Ghost of the Gravel: week review and readiness
Sidney, this was a strong, purposeful week, and the session that mattered most went well. Here is my read on where you are with two weeks to go.
The week in short
A clean race-specific build straight into today's Ghost simulation. You finished the block with the rehearsal almost exactly on plan: just under 5 hours, 135 km, 1579 m of climbing, and right on the target training load, with composed pacing the whole way. That is the single best confirmation we could ask for this close to the race.
What went well
- The June 13 simulation landed on target for duration, distance, climbing, and load. You can carry Ghost's full demand.
- Pacing discipline was excellent, with very low variability across five hours. That is exactly how a long gravel race is won.
- Sustained gravel pressure was repeatable: around 240-245 W for 20 to 30 minute blocks on the surface, on both Thursday and today.
- Short power is sharp. Tuesday's efforts topped about 344 W, so the snap is there when you need it.
- You kept easy days genuinely easy and were smart with the back and SI: no forced gym, and no chasing optional work when readiness was unclear. That protected the big day.
Watch points
- Monday ran hotter than it should have. It was meant to be a pure protect-and-absorb day and drifted up in load. Small thing, but in the taper the easy days have to stay truly easy so you arrive fresh.
- Thursday's gravel primer finished about 55 minutes short. Not a problem on its own, today's simulation more than covered it, but I want to know why it ended early: legs, logistics, back or SI, fuelling, weather, or a deliberate call.
- The one real flag from today: in the final hour your power eased while your heart rate kept climbing. The ride was a clear success, but the cost rose late. That is the exact race-specific puzzle to solve before June 27, and I believe it is fixable through fresher legs and earlier, steadier fuelling rather than more training.
- Fuelling detail is the missing piece. Your breakfast was solid, but it went in about 2 hours before the start, tighter than the 3 to 4 hour window we want, and we do not yet have your on-bike carbohydrate, fluid, and sodium per hour. Locking that down is the most valuable thing we can do next.
Readiness and competitiveness for Ghost
You are in a strong position. The durability, the climbing, the sustained pressure, and the pacing are all where they need to be for a front-end ride on June 27. The fitness box is largely checked, so the next two weeks are about expressing that fitness, not adding to it. Set against your past Ghost rides, roughly 4:58 and 5:02, and our working target around 4:35, you are tracking toward a genuine step forward, provided we manage that final hour. The race will likely be decided in the last 60 to 90 minutes against a strong field, and that is precisely the window we are going to sharpen.
What I need from you
- How the final 30 minutes felt today compared with the first hour: controlled, or survival.
- What you actually took on the bike each hour today: carbohydrate, fluid, sodium, and any gut issues.
- Why Thursday ended early.
- A quick read on back, gut, sleep, and appetite across the past week.
Bottom line
The best single confirmation of the block is in the bank. Now we absorb it, lock in your fuelling, and freshen up. Do not add anything on your own. You are heading into Ghost from a position of strength.
Luca