8-week cycling training plan | 20-page PDF guide | €89
Available in English, German and Finnish. All three language versions are included in your purchase.
One hard minute shouldn't ruin the rest of your ride.
You hit a climb on a group ride or in a race and the pace goes up. You follow, but your legs start burning. Over the top, everyone settles back into the usual pace, yet your legs still haven't recovered. The power you can normally hold for ages suddenly feels too hard. You spend the rest of the ride hanging on, even though you should have the fitness for it.
That's exactly the kind of riding I built Hard Start for. I want you to get more out of your fitness when the pace isn't steady. To respond to an acceleration and still ride well afterwards. There's often plenty of good riding left after that climb.
Hard Start is an eight-week training plan for experienced recreational cyclists. The aim is to develop your aerobic capacity and your ability to keep riding after a hard start. The whole block is planned for you, so you can concentrate on the training.
I've seen the difference on the road
I've used Hard Start training with the riders I coach and seen some surprisingly big improvements in performance, particularly outdoors and in races. Many have been able to ride harder after a fast start than they could before. Their ability to hold steady power has begun to carry over better to riding with repeated accelerations.
I've also used this approach a lot in my own training during the 2026 season. It's been a very good fit for the races I've ridden in Finland. Here, my racing has demanded the ability to respond to short, hard accelerations and keep going afterwards. A long, steady Alpine climb is a different task.
You face the same demands on group rides and in races. But you don't have to race to enjoy riding well after a hard climb. If you want to stay with the group and still feel strong later in the ride, this is worth training for.
Your week's training on one page
You get the full plan in a 20-page PDF guide. Each week's training is on one page: rides, gym work, session durations and the carbohydrates you'll need on the bike. The guidance pages explain how to do the sessions and choose your power targets.
The plan includes four rides and one gym session per week. Allow around 6-8 hours during the build weeks. Easier weeks are included too. There are shorter versions of the interval sessions, and the guide explains how to fit the week around your life.
You'll also find warm-ups, gym instructions, advice on eating during rides and an end-of-block review. Read the guide on your phone, tablet or computer, or print out the page for the week ahead.
Is Hard Start right for you?
This plan is for you if you ride regularly and want to improve. You might want to feel stronger on your own rides, keep up on the group ride or do well in a cycling event. The plan is also very well suited to preparing for races.
You've completed at least one season of regular cycling. For roughly the past six weeks, you've been training 6-8 hours a week. You're familiar with two hard training days per week, intervals lasting several minutes, rides of around two hours and the basic gym lifts.
What do you need?
You'll need a bike and a power meter or a trainer that measures power, plus a way to track cadence and time your efforts. In the gym, you can use familiar barbell or dumbbell exercises. You'll also need a light resistance band for activation work.
Three languages in one purchase
You receive the same 20-page guide as three separate PDF files: English, German and Finnish. Each language version contains the complete programme.
The product is delivered as a downloadable PDF guide. It's a standalone plan for training on your own. You don't need to buy another programme first. Individual monitoring and coaching messages are not included.
A couple of practical questions
Can I follow the plan on an indoor trainer?
Yes. You can measure power with your bike's power meter or a trainer that measures power. You must be able to adjust your power output yourself on the trainer. You can also do the sessions outdoors on a suitable stretch of road or trail.
Do I need a lactate meter or a paid app?
No. You follow the instructions in the PDF. You don't need a separate training app subscription or a lactate meter.
Choose your starting week and put the sessions in your calendar. Let's put in the work so you've still got legs left after that hard climb.
