REF-163 · Gallo et al., 2023 · International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, · Paper · PubMed
The Weekly Periodization of Top 5 Tour de France General Classification Finishers: A Multiple Case Study
Participants
n = 2 world-class road cyclists (A and B), both top-5 in the Tour de France general classification
Cyclist A: 29 y, VO2max 83 ml/kg/min, relative 20-min record power 6.9 W/kg
Cyclist B: 23 y, VO2max 81 ml/kg/min, relative 20-min record power 6.5 W/kg
Protocol
Data: week-by-week power-meter training and racing data, retrospectively analysed
Period: preparation phase December → July/August leading up to the Tour de France
Analysis: weekly volume and intensity distribution in power zones (three-zone model: zone 1 / zone 2 / zone 3)
Key Results
| Parameter | Cyclist A | Cyclist B |
|---|---|---|
| Races completed in the period | 46 | 19 |
| Average weekly volume | 22.5 (6.3) h/week | 18.2 (5.1) h/week |
| Intensity distribution zone 1 / 2 / 3 | 81.0% / 13.3% / 5.7% (pyramidal) | 88.8% / 7.9% / 3.3% (pyramidal) |
| Altitude | — | 14 days at altitude |
| Strength training | November and December only, not in the following months | same |
Race weeks: high-intensity volume and the polarization index increased during race weeks — racing supplies the high-intensity work.
Non-race periods: training intensity progressively increased.
Taper: total exercise volume and time at high intensity decreased during tapering.
Mechanisms
Inference, not tested: the pyramidal base with more zone 2 in training and the shift toward polarization in race weeks reflects racing itself doing the high-intensity work; the progressive intensity rise in non-race blocks is the classic base → specific progression.
Strength work confined to November-December (abstract) — the authors describe, they do not test, whether its effects persist; any persistence duration is not in this paper.
Two successful riders with different volumes (22.5 vs 18.2 h/week) and race counts (46 vs 19) reached the same outcome class — Inference: the exact distribution is less critical than the shared principles.
Practical Application
Two top-5 Tour de France finishers (VO2max 83 and 81, 20-min record 6.9 and 6.5 W/kg) trained 22.5 and 18.2 h/week with pyramidal distributions of 81.0/13.3/5.7% and 88.8/7.9/3.3% (zone 1/2/3) from December to July/August, did strength training only in November-December, raced 46 and 19 times, saw high-intensity volume and polarization rise in race weeks, built intensity progressively in non-race blocks, and cut both volume and high-intensity time in the taper. Descriptive world-class data: the shape of a season, not a prescription.
Race-week rule from the data: races carry the high-intensity load — do not stack interval sessions on top of race weeks.
Strength in the early off-season, then sport-specific work (as both riders did); the paper gives no frequency or duration for the strength blocks.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: an amateur scales the hours down and keeps the proportions — a pyramidal base with a progressive intensity rise, racing (or race-simulation sessions) as the high-intensity work in competition blocks, and a taper that lowers both volume and high-intensity time. Any week-numbered plan is house scheduling.
Limitations
n=2; retrospective, descriptive; power zones only (no HR/lactate); no causal inference possible; both riders are world-class outliers.
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
(n=2, but unique WorldTour data)
Content correction 2026-09-27
Title "Macro- and Micro-Periodization of Training During the Pre-Season and Competitive Season of Two Tour de France Cyclists" -> the DOI resolves to "The Weekly Periodization of Top 5 Tour de France General Classification Finishers: A Multiple Case Study" (same study, same riders and numbers); title corrected.
"Competitive-season volumes 19.8/16.5 h", "competitive TID 73/15/12 and 80/12/8", "strength 2-3×/week", "taper −35%/−30%", "HIT 2-3/week blocked vs 1-2/week", "~6.9 W/kg FTP", "~40 weeks November→September", "neuromuscular adaptations persist 8-12 weeks" -> none are in the abstract; deleted. 20-min record power (not FTP), ages, race counts, altitude days and the taper description added from the abstract.
Sport "cycling, rowing, strength" -> cycling. Tier 4-5 -> Tier 5 (top-5 Tour de France GC).
House plan (weeks 1-4 strength, weeks 5-8 peak volume, weeks 12-14 taper, 20 h → 8-12 h) -> relabelled as the base's own practice without numbers.
Cross-reference descriptions checked against the cited entries' current content; wrong years, wrong entries and claims the cited entry does not make were corrected.