacing. The goal is to arrive fresh, not fitter — if you're still building now, you peaked wrong.
THIS WEEK'S ANCHOR SESSION
EVENT SIMULATION
One 3-hour ride that mimics the first 3 hours of your target event. Same pace, same fueling, same kit. If your event has a big early climb, include one. Your legs learn what race pace feels like.
EVENT INTEL
WHAT THE RIDE LONDON ACTUALLY DEMANDS
Ride London-Essex 100 is the UK's largest mass-participation sportive — 160km (100 miles) from east London out through the Essex countryside and back on closed roads. Since 2022 the route has run through Essex rather than the Surrey Hills, making it flatter, faster, and pack-dominated. First-time 100-mile riders dominate the field.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
- ✓Closed roads from central London out through Essex and back
- ✓Rolling Essex countryside — few sustained climbs, lots of short rises
- ✓Pack riding dominates — drafting saves 20-30% of your work
- ✓Central London finish on The Mall with huge crowds
- ✓Early start (often 06:30) — means late nights the week before ruin you
COMMON MISTAKES
- ✕Surfing from group to group in the first 40km and burning matches
- ✕Underhydrating because it 'doesn't feel hot' on closed roads
- ✕Treating it like a climbing sportive — it's a pack-speed event, pick the right wheels
PACING
Sit in a pack at your sportive pace. Don't chase a faster pack if you can't comfortably hold a wheel for 10 minutes. The Essex route is rolling rather than climber's terrain — your target power should be close to tempo for long stretches, with brief spikes over the short rises. Save matches for the last 30km back into London, where gaps open up.
FUELLING
Gels every 30-45 min + bar every 90. Closed-road feed zones are plentiful but often packed — carry enough that you can skip one. Caffeine gel at 100km keeps the focus through the urban section.
KIT
Aero road bike with 52/36 + 11-30 cassette is plenty. No need for climbing gear. Bidon cage warming bottles (it often rains). Thin gloves — finish is in London, traffic after the line.
WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?
COACHED FOR YOUR EVENT.
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OTHER PHASES FOR THE RIDE LONDON