How to Prepare for Your Gran Fondo

by Equipe Enervit

With winter behind us, the Gran Fondo season is here: an incredible opportunity to challenge yourself, share your passion, and enjoy breathtaking landscapes. But to truly make the most of it, riding alone is not enough — you need a comprehensive strategy.
Whether your goal is to finish with a smile or beat your personal best, this practical guide will help you get ready. You’ll find advice on what to do in the months leading up to the event, during the final week, and on race day itself. Plus, some Pro tips to give you an extra edge.

 

Table of Contents

• Building Your Base: The Winter Phase
• Two Months to Go: Boost Your Preparation
• One Week Before: Tapering and Final Adjustments
• Race Day: Time to Execute Your Strategy
• Conclusion

Building Your Base: The Winter Phase

Winter is the perfect time to build a solid aerobic base while working on strength and endurance. If weather or time constraints keep you indoors, smart trainers are an excellent alternative (Read more here).

Indoor Cycling Workouts

With just 2–3 sessions per week, even 45–60 minutes long, you can achieve significant benefits. Alternate between:

• Steady-State Rides (Zone 2): 65–75% of your max heart rate, 56–75% of your FTP (Functional Threshold Power). These improve cardiovascular efficiency and aerobic capacity.
• Interval Training: 4–6 reps of 3–5 minutes at 90–95% VO₂max (Zone 5, 106–120% FTP), with 3–4 minutes of light pedaling in between (Zone 1–2). This effectively raises your anaerobic threshold.

To complement indoor cycling:

• Running:Great for cardiovascular fitness but should be limited to 2 sessions per week of 30–45 minutes if you're not used to it.
• Strength Training: Focus on compound lifts (squats, lunges, deadlifts) with moderate-high loads (70–85% of your 1RM), 4–8 reps per set, twice weekly. Include core exercises like planks, dead bugs, and TRX variations for stability and injury prevention.
• Outdoor Hiking: Ideal as low-intensity aerobic work (Zone 1), especially for active recovery days.

Indoor Training Nutrition

Proper hydration is crucial, especially on the smart trainer:

• Always keep a bottle with electrolytes at hand.
• For sessions over an hour, consider a carbohydrate gel to maintain energy levels.

 

Two Months to Go: Boost Your Preparation

With 7–8 weeks left, it’s time to progressively increase both mileage and intensity. This is also the perfect moment to test your nutrition strategy during long rides, helping your body efficiently use energy substrates.

Train Smart

Alternate between: 

• Medium-Long Rides at race pace (3–5 hours, 70–80% FTP);
• Shorter, High-Intensity Sessions (60–90 minutes) with efforts above 90% FTP;
• Long Endurance Rides (5–6 hours) at moderate intensity (60–70% FTP) to build saddle time without excessive stress.
  Incorporate climbs similar to your race course for specific conditioning. 

Recovery is just as important as training: getting at least 7–8 hours of sleep per night is essential to allow your body to absorb the training load and improve performance.

Your diet should support your training efforts: 

• Vary your sources of carbohydrates by eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily
• Maintain a good intake of protein, essential for muscle recovery (you can learn more here)
• Limit your consumption of saturated fats and "simple" sugars

As a general guideline, it’s advisable to slightly increase your carbohydrate intake during intense training periods, reaching approximately 4–5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day. Protein intake should remain between 1.2 and 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, to support muscle recovery and adaptation.

Practice On-Bike Nutrition

This is also the perfect moment to start testing your on-bike nutrition strategy. Practice eating and drinking while riding, because doing so under physical effort during a race is not as simple as it seems.

Moreover, it’s important to gradually train your gastrointestinal system to absorb increasing amounts of carbohydrates: this is known as “gut training”.

A practical approach could be to start with an intake of around 30 grams of carbohydrates per hour, then increase by 5–10 grams each week, until you reach 60 grams per hour. The most trained athletes can aim for up to 90 grams per hour, provided they are well-conditioned and use products that combine glucose and fructose in a 2:1 ratio.

Try out different combinations of products - gels, energy bars, drinks - to understand what your body tolerates best. Make sure to test everything during your longest endurance rides, so you can fine-tune your strategy and avoid surprises on race day.

Pro Tip Plan a Gran Fondo simulation ride a few weeks before race day: mimic race duration, elevation gain, and test your pre-race meal and on-bike nutrition.

One Week Before: Tapering and Final Adjustments

In the final week, it’s time to reduce training load strategically - this is tapering. The goal is to arrive fresh, not fatigued.

Slow Down, But Don’t Stop

Reducing your weekly mileage — typically by about 40–60% compared to your usual training volume — should be adjusted based on how you feel and your personal habits. Load management during this phase is highly individual and requires some trial and error. In general, you can maintain the same number of weekly sessions, but reduce their duration to around 60–90 minutes. Favor flat, smooth routes without significant elevation gain. You can also include a few short sprints (20–30 seconds) to keep your legs activated without accumulating fatigue.

Remember: the hard work was done in the previous weeks. Now, the priority is to reach race day with energy and mental clarity — not to gain extra fitness at the last minute.

Focus on Nutrition

Gradually increase your carbohydrate intake, varying the sources. General guidelines suggest aiming for 5–7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day, but this should be adapted to your personal habits and tolerance. The objective is to optimize your glycogen stores without disrupting your usual eating patterns.

Continue to include a source of lean protein and reduce fat intake. A practical example? Rice or pasta with extra virgin olive oil, paired with protein sources like chicken, turkey, or fish.

Hydration Matters

Maintaining proper hydration is essential. If hot weather is expected, plan how you will replenish sodium during the event (read more here). On average, an athlete loses around 1 gram of sodium per liter of sweat. Therefore, it is recommended to consume 500–700 mg of sodium per liter of fluids during exercise. To meet these needs, in addition to isotonic drinks, you can also use gels and bars enriched with sodium.

Prepare Like a Pro for Race Day

In the final days before your Gran Fondo, every detail counts. This is the moment to apply specific strategies to arrive at the start line in the best possible condition.
One effective approach, tested by Enervit’s team with World Tour pros, involves taking tart cherry extract daily in the five days leading up to the event. This particular variety of cherry is a natural concentrate rich in polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, which help protect muscle tissue from oxidative stress and support natural recovery processes.

Taking tart cherry extract consistently in the five days prior to a demanding event can help your body better prepare for the intense effort ahead. Read more here.

Race Day: Put Your Strategy into Practice

As the tension and adrenaline build up, you’ll find that - if you’ve prepared properly - everything will feel more manageable.

Breakfast: Complete, But Don’t Overdo It

By race day, an amateur cyclist should have already topped up their glycogen stores during the preceding days. Therefore, there’s no need to overeat in the morning in an attempt to “stock up” on energy.

A practical example of a pre-race breakfast: a few slices of toasted bread with some jam, and, if preferred, a lean protein source such as turkey breast, egg whites, or smoked salmon. It’s always better to avoid fats and high-fiber foods close to the race. Aim to have breakfast at least 2–3 hours before the start.

Pre-Start

Between one hour and 30 minutes before the start, consider a jelly based on isomaltulose: a carbohydrate that releases energy gradually, providing a constant supply of fuel while avoiding blood sugar spikes. This helps you start the race with the right amount of energy.

During the Race: 60 g of Carbohydrates per Hour

It is well established that carbohydrate supplementation during exercise helps maintain energy availability and prevents performance decline. The classic nutrition strategy for a Gran Fondo involves consuming around 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

To maintain your energy levels and avoid “bonking,” you can use various forms of supplements, like gels and energy bars, providing between 20 and 30 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

A practical tip:

• Opt for bars on flat sections, where it’s easier to chew and digest.
• Reserve gels for tougher segments, such as climbs or when you need a quick energy boost.

Hydration is absolutely essential. An isotonic drink is often the best choice, as it replenishes fluids, supplies carbohydrates, and restores electrolyte balance. However, if you’re already consuming sufficient carbohydrates and sodium through gels and bars, it may be wise to alternate with plain water. This helps maintain electrolyte balance and prevents gastrointestinal discomfort from excessive solute concentration.

90 g per Hour for Maximum Performance

For athletes aiming to ride at high intensity throughout the race, advanced carbohydrate products are available. These formulas use a 2:1 ratio of maltodextrin to fructose, enabling a higher carbohydrate absorption rate. Such products are designed for well-trained cyclists who can sustain high race paces and require a greater energy supply. Thanks to their specific composition, these supplements can deliver up to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour (or more), through a mix of gels, bars, chews, or drink powders.

Experimenting with different formats will help you identify the best solution for your individual needs.

Immediately After the Finish Line

As soon as you cross the finish line, your recovery should begin immediately: within 30 minutes, take a combination of carbohydrates and proteins considering products specifically formulated for post-exercise recovery. This helps replenish glycogen stores and kickstarts muscle repair.

After the Race: Recover Smart

You’ve given it your all. But with new goals already on the horizon, proper recovery becomes key to maintaining your fitness and continuing to enjoy cycling. Here’s what to do in the two days following the event:

• Dedicate time to light activities, such as an easy recovery ride or a relaxing walk.
• Focus on eating a balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and high-quality proteins.
• Keep taking tart cherry extract to support recovery.

Enjoy the Experience

A Gran Fondo is hard work, no doubt. But it’s also about landscapes, emotions, smiling faces, and the unique feeling of achievement when you reach the finish line. If you’ve prepared well, you’ll be able to enjoy every moment of it - from the first pedal stroke to the final sprint.

Conclusion During Winter: Build your base with consistent training (even indoor) and pay attention to nutrition. Two Months Before: Structure your workouts, test your supplements, and simulate race conditions. One Week Before: Active tapering and carbohydrate loading. Race Day: Light breakfast, pre-race fueling, regular intake of carbohydrates (every 45–60 minutes) and electrolytes (every 15–20 minutes). After the Race: Start recovery within the first 30 minutes, eat balanced meals, and don't forget the Magic Cherry

 

References

- Faria EW, Parker DL, Faria IE. The science of cycling: physiology and training - part 1. Sports Med. 2005;35(4):285-312.
- Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Phillips, S. M. (2007). "A critical review of protein requirements for endurance athletes" Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 32(2), 287-298.
- Colletti A, Cravotto G, De Meo A, Pellizzato M, Riccardi EL, Marchetti M. Health Benefits of Polyphenols from Cherries: A Review of Clinical Trials. Nutraceuticals. 2025; 5(2):12.
- Burke, L. M., & Maughan, R. J. (2015). The role of carbohydrate supplementation in exercise performance. Sports Science Exchange, 28(159), 1-10.
- Armstrong LE. Rehydration during Endurance Exercise: Challenges, Research, Options, Methods. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 9;13(3):887.

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: the information provided is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare professional. The content is intended for healthy individuals: any dietary regimen or physical activity must be supervised by a qualified professional, as required by Italian law. Enervit S.p.A. assumes no responsibility, as the information is purely educational. Anyone wishing to begin a nutritional or physical activity program should first consult with their trusted specialist.