Coaching

PEAK ON THE DAY THAT MATTERS

The complete guide to race preparation for cyclists. Tapering, race-day nutrition, pacing strategy, warm-up protocols, and the 12-week countdown to your target event — built from World Tour race-day science.

87 articles · 12 podcast episodes

THE SHORT ANSWER

Race preparation is everything that happens between your last hard training block and the start line. It covers tapering (reducing volume while maintaining intensity), race-day nutrition (from 48 hours out through the final feed zone), pacing strategy, warm-up protocol, and the gear checklist that stops you standing in a car park at 6am missing a shoe. Get these right and you ride to your fitness. Get them wrong and months of training go to waste in the first 30 kilometres.

This guide pulls together what we've learned from coaching conversations with Dan Lorang, Joe Friel, and Alan Murchison on the Roadman Podcast, plus the real-world experience of hundreds of riders in the Not Done Yet community who have tapered, fuelled, paced, and pinned numbers on jerseys for everything from local 10-mile time trials to 200km alpine sportives.

In this guide:

The taper: how to reduce without losing
Race-week nutrition: the 48-hour protocol
Race-morning fuelling: the 3-hour countdown
Pacing strategy for sportives and road races
The pre-race warm-up
Race-day checklist
What the experts say
Frequently asked questions

The Taper: How to Reduce Without Losing

The reality of tapering: most amateurs taper too much, too early, or both. The goal of a taper is to shed accumulated fatigue while keeping the neuromuscular sharpness you built. It is not a rest week. It is a precision tool.

The standard amateur taper framework:

Weeks Out	Volume Change	Intensity
3 weeks	Reduce volume by 20%	Maintain 2 quality sessions
2 weeks	Reduce volume by 40%	1-2 short, sharp interval sessions
Race week	Reduce volume by 60-70%	1 opener session 2 days before

The critical rule: drop volume, not intensity. A 4x4min VO2max set in taper week keeps your top-end sharp. Replacing it with Zone 2 plodding leaves you feeling flat on the line.

For a sportive (as opposed to a road race), you can compress this to a 7-10 day taper. You are not peaking for a 4-hour criterium — you are preparing for sustained aerobic output, and too long a taper leaves many riders feeling sluggish.

→ Read the full guide: Cycling Taper Guide — Peak for Race Day → Read the full guide: Cycling Taper Race Preparation System → Read the full guide: Peaking for a Sportive — 12-Week Framework

Race-Week Nutrition: The 48-Hour Protocol

Race-day nutrition does not start on race day. It starts 48 hours before. The goal is to top off glycogen stores without the bloating and digestive stress that comes from a single massive pasta dinner the night before.

48-hour fuelling timeline:

When	What
48 hours before	Increase carbohydrate to 8-10g/kg/day. Spread across meals.
36 hours before	Continue high-carb meals. Reduce fibre slightly to prevent GI issues.
24 hours before	Familiar foods only. No new restaurants, no experimental meals.
Evening before	Moderate carb-rich dinner by 7-8pm. Not the biggest meal of your life.
Race morning	See below.

The biggest mistake is front-loading everything into a single "carb-loading" dinner. That leaves you bloated at 10pm and under-fuelled for the 48 hours of glycogen synthesis that actually matters. Spread it across six smaller meals over two days and you arrive at the start line with full stores and a settled stomach.

→ Read the full guide: Race Day Fuelling — 24-Hour Timeline

Race-Morning Fuelling: The 3-Hour Countdown

The race-morning meal is not complicated, but it is non-negotiable. You need 1-3g/kg of carbohydrate, consumed 2.5-3 hours before the start, from foods you have practised with in training.

A practical race-morning template (70kg rider):

Food	Carbs (approx.)
Porridge with honey and banana (80g oats)	~90g
White toast with jam (2 slices)	~40g
500ml sports drink, sipped to start	~30g
Total	~160g

That is roughly 2.3g/kg — inside the target range for most athletes. Adjust up or down based on your body weight and what your gut tolerates.

Three rules for race morning: nothing new, nothing high-fat, nothing high-fibre. This is not the day to try a new energy bar or a full English. If you have not eaten it before a hard training ride, do not eat it before a race.

→ Read the full guide: Cycling Sportive Preparation

Pacing Strategy for Sportives and Road Races

Pacing a sportive is the opposite of pacing a road race. In a road race, you respond to attacks. In a sportive, you execute a plan. The riders who finish strongest are the ones who start slowest — relative to their ability.

The negative-split pacing framework:

First third: ride at 85-90% of your target average power. Bank nothing — hold back.
Middle third: settle to target average power.
Final third: if you have fuel and legs, increase to 95-105% of target.

For a 100-mile sportive, target power should be 70-75% of FTP for most amateurs. That feels easy at kilometre 10. It will not feel easy at kilometre 140.

Climbing pacing: on climbs over 10 minutes, hold 5-8% below your threshold power. The instinct to attack the bottom of a climb is the single biggest pacing error in amateur cycling. You will pay for it in the final third of the climb and in every kilometre that follows.

→ Read the full guide: Pacing Strategy for a Cycling Sportive

The Pre-Race Warm-Up

For events under 60 minutes (time trials, short crits), a warm-up is essential — 15-20 minutes building to two 1-minute efforts at race intensity, finishing 10 minutes before the start.

For sportives and long road races, a formal warm-up matters less. Your first 20-30 minutes of riding is the warm-up. But there are still basics worth covering:

Warm-Up Element	Short Event (under 60 min)	Sportive (over 2 hours)
Duration	15-20 min on turbo	5-10 min easy spin or none
Intensity	Build to 2x 1-min at race pace	Easy spinning, 1-2 short accelerations
Timing	Finish 5-10 min before start	Ride to the start line
Caffeine	3-6mg/kg, 45-60 min before start	Same
Final fuel	Gel or drink in final 15 min	Gel or drink in final 15 min

The caffeine dose matters. 3-6mg/kg body weight, taken 45-60 minutes before the start, is one of the most consistently supported ergogenic aids in endurance sport. For a 70kg rider, that is 210-420mg — roughly 2-4 strong coffees. Test this in training first.

→ Read the full guide: Pre-Race Warm-Up Protocol for Cyclists

Race-Day Checklist

The checklist exists so you do not have to think at 5am. Print it. Tick it off. Leave nothing to race-morning memory.

Kit bag:

Helmet, shoes, glasses
Race number and pins (8 minimum)
Timing chip (if applicable)
Jersey, bib shorts, base layer (check forecast)
Arm warmers, gilet, rain jacket (pack even if forecast is clear)
Gloves (full-finger if under 12C)

Nutrition:

Race-morning breakfast (pre-measured)
On-bike fuel: gels, bars, drink mix (enough for the full distance, do not rely on feed zones alone)
Caffeine source (gels, tablets, or coffee)
Recovery shake or bar for post-finish

Bike:

Tyres checked and inflated (check the night before AND the morning of)
Chain lubed
Brakes tested
Computer charged, route loaded
Spare inner tube, tyre levers, CO2 or mini pump
Multi-tool

Logistics:

Directions to start, parking info
Start time and wave assignment
Emergency contact written on arm or in jersey pocket
Phone (fully charged, in waterproof bag)
Cash (for the cafe stop you promised yourself)

→ Read the full guide: Race Day Checklist for Cyclists

What the Experts Say

Dan Lorang — Head of Performance, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe — on how World Tour riders taper differently for one-day classics versus Grand Tours, and what amateurs can borrow from that framework.
Joe Friel — author of The Cyclist's Training Bible — on the periodisation principles behind a proper taper and why most self-coached athletes cut volume and intensity simultaneously, losing sharpness.
Alan Murchison — Michelin-starred chef turned sports nutritionist — on practical race-day fuelling that works for real people, not lab athletes, and the 48-hour carbohydrate protocol that replaced the old pasta-party approach.

→ Hear the conversations: All Podcast Guests

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I taper before a race? For a road race or time trial, 10-14 days. For a sportive, 7-10 days is usually enough. The key principle is the same: reduce volume by 40-70% over the final 1-2 weeks while keeping 1-2 short, sharp intensity sessions. Drop the volume, keep the intensity. A taper that removes both leaves you flat.

What should I eat on race morning? A carbohydrate-rich meal of 1-3g/kg body weight, 2.5-3 hours before the start. Porridge with honey and banana, white toast with jam, or a rice-based meal all work. The only rule that matters: eat what you have practised. Nothing new on race day.

How do I pace a 100-mile sportive? Start at 85-90% of your planned average power and resist the temptation to ride with faster groups in the first hour. Target 70-75% of FTP as your average for the full distance. Eat from the first 30 minutes — 60-90g of carbohydrate per hour from gels, bars, and drink mix. The riders who finish strongest are always the ones who started with restraint.

What should I bring on race day? Beyond your bike and kit: race number and pins, timing chip, on-bike nutrition for the full distance (not just what you think you will need — what you will need if a feed zone is missed), spare tube, CO2, multi-tool, arm warmers and gilet regardless of forecast, phone in a waterproof bag, and cash. Lay everything out the night before. Use a checklist.

Should I ride the day before a race? Yes — a short, easy spin of 20-40 minutes with 2-3 brief accelerations (10-15 seconds at race pace) keeps the legs feeling responsive without adding fatigue. This is the "opener" session. Do not ride hard, do not ride long. Easy in, easy out, done by lunchtime.

How much caffeine should I take before a race? 3-6mg/kg of body weight, 45-60 minutes before the start. For a 70kg rider, that is 210-420mg. Start at the lower end if you are caffeine-sensitive. Always test your race-day caffeine protocol in training first — some riders get GI distress from caffeine gels on an empty-ish stomach.

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A gran fondo is not a race. It is also not a sportive. It sits somewhere in between, and the riders who enjoy it most are the ones who understood that before the start line.

Coaching20 min read

How to Pace Your First Century: An Hour-by-Hour Guide to 100 Miles

The difference between finishing your first century with a grin and finishing it in a survival shuffle comes down to what you do in the first two hours. Not the last two.

Coaching17 min read

Race Day Checklist for Cyclists: The Complete 48-Hour Preparation Guide

Most DNFs start the night before. Not on the road, not on the climb, but in the kitchen, the garage, or the alarm clock you forgot to set. This is the complete 48-hour preparation guide for race day — from bike checks to breakfast, kit to caffeine, warm-up to start line.

Coaching12 min read

Lessons from the Peloton: Tour Training Methods You Can Actually Use

You can't train like a Tour rider. You don't have the time, the team, or the recovery infrastructure. But the principles behind what they do? Those scale. Six training methods from the peloton, translated for someone with a job, a family, and 6-10 hours a week.

Coaching12 min read

How to Taper Properly: The Science of Supercompensation and the Mistakes Costing You Race Day

You did the work. Months of intervals, long rides, structured blocks. And then you blew it in the final two weeks because nobody taught you how to stop. Here's the science of supercompensation and the taper protocol that actually delivers race-day form.

Coaching8 min read

How to Train for a Sportive in 12 Weeks: A Build Plan

Twelve weeks is enough time to properly transform your sportive — not just to survive it, but to ride it strong. Here's the week-by-week structure: base, build and peak, the two sessions that matter most each week, and how to taper so you arrive fresh instead of fried.

Coaching11 min read

How to Pace a 100km+ Sportive and Actually Finish Strong

Most sportive riders blow up because they pace the first 30km like a criterium and the last 30km like a funeral. Here is how to use power targets, negative splits and smart fuelling to ride the whole thing — not just the first half.

Coaching12 min read

The Science of Warming Up for a Cycling Race

Most cyclists either skip the warm-up entirely or spin for forty minutes and wonder why they still feel terrible at the start. Here's what actually happens physiologically when you warm up properly, what the World Tour teams do before a time trial, and how to apply it whether you own a turbo or not.

Nutrition13 min read

Race Day Nutrition Plan for Cyclists: Hour-by-Hour Fueling Guide

Most race day nutrition plans fall apart because they start too late and wing it from there. This is the hour-by-hour playbook covering breakfast timing, pre-start fueling, 90-120g carbs per hour on the bike, and the caffeine window that actually matters.

Coaching8 min read

Tapering With the Performance Management Chart: How to Time Your Peak

Most amateurs taper on feel and panic. The Performance Management Chart turns it into something you can read: fitness held, fatigue falling, form climbing into the green. Here's how to time your peak using CTL, ATL and TSB — and the three mistakes that wreck a masters rider's race day.

Coaching9 min read

How to Watch the Tour de France Like a Coach

Anyone can watch the Tour for the finish. A coach watches the cadence, the positioning before a climb, the riders quietly eating on the flat, the faces in the last 5km. Here's how to read what the camera shows you — and turn three weeks of TV into a coaching education.

Coaching9 min read

What Paris-Roubaix Teaches About Effort, Position and Durability

A 54km/h opening hour. A fight for position that decides everything. Cobbles that get smoother the faster you go. Pro rider Ben Oliver broke down Paris-Roubaix from the inside, and the lessons about effort management and durability apply far beyond the cobbles.

Coaching8 min read

What Amateurs Can Learn From Tour de France Preparation

You'll never train like a Tour rider, and you shouldn't try. But the process behind their preparation — peak timing, fuelling, equipment, the taper — scales straight down to your sportive or club race. Here's how to borrow the method without the volume.

Coaching12 min read

How to Peak for Your Cycling Event: The Taper and Race-Day System That Actually Works

The taper paradox: you need to do less, but doing less feels like losing fitness. The riders who get this right show up sharp; the ones who don't show up tired and wonder why the form they had two weeks ago has vanished.

Nutrition7 min read

Race Week Carb Loading for Cyclists: The Protocol That Actually Works

Most cyclists either carb load wrong or don't do it at all. The modern protocol is shorter, simpler, and more effective than the old depletion method — and it starts 36 hours out, not a week before.

Coaching11 min read

How to Peak for a Sportive: A 12-Week Framework That Holds Up

Most amateur sportive plans collapse in the final fortnight. The work was there; the timing wasn't. Here's the 12-week peaking framework — the same block structure we run with masters cyclists who train around real lives — built to put your form on race day, not in the file.

Nutrition10 min read

Race-Day Fuelling: A 24-Hour Timeline From Wake-Up to Finish

Most amateur fuelling failures aren't about what the rider eats — they're about when. Here's the hour-by-hour timeline from race-morning wake-up through the finish, calibrated to four- to eight-hour amateur events and the body of a rider with a job.

Recovery14 min read

The 15% Taper Gain Most Cyclists Skip — And Why Backing Off Feels Wrong

Backing off feels like falling behind. That feeling is the trap. The 15% performance gain hiding in a proper taper is the one most cyclists never earn, because the discipline of doing less is harder than the discipline of doing more.

Recovery12 min read

Beating Travel Fatigue: The Cyclist's Pre-Event Protocol

You spent twelve weeks training for an event and then sat in 3% humidity for seven hours, eating airline food and drinking nothing. The performance cost shows up two days later. Here is the pre-flight protocol that stops it.

Nutrition11 min read

Cycling Nutrition Plan for a 100-Mile Sportive

100 miles is the distance where amateurs blow up. Not from fitness. From fuel. Here is the hour-by-hour nutrition plan that survives contact with the back half of a sportive.

Coaching4 min read

Sportive Training Readiness Index 2026 (Coming Q3 2026)

A new annual report from Roadman — a benchmarking framework for sportive riders across the major European events. Where you should be, by week and by metric, in the build to the start line. Publishing Q3 2026. Get notified.

Community5 min read

Racing Tactics for Amateur Cyclists: Breakaways, Positioning, and Strategy

Bike racing is chess at 40kph. The strongest rider doesn't always win — the smartest often does. Here are the tactical fundamentals that most amateur racers never learn.

Coaching5 min read

How to Prepare for Your First Sportive or Gran Fondo

Your first sportive is a milestone. With the right preparation, it can be the best day you've ever had on a bike. Without it, you'll be crawling home wondering what went wrong.

Coaching5 min read

How to Taper for a Cycling Event: The Science of Arriving Fresh

The two weeks before your target event are where most cyclists panic and overtrain. Here's how to taper properly so you arrive at the start line fresh and fast.

Nutrition8 min read

Race Day Nutrition for Cyclists: What to Eat Before, During, and After

Your race day nutrition starts 48 hours before the start line. Get it wrong, and no amount of fitness will save you. Here's the complete timeline for fuelling a cycling race.

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MAKING A DECISION?

COMPARISONS

Cycling Coach vs Training App

A coach wins when you've plateaued, need accountability, or have complex life constraints. An app wins when you're a beginner, budget-conscious, or still making easy gains.

Polarised (80/20) vs Pyramidal

Polarised has stronger research support for most amateurs. Pyramidal works for riders with very high volume. Both beat the grey-zone middle that most cyclists default to.

Indoor Training vs Outdoor Riding

Indoor training wins on time efficiency and workout precision. Outdoor riding wins on skill development, mental health, and race-specific fitness. The best cyclists do both — structured work inside, volume and skills outside.

Power Meter vs Heart Rate Monitor

Power is the gold standard — it measures output directly while heart rate measures response. But heart rate still has value for pacing easy rides, monitoring fatigue, and riders on a budget.

TrainerRoad vs TrainingPeaks

TrainerRoad is a self-coaching engine — pick a plan, follow the workouts, let the algorithm adapt. TrainingPeaks is a platform your coach builds your plan on. If you have a coach, TrainingPeaks. If you're self-coached, TrainerRoad.

KEY TERMS

GLOSSARY

FTP (Functional Threshold Power)VO2max Polarised Training Sweet Spot Training Zone 2 (Endurance Zone)

STUCK?

COMMON PROBLEMS

Why Am I Not Getting Faster at Cycling?

Cycling FTP Plateau — How to Break Through

Coming Back to Cycling After Time Off

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