{"id":205914,"date":"2026-07-23T18:19:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T18:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=205914"},"modified":"2026-07-23T18:19:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T18:19:58","slug":"how-markko-karu-turned-preparation-into-performance-at-letape-du-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2026\/07\/23\/how-markko-karu-turned-preparation-into-performance-at-letape-du-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Worth Every Climb: How Markko Karu Turned Preparation into Performance at L\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Markko Karu joined The Unseen Stage, he was already familiar with L\u2019\u00c9tape. An experienced mountain biker and endurance rider from Estonia, he approached the project with a clear ambition: to see what would happen if he paired his love of cycling with a truly structured training programme. Over the following months, he embraced power-based training, strength work and nutrition planning, always chasing the best version of himself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Then came the ultimate test: L\u2019\u00c9tape du Tour.<\/a><\/p>\n

Looking back, Markko has few regrets. \u201cThere are always small details to adjust,\u201d he reflects, \u201cbut there were no bigger mistakes or miscalculations.\u201d More importantly, he achieved what he aimed for from the very beginning: \u201cMy goal was to ride the whole race without taking any breaks, and I did.\u201d Could he have been faster? \u201cYes,\u201d he says honestly, \u201cbut at the same time, I could have done much worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

That perspective captures the reality of an event like L\u2019\u00c9tape. It is not simply a race against the clock, but a constant balancing act between ambition and endurance. \u201cDuring the race, you pass a lot of people, and a lot of people pass you,\u201d he says. \u201cEach one of them is fighting their own little battle.\u201d Riders are constantly balancing hydration, nutrition, pacing, fatigue, mechanical issues and awareness of everyone around them. \u201cIt\u2019s a complex situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Months of preparation meant there were few real surprises on the road. Instead, the race confirmed just how much small details matter. \u201cManaging my power output was probably the biggest lesson,\u201d Markko says. He had prepared for extreme weather, only to be greeted by relatively mild conditions, and even discovered that the infamous final section he had worried about ended not with another brutal climb but \u201ca fast descent\u201d. Not every moment went according to plan, however. One time, an exhausted rider drifted into his rear wheel during a climb. \u201cWe were both surprised,\u201d Markko recalls. Fortunately, no harm was done beyond a brief scare.<\/p>\n

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P\u0159\u00edsp\u011bvek sd\u00edlen\u00fd \u0160koda We Love Cycling (@wlcmagazine)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n