Aisttal Zeitfahren Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

The Aisttal Zeitfahren runs point to point up the Aist valley, from the Pfahnlmühle at around 334 metres to a finish at 606 metres — 481 metres of climbing, 209 of descending, a net gain of 272 metres. The opening two and a half kilometres roll along flat to gently undulating terrain and are the fastest part of the course. From km 2.7 it turns punchy: four short ramps of 400 to 700 metres, averaging three to seven percent with pitches up to 16 percent, alternate with short counter-descents. Between km 7.4 and 11.5 a rolling plateau at around 430 metres lets you settle back into a rhythm.

Then the finale begins: at km 11.5 a category 4 ramp climbs for 1.25 kilometres at 8.2 percent average with pitches up to 17 percent; after a brief respite another 900 metres at close to five percent follow, and the final 330 metres kick up at almost nine percent straight to the line. A young race, first held in 2024, it is organised by the cycling section of SC Tragwein/Kamig; the field is capped at 120 riders, with separate classes for road bikes, time trial machines with aero extensions, and vintage bikes built before 1988.

Pacing Strategy

This course rewards a variable power plan. The opening two and a half kilometres are flat to gently rolling — ride them just below threshold in a clean aero position; this is where speed is cheapest. Between km 2.7 and 7.4 four short ramps with pitches up to 16 percent follow: go controlled above threshold there, but do not burn matches — each ramp is over in one to two minutes, and overcooking them costs you double later. The plateau between km 7.4 and 11.5 is the most rhythmic stretch: steady at threshold, low and quiet on the bike.

The race is decided over the final three kilometres and their roughly 175 metres of climbing — above all on the category 4 ramp from km 11.5, averaging 8.2 percent with pitches over 17 percent, before the last 330 metres rear up at almost nine percent straight to the line. The main trap is underestimating the finale and investing too much on the mid-race ramps.

Budget your effort so you can still climb well above threshold from km 11.5 — in an individual time trial with no drafting, there is no group to save you.

12-Week Preparation

Plan on 25 to 40 minutes for the 14.5 kilometres and their net 272 metres of climbing, depending on your level. That makes the Aisttal Zeitfahren a classic threshold race: short enough to ride at or above FTP throughout, long enough that any overreach gets punished.

The effort is anything but steady. Only about 15 percent of the course is flat, 43 percent climbs and another 13.5 percent climbs steeply — power constantly shifts between just below threshold on the rolling stretches and well above it on the ramps. Train exactly that shift: over-under intervals, for example alternating two minutes just below and one minute above threshold, mirror the profile well.

The race is decided over the last three kilometres and their roughly 175 metres of climbing, above all the 1.25-kilometre ramp from km 11.5 at 8.2 percent average. Build in hill intervals of three to six minutes above threshold — ideally at the end of hard sessions, so you learn to climb on tired legs.

Underneath sits the base: FTP development through classic threshold blocks, for example two to three times 12 to 20 minutes, and time in your aero position, because aerodynamics decide the opening kilometres and the plateau. Finally, practise the pacing itself: time trial simulations of around 30 minutes with a power meter, executing a planned power distribution, are the most specific preparation for this course.