Build your L'Étape plan
Your coach opens with the L'Étape set for July (an estimate until the date is announced), asks about your week and your fitness, then writes every session of your cycling plan. Free, and you can start as a guest. About 36 weeks to go.
Start your L'Étape plan- Formats
- 2026 route
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Field
- 16,000 amateur cyclists
L'Étape distances
- 2026 route 170 km, 5,400 m of climbing
Course
The L'Étape course
The 2026 edition started in Le Bourg-d'Oisans and finished at Alpe d'Huez, on the route of the Tour de France stage. It climbed the Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier, then reached Alpe d'Huez via the Col de Sarenne.
Read the full course notes
The route changes every year.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Formats
- 2026 route
- Field
- 16,000 amateur cyclists
What to train for
Train for several long Alpine climbs in one day: 30 to 60 minute climbing efforts at a pace you can repeat, low gearing, and practice on long descents.
Plan fueling for a very long day and respect the cut-off times.
Also in Claude
Ask Claude for this plan
Add Athlete Space to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a cycling season for the L'Étape du Tour de France in July. I train about [hours] hours a week, [days] days a week.
L'Étape training questions
How long should I train for the L'Étape?
Most athletes give a cycling twelve to sixteen weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The coach counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
What is the L'Étape course like?
Hilly. The 2026 edition started in Le Bourg-d'Oisans and finished at Alpe d'Huez, on the route of the Tour de France stage.
What is the weather like at the L'Étape?
The L'Étape does not publish typical conditions. Check the official site in race week, and train in whatever your own July weather gives you.
Do I need an account to get a L'Étape training plan?
Start as a guest and save a free account later. Your coach writes your cycling plan and adapts it every week as you log your training. No card.