Criterium Race Simulation Turbo Session

Session Overview

This 45-minute advanced turbo session mimics the attack-and-recover demands of criterium cycling — short, explosive efforts followed by brief recoveries. It develops anaerobic capacity and trains your legs to clear lactate quickly, essential for drafting-legal triathlon racing and managing the post-swim bike surge.

What You’ll Need

• Turbo trainer or smart trainer
• Power meter (recommended) or heart rate monitor
• Water bottle and fan

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Ride at 50–60% FTP for 8 minutes, then complete 3 x 10-second spinning efforts at high cadence (100+ RPM) with 30 seconds easy between each. Bring your legs to temperature before the main set.

Main Set

Perform 3 rounds of the following circuit with 3 minutes easy spinning between rounds:

• Round 1: 5 x (30 seconds at 120% FTP, 30 seconds recovery at 50% FTP)
• Round 2: 5 x (20 seconds at 130% FTP, 40 seconds recovery at 50% FTP)
• Round 3: 5 x (15 seconds full sprint, 45 seconds easy recovery)

Cool-Down (5 minutes)

Spin at 50% FTP or lower for 5 minutes, gradually reducing cadence. Focus on steady breathing and allowing your heart rate to drop below 120 bpm before finishing.

Coaching Notes

• Don’t set off too hard — save your best efforts for rounds 2 and 3 when fatigue is real
• Common mistake: grinding through the sprints at low cadence — aim for 95–105 RPM on hard efforts
• Make it easier: reduce to 2 rounds with longer recoveries between rounds
• Make it harder: shorten the recovery between rounds to 90 seconds
• Target RPE 9–10 on sprint efforts; recovery should feel genuinely easy (RPE 2–3)