Mid May to mid June is the key training period for the Etape. Now is a good time for you to assess what you have achieved with your training, and decide what you need to do to reach the standard. It’s also the time to steadily intensify your training (unless it’s already too intense!)

Other things in life generally take first place, so cycle training will be fitted in when time is available. If you have free time in the evenings, fast rides of anything from 15 minutes to an hour or two are ideal for building fitness. Logging average speeds for a given distance will give you a good incentive for improvement. If the ride is hilly, so much the better. Some riders will also want to use interval training once a week.

If, on the other hand you have a day free, this is an ideal opportunity to tackle a ride approaching or exceeding the Etape length.

Training consists of progressively exceeding your normal levels of activity, and the body does its building and repair work mainly while you are resting. If you have a busy life, it is therefore probably best to train about three times a week, allowing rest days in between. I would be interested to hear views on this subject!

Such rides are time consuming, so you will need to put a day aside. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will have long light evenings at this time of year, so a really early start is not strictly necessary. A suitable route would include at least one food and drink stop, preferably three!

Morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea on the way make the day a lot more pleasant! If the weather is hot, remember to avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water, as you loose more water than you realize when cycling.

A fairly flat route is in order for your first 100 mile ride, but do include at least one good hill (7% - 10%), preferably near the half way point. A route, which is mainly downhill on the way back simulates the real ride this year (as well as being a lot more pleasant!). My most recent 100 mile ride featured 19 Km of gentle downhill while the sun set over the sea! Let me know if you would like the route!

There are several reasons for doing a 100 mile plus ride before the Etape.

1. To improve your endurance fitness level
2. To see what its like
3. To find your pace

The heroic approach is to really go for it, throwing caution aside. This is most fun and is usually the fastest, though you risk not arriving at all, or worse! I tried this in the 1999 Etape, overtaking everyone on the flat at 25mph (maybe it was slightly downhill!) but suffered from problems at the 100 mile mark, just surviving the last 25 miles, feeling like collapsing in the grass at the side of the road. On the other hand I used the paced approach on the dreaded Ventoux and Galibier years, and successfully finished on those dreadful climbs when potentially much stronger riders failed to finish. The "heroic" 1999 ride was my fastest, but the approach would not have worked on the more difficult courses.

Whichever approach you take, a 100 mile plus ride is useful to determine the level at which to pitch your effort at over long distances. At this stage in the training program you will still be getting fitter, so you will only be able to get a rough idea of your pace when you are fully trained. You will start to get the feel of the right pace though.

The obvious one is average speed. This is very useful on a flat course, or one that you do repeatedly, but could be misleading if substantial hills are involved.

The second method is Heart Rate, as measured by a heart rate monitor. Heart Rate directly relates to power output, and is therefore useful for pacing a hilly ride. HRM manufacturers recommend pacing your ride at 70% or 80% of your maximum heart rate for endurance if you are already fit and in good shape. It will depend on the individual – if you ride at too high a level you will fatigue too rapidly. If the weather is hot or you are already fatigued, the heart rate will also rise giving misleading results.

The advantage of measuring your heart rate is that it is possible to pace rides over any terrain, as it is a measure of your power output.

A third method is to use Power measurements. To obtain a relative estimate of your power output when climbing simply multiply your speed by the gradient. It is probably the most consistent method of pacing, though this involves computation as you go along. It you want to measure your power in Watts, the formula is given elsewhere on this web site.

The fourth method is probably the best of all – feel! It is the only method that takes account of the state of the rider. It is rather subjective!

If you happen to live near the mountains, you are in luck. Or if you have a chance of a few days in a mountainous area, this is a great help too.

Or if you live in a flat part of Britain but are able to take a trip to mountainous areas such as Wales, Scotland or the Peak District helps.

Failing all this, there are probably some hills nearby.

If not, do not despair! As explained elsewhere on this website, it is possible to train at the appropriate power level on the flat, or on an exercise bike at the gym. There is a formula which relates hill climbing speed to speed on the flat (see the "Training on the Flat" page).

It is sometimes difficult to keep up a suitable speed, particularly if you are training alone. A heart rate monitor may be useful for this.

Manufacturers such as Polar and Cardiosport recommend 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate for aerobic or endurance training, though lower rates are recommended for beginners. See the leaflet supplied with your heart rate monitor for more details, not forgetting the health cautions.

Heart rate relates directly to power output as follows:

Power = K (Heart rate – Resting heart rate)

Where K is a constant. This applies below the aerobic threshold.

As you get fitter the value of K will increase.

It is possible to use this in your training. The method is:

1. Find a long hill with a similar gradient to the mountain you want to climb.
2. Cycle up it at the desired speed. This might be 7mph for a 7% for example.
3. Make a note of your heart rate near the top.

Riding on the flat with the same heart rate means that you are producing the same power as you would do climbing. If you are exceeding 70% or 80% of your maximum heart rate for long periods you may be pushing yourself too hard though!

If you usually ride alone, practicing riding in a group is therefore useful.

It is worth seeking out your local CTC group, particularly if the do fast rides. If you are in the 17 to 20 mph league or faster, your local Club should put you through your paces. Riding with others both on the flat and downhill should help you hone your skills. The sort of things to avoid are common sense really – for example avoid making sudden maneuvers such as braking rapidly. If you want to move sideways for example, you will need to make your intentions clear to those around you, and also to anyone who may be approaching from behind.

In the Etape riders are generally good at informing those behind of any obstructions in the road such as central reservations!

It is worth bearing in mind that in the time it takes to think and react at 20mph you probably travel forwards six feet. It is therefore sensible to ride slightly to one side of the rider in front, so that if he should stop rapidly you have an escape route.

Club riders will already be aware well aware of the etiquette of safely riding in a bunch. If you have any extra hints – let me know!

Having said all that, collisions are surprisingly rare in the Etape du Tour – far rarer that in the vrai Tour de France!

Finally – I hope you find some good training routes. If you want to excel at the Etape – it’s time for some serious training!

On the other hand if you just want to go along for the ride, and the chocolate croissants, there’s a nice comfortable coach just waiting to take you to the finish!