Hi,
resurrecting this old thread to share my similar experience and to ask how you did recover from it.
In May 2017 I had a crash and had to be off the bike for 5 weeks. After that, I took 6 weeks of easy riding (would not risk to force my freshly recovered knee).
I went from FTP 280 W (which I was really happy about, weighing only 60 kg) to about 220.
I went from 80 CTL to 40.
In September and October I worked on my base, so I rode only Z2 and Z3. FTP might have gone up to 230, but I didn't bother to test it. I had rebuilt my CTL again into the low 80s.
In November and December I rode very little (avg around 3 hours a week because I was moving to a new country, changing jobs, etc.
CTL dropped to 40 again, and now my FTP feels like 210 (this is untested, but based on intervals at 200 W, HR and RPE).
Crazy to think that last spring I could climb at 210 W in HR Z2, and now at 210 W my HR is 178!
Anyway, now I have time again to train 8-10 hours a week, and to rebuild my CTL into the 70s and the 80s.
I plan to do 8 weeks of mostly Z2 with occasional Z3/SST on climbs (I live in a very hilly area) until I have my CTL in the mid 60s, then I would start FTP and Vo2 work.
How does that sound to you? How did your recovery work? Did you manage to return to, and maybe surpass, your previous fitness?
Thanks for your time.