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Train Like a Pro: Conquer L'Étape du Tour with Wattbike
What Is L’Étape du Tour?
Every summer, thousands of amateur cyclists from around the world gather in the French Alps to test themselves on one of the most legendary challenges in the sport of cycling - L’Étape du Tour. It’s not just a sportive. It’s a chance to ride a full mountain stage of the Tour de France, on the same roads, with full support, just like the pros.
Organised by the Tour de France team itself, L’Étape du Tour is the only sportive that lets everyday riders experience the same conditions as Tour racers, including closed roads, feed zones, timing chips, and crowds along the route. The 2025 edition features a punishing 130 km route from Albertville to La Plagne, including over 4,600 meters of climbing. This is an epic test of endurance, power, and mental grit.
For many, L’Étape is a bucket list event. For others, it’s a proving ground to see how they measure up against one of cycling’s greatest challenges.
How Wattbike Helps You Train for L’Étape du Tour
Conquering the climbs, altitude, and intensity of L’Étape requires focused, structured training and that's exactly where the Wattbike comes in.
Ride the Tour From Your Home
Thanks to the Wattbike Hub app, riders can now access every stage of the Tour de France, recreated with real-world gradients and profiles. That means you can train on iconic climbs like Alpe d’Huez or Mont Ventoux, building your climbing strength and pacing strategy well before you go to ride the French tarmac.
The Hub is free with every Wattbike purchase, giving you year-round access to Tour-level training from the comfort of your home.
Train Smarter with World-Class Workouts
The Wattbike Hub isn’t just about simulation however, it also delivers results and helps you improve your performance. With expertly designed training plans from coaches and pro cyclists like Alex Dowsett (British former professional road racing cyclist), you get focused workouts that target real racing scenarios all tailored to your ability and fitness level:
- Climbing endurance for long ascents
- Threshold power for managing efforts
- Sprint and recovery to mimic attacks and surges
- Active recovery to optimise rest days
Each workout lasts under 45 minutes, making it easy to integrate into busy schedules around work and home-life without compromising your goals.
Data-Driven Progression
With the Wattbike and Hub App, you're not just riding, you're training smarter with precise, actionable data. After completing the Sub-Max Ramp Test, your performance metrics are automatically saved and synced to your profile. This gives the Wattbike Hub App a detailed snapshot of your current fitness level, allowing it to generate tailored training zones and personalise your workouts from day one. Whether you’re building endurance, improving power, or targeting climbs, your training will always be aligned with your goals and current capabilities.
Wattbike tracks everything from power output and cadence to pedalling efficiency, helping you fine-tune every aspect of your fitness. Whether you're preparing for the switchbacks of Col de la Loze or the final grind to La Plagne, you'll know exactly where you stand and how to improve your fitness for the road.
See You at L’Étape
If you're attending L’Étape du Tour this year, don't miss the chance to visit our French distributors at the event (Incept Sport). Whether you're riding or just soaking up the atmosphere, our team will be on-site with exclusive offers for the event on all Wattbikes and competitions for you to win prizes.
It’s the perfect opportunity to get ahead on your training, speak with our experts, and try a Wattbike for yourself.
Compare Wattbikes and find the model that’s right for your goals.
https://wattbike.com/pages/comparison
Start Your Cycling Journey Today
L’Étape is more than a ride - it’s a milestone. Make sure you’re ready for it with Wattbike and the Wattbike Hub.
Train smart. Ride strong. See you on the mountain.
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