[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"public-library:en-GB:workout:cycling-tempo-intervals":3},{"slug":4,"sport":5,"category":6,"level":7,"intensity_unit":8,"modified_at":9,"author":10,"head":11,"equipment":14,"sources":17,"content":23,"facts":204,"blocks":343,"related":353},"cycling-tempo-intervals","cycling","tempo","beginner","watt","2026-10-25","Pierre Halloo",{"title":12,"description":13},"Tempo cycling intervals: 3 × 15 min at 80–87% FTP","Tempo cycling intervals: 3 blocks of 15 minutes at 80–87% of FTP with 5 easy minutes between. A first structured turbo session, before sweet spot. 80 min.",[15,16],"power_meter","smart_trainer",[18,21],{"citation":19,"url":20},"Allen H., Coggan A., Training and Racing with a Power Meter, VeloPress",null,{"citation":22,"url":20},"Rouvy, exemple de séance tempo pour débutant (3 × 10 min à 80 % FTP)",{"h1":24,"summary":25,"purpose":36,"execution":72,"feel":94,"mistakes":101,"not_for":146,"faq":152,"evidence":195},"Tempo intervals on the bike (3 × 15 min)",{"type":26,"children":27},"root",[28],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":31,"children":32},"element","p",{},[33],{"type":34,"value":35},"text","Tempo cycling intervals: three 15-minute blocks at 80–87% of FTP, with 5 easy minutes between each. 45 minutes of work in an 80-minute session, open to newer riders. The pace of a long climb at your own rhythm, and a good step before sweet spot and threshold work.",{"adaptation":37,"for_whom":49,"when":65},{"type":26,"children":38},[39,44],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":40,"children":41},{},[42],{"type":34,"value":43},"Tempo builds muscular endurance: your legs' ability to push fairly hard, for a long time, without running out. It works your aerobic system hard while staying well below threshold. The result: plenty of useful work for moderate fatigue the next day.",{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":45,"children":46},{},[47],{"type":34,"value":48},"It's level 3 on Andrew Coggan's power scale, between easy endurance and sweet spot. This session aims at the heart of that level, away from both edges: high enough to do some work, low enough that you could repeat it two days later.",{"type":26,"children":50},[51],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":52,"children":53},{},[54,56,63],{"type":34,"value":55},"All levels, beginners included. It's often the first structured session for a rider new to power: easy to pace, low risk. You need a recently measured FTP, for example from a ",{"type":29,"tag":57,"props":58,"children":60},"a",{"href":59},"\u002Fen-GB\u002Flibrary\u002Fcycling\u002Ftest\u002Fcycling-ramp-test",[61],{"type":34,"value":62},"ramp test",{"type":34,"value":64},".",{"type":26,"children":66},[67],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":68,"children":69},{},[70],{"type":34,"value":71},"The fatigue stays moderate: one or two sessions a week is a common guideline, especially early in the season. Still, avoid the day before a hard session or a race. To progress, start with 3 × 10 min, then move to 3 × 15, 2 × 20 and 3 × 20 min.",[73,80,87],{"type":26,"children":74},[75],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":76,"children":77},{},[78],{"type":34,"value":79},"15 minutes building from 45 to 75% of FTP, in 5-minute steps. No need for openers: tempo starts smoothly.",{"type":26,"children":81},[82],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":83,"children":84},{},[85],{"type":34,"value":86},"Three 15-minute blocks at 80–87% of FTP, or 200 to 218 W for an FTP of 250 W, with 5 easy minutes at 50–60%, or 125 to 150 W, between blocks. Ride at your natural cadence, seated, as on a long steady climb. Drink every ten minutes or so. Aim for the middle of the range: the top edges you towards sweet spot, and the session gets more costly.",{"type":26,"children":88},[89],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":90,"children":91},{},[92],{"type":34,"value":93},"10 very easy minutes at 40–55% of FTP. You should finish feeling you could have done a fourth block. If not, ride at the bottom of the range next time.",{"type":26,"children":95},[96],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":97,"children":98},{},[99],{"type":34,"value":100},"Breathing quicker but steady: you can still say a short sentence. Your legs feel the effort in the last block, without burning. You should finish thinking you could have done one more. Guide: 5 to 6 out of 10.",[102,119,128,137],{"title":103,"body":104},"Drifting into sweet spot",{"type":26,"children":105},[106],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":107,"children":108},{},[109,111,117],{"type":34,"value":110},"Above the range, each block costs more and so does the next day's recovery. If today's goal is tempo, stay within 80–87%. ",{"type":29,"tag":57,"props":112,"children":114},{"href":113},"\u002Fen-GB\u002Flibrary\u002Fcycling\u002Fthreshold\u002Fcycling-sweet-spot-intervals",[115],{"type":34,"value":116},"Sweet spot",{"type":34,"value":118}," is a different session.",{"title":120,"body":121},"Riding too easy",{"type":26,"children":122},[123],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":124,"children":125},{},[126],{"type":34,"value":127},"On the other hand, blocks ridden at endurance pace don't do the same job. Tempo should stay steady: if you can hold a full conversation, nudge it up.",{"title":129,"body":130},"Forgetting to drink",{"type":26,"children":131},[132],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":133,"children":134},{},[135],{"type":34,"value":136},"The session lasts 80 minutes, often on a turbo where you sweat a lot. Drink regularly, and have something to eat if you lengthen the blocks.",{"title":138,"body":139},"Skipping steps",{"type":26,"children":140},[141],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":142,"children":143},{},[144],{"type":34,"value":145},"Jumping straight to 3 × 20 min means finishing the last blocks on the edge of sweet spot. Lengthen the blocks over the weeks: the progression is what does the work.",{"prerequisites":147,"avoid_if":149},[148],"A recently measured FTP.",[150,151],"A hard session or race is planned for the next day.","You're ill or very tired: an easy ride is the better call.",[153,162,177,186],{"question":154,"answer":155},"What percentage of FTP is tempo?",{"type":26,"children":156},[157],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":158,"children":159},{},[160],{"type":34,"value":161},"Coggan's tempo level covers 76–90% of FTP. This session targets 80–87%, the heart of the level: 160 to 174 W for an FTP of 200 W, 200 to 218 W for 250 W, 240 to 261 W for 300 W. The edges of the range shade into endurance on one side and sweet spot on the other.",{"question":163,"answer":164},"Tempo or sweet spot?",{"type":26,"children":165},[166],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":167,"children":168},{},[169,171,175],{"type":34,"value":170},"Tempo, at 80–87%, is low-fatigue and easy to repeat. ",{"type":29,"tag":57,"props":172,"children":173},{"href":113},[174],{"type":34,"value":116},{"type":34,"value":176},", at 88–94%, works closer to threshold and costs more. Start with tempo, lengthen the blocks, then move to sweet spot when 3 × 20 min feels easy.",{"question":178,"answer":179},"How many tempo sessions a week?",{"type":26,"children":180},[181],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":182,"children":183},{},[184],{"type":34,"value":185},"One or two, especially early in the season. The fatigue is moderate, but it isn't easy endurance: keep at least one genuinely easy ride in the week, and avoid tempo the day before a hard session.",{"question":187,"answer":188},"Is tempo riding worth doing?",{"type":26,"children":189},[190],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":191,"children":192},{},[193],{"type":34,"value":194},"Yes, especially if you're new to training or preparing for long events: it builds the muscular endurance you need to hold a steady pace for hours. It's also the pace of most climbs ridden at your own rhythm. It doesn't replace threshold work; it prepares you for it.",{"level":196,"text":197},"practice",{"type":26,"children":198},[199],{"type":29,"tag":30,"props":200,"children":201},{},[202],{"type":34,"value":203},"The tempo level, level 3 on Andrew Coggan's scale, covers 76–90% of FTP; it's defined in Training and Racing with a Power Meter (Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan). A beginner example published by Rouvy offers 3 × 10 minutes at 80% of FTP. It's a classic format from practice, with no scientific protocol attached. Sweet spot, its neighbour, sits at 88–94% of FTP in this library. There's no single reference structure for tempo: the 80–87% range, the block length, 10 to 20 minutes in practice, the 5-minute recoveries, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. Bottom line: common practice, good confidence in the intensity range, weak on any 'official' 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