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Get in shape for your holiday with this plan from Ric Stern of cyclecoach.com

WEEK 1

Monday: Strength and conditioning (S&C) work (15-30min)

Tuesday: Race pace intervals. Warm up for 20min to zone 3 and do 6-8x 3min intervals (at just above FTP). Rest periods should be 60-120sec. Then ride steadily for as long as you have time

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Medium-intensity endurance training (MIET). Warm up for 10min to zone 2, then ride 20-40min at zone 3, about 90% of FTP

Friday: As Monday

Saturday: Endurance ride. Warm up for 5min, then do 90-120min at zone 2, zone 4 on hills

Sunday: Long ride. Do 3-4 hours at zone 1 on the flat and 3-4 on the hills. Include 4x 10sec sprints with at least 5-10min between sprints

WEEK 2

Monday: S&C (15-30min)

Tuesday: Threshold tolerance intervals (TTI). Warm up for 20min to zone 3 and do 5-8x 5min TTIS (at just above FTP). Then ride steady for as long as you have time

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: MIET, as week 1

Friday: As Monday

Saturday: Endurance ride. Include 2-4x 30sec full-gas efforts to inject some speed into the ride (or up a hill)

Sunday: Long ride. If your holiday is in a hilly area try to make this a hilly ride. If you can’t, include 2x 10min TTIS at 95 to 100% of FTP

WEEK 3 Monday: S&C (15-30min) Tuesday: TTIS, this time 6-8x 5min TTI (at just above FTP)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: MIET. Warm up for 10min to zone 2, then do 2x 20-30min at zone 3, about 90% of FTP Friday: As Monday

Saturday: Endurance ride, as week 2

Sunday: Long ride of 3-4+ hours

WEEK 4

Monday: S&C (15-30min)

Tuesday: TTIS, this time 7-8x 5min (at just above FTP). Then ride steady for as long as you have time Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: MIET. Warm up for 10min to zone 2, then do 2x 30min at zone 3, about 90% of FTP Friday: As Monday

Saturday: Endurance ride, as week 2

Sunday: Long ride of 3-4+ hours

Follow this plan before you travel in week 5. Have a few easy days to freshen up before you go, with rides of around 45-90min and a couple of days off – you don’t want to arrive shattered so just keep the legs rolling.