How should I pace a time trial?

For flat time trials, aim for as even a power output as possible. For rolling or hilly courses, push slightly harder on climbs and ease off on descents — the goal is even effort, not even speed. Holding power within about ±5% of your target average is a good benchmark; surging wastes energy that you cannot recover.

What average power should I target?

Your average power target is anchored to your FTP, not pulled from an assumed speed. By definition, FTP is the highest power you can hold for roughly an hour (Coggan & Allen), so for a ~1 hour event you target close to 100% of FTP. Longer events sit lower on the power-duration curve: roughly 88-92% of FTP for a 1-2 hour effort, ~85% for 2-3 hours, and ~80% or less for all-day rides.

How much should I eat during a race?

Fuelling is duration-dependent (Jeukendrup). Efforts under about 75 minutes need little or no on-bike carbohydrate — your glycogen stores cover them. For 75 minutes to 2 hours, aim for roughly 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour. Beyond 2.5 hours you can take up to ~90g per hour using a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose mix. Always practise your nutrition in training to avoid stomach issues on race day.

What is the fatigue factor?

The fatigue factor controls how much of a negative split the plan builds in — starting slightly conservatively and finishing fastest. A 2% factor skews the final quarter about 2% quicker than the opening quarter while keeping the four splits adding up exactly to your target time. Well-trained riders can hold a flatter profile; for most amateurs a small 2-5% skew is realistic.

Should I start faster or slower?

Slightly negative splitting (starting conservative, finishing strong) is generally the fastest strategy. Starting too hard burns matches you cannot get back and leads to disproportionate fatigue later. The split times here are built as a mild negative split for exactly this reason — aim for the first quarter at around 95-98% of target power.

Pacing Strategy Builder — Free Training Tool

Pacing Strategy Builder

Build a race pacing strategy with power targets and nutrition plan.

Race DistanceClassic UK time-trial distances, or pick custom

Target Time (hours)

Whole hours of your goal finishing time

Target Time (minutes)

Extra minutes of your goal finishing time

Course ProfileOverall terrain — weights climb vs descent power

FTP

Functional Threshold Power in watts

How We Calculate This

Power Targets

Your average power target is anchored to your FTP — the highest power you can hold for roughly an hour (Coggan & Allen). For a ~1 hour event the target is close to 100% of FTP; for longer events the target intensity drops down the power-duration curve. Targets are then adjusted for course profile (more power on climbs, less on descents) so you ride even effort rather than even speed, and the power variance sets the band to hold around the average.

Energy & Nutrition

Energy expenditure is the mechanical work done — average power × time (1 watt for 1 hour = 3.6 kJ). Because cycling gross efficiency is around 24%, kilojoules of work are roughly equal to kilocalories burned. The carbohydrate figure is a fuelling target (intake), set by ride duration following Jeukendrup's guidelines, not a metabolic burn rate.

Splits

The four quarter splits are normalised to add up exactly to your target time and built as a slight negative split, with the fatigue factor controlling how much faster the final quarter runs than the first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-03-01

All calculations are estimates. Always verify results and consult a professional bike fitter where appropriate.