How to Set Realistic Cycling Goals (And Actually Hit Them in 2026)

Written By Richard Stern

January is prime time for ambitious cycling goals. Maybe you want to crack that 4 W/kg FTP threshold, finally win your local crit series, or survive your first century ride without bonking. But here's the problem: most cyclists set goals based on hope, not data. And by March, those goals are gathering dust alongside the turbo trainer.

After 27 years of coaching everyone from World Champions to weekend warriors, I've seen this pattern repeat itself every single season. The difference between cyclists who hit their goals and those who don't? They start with an honest assessment of where they are right now.

Let's fix that.

Why Most Cycling Goals Fail

Most goals fail for three reasons:

1. They're not anchored in reality
Saying "I want to add 50 watts to my FTP" sounds great. But if you're already at 4.5 W/kg and have been training consistently for five years, that's a fundamentally different challenge than if you're at 2.8 W/kg and new to structured training.

2. They ignore your physiology
Not everyone is built to be a climber. Not everyone has the neuromuscular power for explosive sprints. Your power profile — the balance between your sprint power, FTP, and VO2max — determines what's realistic and what training will actually move the needle.

3. They lack a clear training roadmap
"Get faster" isn't a plan. You need to know your training zones, understand your limiters, and follow a periodized structure that matches your event calendar and life commitments.

The Right Way to Set Cycling Goals in 2026

Here's the process I use with every athlete I coach, from pros to masters racers:

Step 1: Know Your Baseline

You can't improve what you don't measure. Before you set any goal, you need to know:

  • Your current FTP (Functional Threshold Power)

  • Your MAP (Maximal Aerobic Power / VO2max)

  • Your peak sprint power

  • Your power profile classification (are you a sprinter, pursuiter, time trialist, or all-rounder?)

This isn't vanity metrics. This data tells you where you have the most room to grow and what training will give you the biggest return.

Step 2: Set Goals Based on Your Profile

If you're a 40+ masters rider with a strong FTP but poor sprint power, chasing crit wins might be frustrating. But targeting time trials, gran fondos, or breakaway-heavy road races? That's playing to your strengths.

Conversely, if you've got explosive power but your FTP is lagging, you're built for crits and short, punchy climbs — not 100-mile endurance slogs.

Your physiology is your blueprint. Work with it, not against it.

Step 3: Build a Training Plan That Matches Your Life

The best training plan is the one you'll actually follow. If you're juggling work, family, and a 10-hour weekly training window, copying a pro's 20-hour program is a recipe for burnout.

You need a plan that:

  • Fits your available training time

  • Matches your event goals (crits, road races, sportives, gravel, ultra endurance)

  • Accounts for your recovery capacity (especially if you're over 40)

  • Progresses intelligently without overtraining

Step 4: Track Progress and Adjust

Goals aren't static. Your FTP might jump 30 watts in the first three months, then plateau. Your sprint power might respond faster than your endurance. You need to retest regularly, track your progress, and adjust your training and goals accordingly.

How to Get Started Right Now

Here's what I recommend:

1. Test your current fitness
Do a MAP test (a ramp test to failure), an FTP test, and a sprint test. These three data points give you a complete picture of your aerobic, metabolic, and neuromuscular power.

2. Analyse your power profile
Use a tool that compares your power outputs across durations and tells you where you sit relative to other riders. Are you a world-class sprinter with a mediocre FTP? A strong time trialist with poor anaerobic capacity? This shapes everything.

3. Get personalized training recommendations
Based on your profile, training history, and goals, you need a clear roadmap: what to train, how often, and what plan or coaching structure fits your needs.

4. Commit to the process
Consistency beats intensity. The riders who hit their goals aren't the ones who smash themselves into the ground in January. They're the ones still training smart in July.

Your Next Step

If you're serious about hitting your 2026 cycling goals, start with data. I've built a free tool that does exactly what I described above: it takes your MAP, FTP, and sprint power, analyzes your complete power profile, estimates your VO2max, classifies your rider type, and gives you personalized training zone recommendations and coaching guidance.

Use the MAP & Power Profile Calculator here — it takes 3 minutes and gives you more insight into your cycling physiology than most riders get in a lifetime.

Once you know where you stand, you can set goals that actually make sense. And then? You can start training with purpose.

Let's make 2026 your breakthrough season.

About the Author
I'm Ric, founder of CycleCoach. I've been coaching for 27 years and have worked with athletes at every level — from World Champions and Paralympians to masters racers and riders just starting structured training. I invented the MAP test for estimating FTP (published in 2000), and I specialise in power-based training for cyclists and triathletes. If you want to train smarter and hit your goals, I'd love to help.

Ready to take the next step?

Richard Stern
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