The Tour de France is, globally, one of the most watched annual sporting events, so if you saw at least one stage of the 2024 race and felt inspired to get on your bike, you’re not alone. The Tour, including Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, offers pro cyclists a variety of long-distance endurance rides and challenging landscapes. If you want to mimic those grueling climbs or all-out sprints, indoor training provides the perfect way to get in a Tour-inspired workout, especially if you don’t live in the mountains or near long, flat roads.
“The Tour de France inspires me to push my limits because the athletes operate on an entirely different level, motivating me to elevate my own performance,” Allison Chambers, lead cycling instructor at Chelsea Piers Fitness in New York City tells Bicycling.
To improve your own riding, Chambers, along with two other coaches, offer rides to mimic, as best as possible, two stages of the Tour de France and two stages of the Tour de France Femmes.
About These Tour de France-Inspired Rides
The Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes both feature rides through some of the most glorious mountains of France, challenging riders to crush climbs or dominate breakaways.
These workouts take those landscape-based rides and bring them into your home. While you’re riding, imagine the roar of the crowds and the smell of the lavender fields that accompany Tour cyclists on their multi-day challenge.
For all of these rides, keep in mind your rate of perceived exertion, which is a way to determine your workout intensity on a scale of 1 to 10. One is flying downhill, no effort, and 10 is an effort you could not sustain for more a minute or so, such as pedaling up a very steep hill.
To practice cycling at a steady cadence, Chambers suggests listening to a playlist or (use hers) with 170 to 180 beats per minute, which allows you to ride to the beat and hit about 80 to 90 revolutions per minute.
Keep in mind the instructors designed these rides for indoor trainers or stationary bikes, although some instructions (such as standing) may not work for your particular set up. Whichever type of bike you use, the effort level and other details should work for all riders.
Tour de France Stage 1 Ride
📍 Florence to Rimini
— Created by Allison Chambers
Total time: 60 minutes
Warmup
- 5 minutes @ 80rpm/RPE 2, light to moderate resistance (in saddle)
Hill 1: Biggest Hill in the Stage
- 5 minute hill climb @ 60rpm/RPE 6, start at moderate resistance and then increase resistance every minute (in or out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 1, light resistance (in saddle)
- 3 minute flat road @ 80 rpm/RPE 3, moderate resistance (in saddle)
Hill 2: Very Small
- 2 minute hill climb @ 50rpm/RPE 8, heavy resistance (out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 1, light resistance (in saddle)
Flat Road
- 5 minute flat road @ 80rpm/RPE 6 build to 8, moderate resistance (in saddle)
Hill 3: Moderate
- 4 minute hill climb @ 60rpm/RPE 6 build to 8, do an increased build here starting at moderate resistance and increasing resistance every 30 seconds (in or out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
- 5 minute flat road @ 80rpm/RPE 2, moderate resistance (in saddle)
Hill 4: Rolling Hills
- 4 minute hill climb @ 60 rpm/RPE 6 build to 9, do an increased build here starting at moderate resistance and increasing resistance every 30 seconds (in or out of saddle)
- 3 minute flush out @ 90-100 rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
Hill 5: Quick Hill
- 3 minute hill climb @ 50rpm/RPE 10, very heavy resistance (out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 90-100 rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
Hill 6: Quick Hill
- 2 minute hill climb @ 50rpm/RPE 8, very heavy resistance (out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 100rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
Hill 7: Final Hill - “Full Gas”
- 2 minute hill climb @ 60rpm/RPE 10, very heavy resistance (in or out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 3, light resistance (in saddle)
Cool Down
- 5 minute @ 80rpm/RPE 1, light to moderate resistance (in saddle)
Tour de France Stage 2 Ride
📍 Cesenatico to Bologne
— Created by Attila Fruttus, an indoor cycling instructor at Bay Club El Segundo in California and road racer
Total time: 60 minutes
Warmup
- 2 minutes @ 85rpm/RPE 2-3, light resistance (in saddle)
- 2 minutes @ 90rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate resistance (in saddle)
- 1 minutes @ 95rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy resistance (in saddle)
Flat Road Continues
- 1 minute @ 100rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate resistance (in saddle)
- 3 minutes @ 100rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy resistance (in saddle)
- 1 minute @ 100rpm/RPE 9, very heavy resistance (in saddle)
Hill 1
- 1 minute @ 72rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate intensity (out of saddle)
- 3 minutes @ 73rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (out of saddle)
- 1 minute @ 75rpm/RPE 9, close to max intensity (out of saddle)
Flat Road
- 1 minute @ 85rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate intensity (in saddle)
- 2 minutes @ 85rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
Hill 2
- 30 seconds @ 70rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (out of saddle)
- 30 second @ 85rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (out of saddle)
- Repeat 4 more times
Flat Road
- 1 minute @ 85rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate intensity (in saddle)
- 3 minutes @ 100rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 2 minutes @ 100rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (in saddle)
Hill 3
- 1 minute @ 75rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 1 minute @ 75rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (in saddle)
- 1 minute @ 75rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 2 minutes @ 75rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (in saddle)
Flat Road
- 1 minute @ 85 rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate intensity (in saddle
Hill 4
- 1 minute @ 80rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 1 minute @ 85rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (out of saddle)
- 1 minute @ 80 rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 1 minute @ 85rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (out of saddle)
- 30 seconds @ 80rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 30 seconds @ 80rpm/RPE 10, maximum intensity (in saddle)
Flat Road
- 1 minute @ 85rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate intensity (in saddle)
Hill 5:
- 30 seconds @70rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 30 seconds @80rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (in saddle)
- Repeat 4 times increase rpms by 5 for each round of the maximum intensity effort.
Flat Road
- 1-minute @ 85rpm/RPE 4-6, moderate intensity (in saddle
Hill 6
- 1 minute @ 80rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (in saddle)
- 1 minute @ 85rpm/RPE 9, close to maximum intensity (in saddle)
- 1 minute @ 80rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (out of saddle)
- 1 minute @ 90rpm/RPE 9, heavy intensity (out of saddle)
- 30 seconds @ 95rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy intensity (out of saddle)
- 30 seconds max rpm/RPE 10, maximum intensity (out of saddle)
Cool Down
- 5 minutes @65-70rpm/RPE 2-3, light intensity (in saddle)
Tour de France Femmes Stage 6 Ride
📍 Remiremont to Morteau
— Created by PK Kessel, vice president of athletics, The Bay Club Company and cycling instructor at Bay Club El Segundo
Nearly 99 miles, this stage is hilly with more than 3,400 feet of elevation gain. To conquer hills, you need to focus on building strength off the bike. This workout is entirely in the saddle, so it’s perfect if you have a trainer.
Total time: 42 minutes
Warmup
- 5 minute warmup @ 100rpm, RPE 2-3, light to medium resistance
Strength
- 10 minutes @ 100rpm/RPE 4-6, medium resistance
Hill 1
- 10 minutes @ 60-65rpm/RPE 7-8, heavy resistance
Hill 2
- 10 minutes @50-55rpm/RPE 7-8, moderate to heavy
Speed
- 1 minute @ 60rpm/RPE 4-6, heavy resistance
- 1 minute @ 120rpm/RPE 4-6, light resistance
Cooldown
- 5 minutes @ 70rpm/RPE 2, light resistance
Tour de France Femmes Stage 8/Final Ride
📍 Le Grand-Bornand to Alpe D’Huez
— Created by Allison Chambers
A mountainous ride of 93 miles, cyclists in this stage will “go full gas!” says Chambers. This should be your time to get comfortable with sprints. She offers this quote from Greg LeMond for inspiration: “It never gets easier. You just get faster.”
Total time: 59 minutes
Warmup
- 5 minutes @ 80rpm/RPE 2, light to moderate resistance (in saddle)
Light Hill
- 2 minute hill climb @ 60rpm/RPE 6 build to 8, moderate resistance and add resistance every 30 second (out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
- 3 minute flat road @ 80 rpm/RPE 5, moderate resistance (in saddle)
- 3 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
Moderate Hill
- 3 minute hill climb @ 60rpm/RPE 6 build to 8, start at moderate resistance and add resistance every 30 seconds (out of saddle)
- 4 minute flush out @ 90-100 rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
Flat Road
Think: “This is your nature break!”
- 8 minute @ 80rpm/RPE 5, moderate resistance (in saddle)
Biggest Rolling Hill
- 6 minute hill climb @ 60rpm/RPE 8 build to 10, start at moderate resistance and add resistance every minute (in or out of saddle)
- 2 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 1, light resistance (in saddle)
- 1 minute hill climb @ 50rpm/RPE 10, very heavy resistance (out of saddle)
- 3 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 1, light resistance (in saddle)
- 2 minute hill climb @ 50rpm/RPE 10, very heavy resistance (out of saddle)
- 3 minute flush out @ 90-100rpm/RPE 2, light resistance (in saddle)
Flat Road
- 4 minute @ 80rpm/RPE 5, moderate resistance (in saddle)
Final Hill Climb
Think: “Full Gas”
- 4 minute hill climb @ 60rpm/RPE 8 build to 10, start at moderate resistance and add resistance every minute (in or out of saddle)
Cool Down
- 5 minutes @ 80rpm/RPE 2, light to moderate resistance (in saddle)
Donna Raskin has had a long career as a health and fitness writer and editor of books and magazine articles. She bikes in a nearby county park, lifts weights, takes Zumba, and loves to walk/run with her dog, Dolly.
