Self-supported · off-road
Tour Divide training plan
The Tour Divide follows the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route for about 4,400 km from Banff, Canada, to the Mexican border, with around 60,000 m of climbing on gravel and dirt. Indoor training will not teach you to ride a loaded mountain bike, but it builds the aerobic base, durability and torque that make three weeks possible.
- Distance
- About 4,400 km
- Climbing
- Around 60,000 m
- Surface
- Mostly gravel and dirt
- Format
- Self-supported, grand départ in June
What a Tour Divide demands
On the Divide you climb for hours at low cadence on a heavy bike, at altitude, then ride the next day and the day after. Durability and strength matter more than threshold power, and comfort on the bike decides how many hours a day you can keep moving.
The plan builder treats anything over 2,000 km as a multi-day race: a lower race pace, long rides capped at what is sensible indoors, and back-to-back days in Specialty. Swap the long rides for outdoor rides on your loaded bike whenever you can, and add the Mountain Pass Simulation and torque sessions for the climbing.
Sample 16-week Tour Divide training plan
Generated by MeepMeep's plan builder for a rider training about 8 hours a week now, with a ceiling of 14 hours, five riding days and the long ride on Saturday. Race pace is set at about 62% of FTP, and Specialty adds back-to-back long days. Your own plan starts this week and ends on your event date.
Planned hours per week. Easier weeks are dimmed.
- Peak week
- 13.6 h
- Longest ride
- 5 h 15 min
- Phases
- 6
- Sessions
- 76
The phases
- Foundation · 3 wk
Easy volume and a gentle introduction to each kind of session.
- Base · 3 wk
Aerobic volume, tempo and low-cadence strength. The long ride grows steadily.
- Build · 4 wk
Sweet spot and threshold to raise FTP, plus durability long rides with efforts after a long pre-load.
- Specialty · 3 wk
Event rehearsal: race-pace long rides with full fueling, back-to-back days and a durability test.
- Taper · 2 wk
Volume drops by roughly half while intensity stays, so you arrive fresh.
- Event · 1 wk
Openers, carb-loading and the event itself.
Week by week
| Week | Phase | Sessions | Hours | Longest ride |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation | 5 | 7.8 h | 3 h |
| 2 | Foundation | 5 | 7.6 h | 3 h |
| 3 | Foundation | 5 | 8.2 h | 3 h |
| 4 | Base | 5 | 8.8 h | 3 h 30 min |
| 5 | Base | 5 | 9.7 h | 3 h 45 min |
| 6 | Base | 5 | 10.5 h | 4 h |
| 7 | Build | 5 | 10.0 h | 4 h 18 min |
| 8 | Build | 5 | 11.4 h | 4 h 23 min |
| 9 | Build | 5 | 10.4 h | 4 h 4 min |
| 10 | Build (easier week) | 5 | 5.7 h | 1 h 45 min |
| 11 | Specialty | 4 | 12.5 h | 5 h |
| 12 | Specialty | 4 | 13.0 h | 5 h 8 min |
| 13 | Specialty | 5 | 13.6 h | 5 h 15 min |
| 14 | Taper | 5 | 6.3 h | 3 h |
| 15 | Taper | 5 | 5.0 h | 2 h |
| 16 | Event | 3 | 2.2 h | 45 min |
A Build week (week 7)
| Day | Session | Structure | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Ramp Test | Ramp to exhaustion | 32 min |
| Wednesday | Endurance Builder | Steady endurance | 2 h |
| Thursday | VO2max Intervals | 5 × 4 min VO2max | 1 h 10 min |
| Saturday | Deep Fatigue Threshold Outdoors: ride the pre-load easy, then do the efforts on a long climb or flat road. | 195 min endurance, then 3 × 10 min Threshold | 4 h 18 min |
| Sunday | Endurance Builder | Steady endurance | 2 h |
A Specialty week (week 11)
| Day | Session | Structure | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Extended Sweet Spot | 2 × 30 min Sweet spot | 1 h 34 min |
| Thursday | Durability Test | 2 h endurance, then 20 min all-out | 2 h 43 min |
| Saturday | Extended Race Pace Ride with your full event setup and fueling. Outdoors is ideal — practise night riding and navigation if you can. | Steady endurance, short rises | 5 h |
| Sunday | Long Endurance Ride Back-to-back: ride on tired legs, keep it steady. Rehearses day 2 of your event. | Steady endurance | 3 h 15 min |
Tour Divide training tips
- Train low cadence and seated climbing: torque sessions at 55 to 65 rpm transfer well to a loaded mountain bike.
- Ride long on the same bike, bags and tyres you will race with. Contact-point problems show up on day three, not hour three.
- Practise high-volume eating: the Divide demands more calories than you will be able to carry comfortably.
More: training durability, carbs per hour on long rides and saddle comfort.
Tour Divide training questions
How many hours a week should I train for a Tour Divide?
In this sample, weekly training starts around 7.8 h and peaks at 13.6 h in week 13, with an easier week after every three. Riders with more time can set a higher ceiling in the app; the plan never schedules more than the most hours you enter.
How long should my longest training ride be for a Tour Divide?
The plan's longest indoor ride here is 5 h 15 min. Indoors, 5 to 6 hours is plenty: the work is steadier than outdoors and back-to-back days add the extra fatigue. Long outdoor rides and qualifying brevets can replace any long ride in the plan.
Can I train for a Tour Divide indoors?
Yes, for most of the work. Indoor sessions are ideal for durability blocks, steady Zone 2 and tests, and they fit around work and family. Do some long rides outdoors with your event setup to practise navigation, night riding, stops and comfort.
Make it your Tour Divide plan.
Enter your date and the hours you have. The plan starts this week, never exceeds your cap, and you can move any session.
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