Training for L'Étape with Wattbike

You don't need us to tell you that riding in the Alps is hard.

Long climbs. Relentless gradients. Summer heat. Hundreds of kilometres of riding.

Whether you're lining up for L'Étape du Tour or another mountainous sportive, preparing properly means more than simply riding your bike as much as possible.

That's where indoor training comes in.

Not as a replacement for riding outdoors - but to make every outdoor ride count.

Train for the Demands of the Mountains

Unless you happen to live at the foot of Alpe D'Huez, it's difficult to replicate what you'll face in the French Alps outdoors.

Indoor training allows you to target the specific demands of mountain riding without relying on the weather or terrain.

Instead of hoping your local roads provide the right stimulus, you can build it into every session.

Here are two of the most effective workouts to include in your training.

1. Heat Training

It's a hot topic. Literally.

Preparing your body for those conditions before you travel can make a genuine difference to how you perform.

Heat training has become increasingly popular because the evidence is strong. Repeated exposure to heat can increase plasma volume, improve your body's cooling response and help you tolerate riding in high temperatures more effectively.

The beauty of indoor riding is that it's easy to control your environment. Reduce fan use, add an extra layer and complete selected sessions in the heat to begin adapting before race day.

If you're new to heat training, checkout this guide before starting - Heat training 101: A comprehensive guide for athletes.

2. Long Threshold Efforts

Mountain riding rewards one thing above almost everything else: being able to produce a strong, steady effort for a long time.

On a Wattbike, you can precisely control power output, removing changes in terrain or traffic so every interval is completed exactly as planned.

ROUVY’s ‘Grand Tour Makers’ workout set can help. Checkout this challenge (Grand Tour Makers | ROUVY) on ROUVY to see how riders like Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen prepare for the demands of Grand Tour riding.

You can be confident you are preparing with purpose to conquer the cols this summer!

Bring the French Grand Tour Home

This summer, Wattbike has partnered with ROUVY to bring the atmosphere of the French Grand Tour into your own pain cave.

Take on four group rides and five Grand Tour-inspired challenges, designed to complement your outdoor riding and prepare you for your biggest goals of the year.

Along the way you'll have the chance to win some incredible prizes, including:

• A Wattbike of your choice
• Entry to L'Étape du Tour 2027 with 3 nights' accommodation courtesy of Sportive Breaks
• A Le Col £300 Voucher
• British Cycling Premium Membership
• A specially designed virtual jersey

Whether you're heading to France this year or simply dreaming about tackling the mountains one day, there's never been a better time to start training with purpose.

Follow this link to sign up now- French Grand Tour 2026 with Wattbike