VELOARCHITECT

Criterium racing is not an FTP event and not a single-sprint event. The Athlete completes 8–14 surges of 15–45 seconds at 130–160% FTP across 50–80 minutes, with sub-threshold recovery between. Generic threshold blocks do not build the anaerobic repeatability the race requires; generic sprint work does not build the recovery-between-surges the race requires. Veloarchitect dispatches a structured Anaerobic Capacity + Threshold Over-Unders combination calibrated to the Athlete’s surge count profile.

The criterium segment is mis-served by both FTP builders and sprint-primers. An Athlete with a strong 20-minute FTP and weak repeatability loses the race in the closing 10 minutes when the field surges. Veloarchitect’s Protocol 6 — Anaerobic Capacity — and Protocol 3 — Threshold Over-Unders — are the levers that build anaerobic repeatability alongside threshold durability. Adaptive Workout reads the Athlete’s surge count from the target event profile and dispatches the corresponding weekly mix; the Athlete who is targeting a 12-surge race receives 12 over-unders per Threshold session, not a generic 8.

Protocols: Protocol 2 — VO₂max Repeats; Protocol 3 — Threshold Sustain; Protocol 11 — Failure Horizon

Worked Example — 8-week block for a 60-minute criterium with 12 surges

Athlete: 29y/o, 286W FTP, 1.62 W/bpm, target criterium in 9 weeks, 12 surges of 20–40 seconds expected. Block 1 (weeks 1–4): 1 weekly Anaerobic Capacity 30/30 + 1 weekly Over-Unders 12×(30s @ 105% / 30s @ 95%) + 1 weekly Threshold Sustain at 92% + 1 weekly Z2. Block 2 (weeks 5–7): race-pace simulation 60-minute ride with 12 surges, weekly 30/30 + Threshold. Block 3 (week 8): taper. Mechanical Efficiency holds at 1.62 W/bpm (no degradation). Race Execution Precision: 0.89 (11/12 surges cleanly executed). Failure Horizon post-race: 72h.