Hill training for preparation for Dolomites in Italy

[GmanUK65]

In June I am planning to do the Sellaronda 2016 in The Dolomites, Italy. I'm not strong on hills. I am in a cc and I've asked them for advice. Some say do plenty of big hills and do normal rides for base training. One person says that doing hills in my area are both too short and steep to train for the Dolomites so advised me to find a long flat route (about 60 miles) and to try and keep my threshold pace as long as possible (I'm having problems in finding a route of this length). Obviously I am taking all of the above on board but I thought I would ask for advice on training for the ride in Dolomites, taking on board of the advice given to me above.

 

[blazed]

In June I am planning to do the Sellaronda 2016 in The Dolomites, Italy. I'm not strong on hills. I am in a cc and I've asked them for advice. Some say do plenty of big hills and do normal rides for base training. One person says that doing hills in my area are both too short and steep to train for the Dolomites so advised me to find a long flat route (about 60 miles) and to try and keep my threshold pace as long as possible (I'm having problems in finding a route of this length). Obviously I am taking all of the above on board but I thought I would ask for advice on training for the ride in Dolomites, taking on board of the advice given to me above.

I rode ventoux and stelvio pass last year, and also lots of climbing in Majorca even though those are very tame in comparison.

Best training you can do is threshold training, you want to hold as high an intensity as possible the whole climb, there are no climbs in the uk that allow you to do that.

Do most your training on an indoor bike like a watt bike or on your turbo, you don't need to practice on hills at all.

 

[Onyer]

I rode ventoux

We are riding Ventoux later this year. what is it like? And how long did it take?

 

[Milkfloat]

I would suggest mix it up, long rides at threshold in a tough gear at lower cadence, but also get some hill repeats in so you can actually feel what a hill is like and the different position of the bike.

 

[blazed]

We are riding Ventoux later this year. what is it like? And how long did it take?

I rode from Bedoin. I was with two over 50's of average fitness and a friend, we stayed together so I didn't get to have a proper crack at it.
Once the gradient kicks up it stays very consitsant the whole way up. As I said two of the party were in their 50's and they struggled, not sure how often we had to stop but probably near 10x.

Interestingly enough one of them came stelvio pass also and he did the entire climb without stopping. There was a 5 month gap between so his fitness had obviously improved a lot.

Our moving time was 2 hour 10.

I found ventoux itself pretty bland, the scenery is nothing special.

The dolomites on the other hand are breathtaking. If you have the choice skip ventoux and do stelvio pass instead.

 

[Onyer]

I rode from Bedoin. I was with two over 50's of average fitness and a friend, we stayed together so I didn't get to have a proper crack at it.
Once the gradient kicks up it stays very consitsant the whole way up. As I said two of the party were in their 50's and they struggled, not sure how often we had to stop but probably near 10x.

Interestingly enough one of them came stelvio pass also and he did the entire climb without stopping. There was a 5 month gap between so his fitness had obviously improved a lot.

Our moving time was 2 hour 10.

I found ventoux itself pretty bland, the scenery is nothing special.

The dolomites on the other hand are breathtaking. If you have the choice skip ventoux and do stelvio pass instead.

Thanks for the info. We are riding St Malo to Nice and plan two nights in Sault. The day we are not moving on we plan to ride up Ventoux (without our panniers). Maybe Stelvio next year!

 

[windyrider]

In June I am planning to do the Sellaronda 2016 in The Dolomites, Italy. I'm not strong on hills. I am in a cc and I've asked them for advice. Some say do plenty of big hills and do normal rides for base training. One person says that doing hills in my area are both too short and steep to train for the Dolomites so advised me to find a long flat route (about 60 miles) and to try and keep my threshold pace as long as possible (I'm having problems in finding a route of this length). Obviously I am taking all of the above on board but I thought I would ask for advice on training for the ride in Dolomites, taking on board of the advice given to me above.

Maratona dles Dolomites is my destination this year. In training I'm trying to find 1000 meters of climbing in the shortest distance on the road. Mixing that up with some turbo sessions and a weekend ride with the club fast group. Going to take in the Stelvio and hopefully
Monte Zoncolan as well.

 

[windyrider]

http://www.flammerouge.je/factsheets/doihill.htm

might give some helpful advice on hills

 

[MichaelW2]

I don't find flat riding so much use as hill training. Obviously it can make for good aerobic fitness, which is always useful, so there is a place for long, steady rides.
Find the longest hill and ride up as fast as you can without stopping. Roll down and repeat.
If you do that regularly, then the 10% grades of Alpine climbs will be fairly easy. There may be sections on smaller roads that exceed 18%, and they will bust a gut no matter what, but hill intervals will really help.

 

[PaulB]

Done three Maratonas and love that event. Hills here are much shorter and usually steeper since we don't do much in the way of zig-zags so not much you can do for specific training. I just do lots and lots of base miles and that will see you through.

 

[blazed]

I don't find flat riding so much use as hill training. Obviously it can make for good aerobic fitness, which is always useful, so there is a place for long, steady rides.
Find the longest hill and ride up as fast as you can without stopping. Roll down and repeat.
If you do that regularly, then the 10% grades of Alpine climbs will be fairly easy. There may be sections on smaller roads that exceed 18%, and they will bust a gut no matter what, but hill intervals will really help.

When you're cycling a mountain fast your heart rate is beating fast, you're going to be in and around your threshold for an hour or two. Doing hill repeats is not the ideal training for this, you could blast up a hill then you come back down your heart rate is coming down, that does not mimic a mountain. The only thing that will mimic it are long constant efforts, the only way you can do that in this country is on the flat or ideally indoors. You don't need an incline, the average person has more than enough leg strength to pedal themselves up, its not the legs that give way.

 

[mjr]

advised me to find a long flat route (about 60 miles) and to try and keep my threshold pace as long as possible (I'm having problems in finding a route of this length).

http://cycle.travel/map/journey/14880 or nearer you, take a train to York and ride south as close to the Ouse as you can, then when you get to Ousefleet, ride south as close to the Trent as you can. If you went as far as Newark for the mainline train station, that's about 90 miles of flattish terrain.

 

[Jimidh]

Thanks for the info. We are riding St Malo to Nice and plan two nights in Sault. The day we are not moving on we plan to ride up Ventoux (without our panniers). Maybe Stelvio next year!

If you are able to squeeze it in the Nesqe Gorge is a stunning ride - we based ourselves in Bedoin and done a loop through the Nesque Gorge to Sault then up Ventoux and back to Bedoin down the back of Ventoux.

Ventoux is a must though just for the history especially if you are a fan of the tour.

 

[Jimidh]

Top of the Nesque Gorge with Ventoux in the clouds.

 

[PK99]

I'm doing a Skedaddle tour next September with MrsPK & some friends:
Roussillon
Gorge da la Nesque/Salut
Ventoux
Forcalquier
Moustiers
Castellane
Vence

Lots of miles in the Surrey Hills between before then, plus weekly intensive sessions zig-zagging up and down the nice set of 10%ers in Wimbledon