Hard work’s done, time to freshen up for your ride

IT’S the final week before Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and it’s time to rest up for the big day!

In your final week it’s important to start to prepare for the event and this week we’ll go through some tips to ensure you are ready for Saturday.

Give your bike a final clean and maintenance check. Ensure your tyres, chain and brakes are in good working condition so you can make the most of Saturday. A nice shiny bike always feels great to ride.

Heading into Saturday you should start to think about your nutrition.

What has worked for you throughout your training; what food did you like to eat on the bike?

Was there pre-ride food that made you feel better? What foods didn’t your body agree with?

Leading up to the race, hearty carb-based meals are important to help sustain energy levels on the day and to gain the most out of all your training.

On the day, nutrition is also key — make sure you have an appropriate breakfast before the ride and take food with you to snack on the bike.

There are feed stations along the course, so make sure you check them out and utilise the Swisse products available throughout the day.

The day before, have a look at the weather prediction to determine what you need to wear.

It’s best to take some warm clothes down to the start but when you start riding take into account that you’ll heat up as you progress through the event and as the day warms up.

Make sure you allow for plenty of time before the start to get down to the Geelong waterfront to ensure you: ARE in the right position on the start line; HAVE time to complete a short warm up, and CAN complete any final preparation for the day.

When the ride kicks off, find an appropriate group and enjoy the fantastic feeling of cycling in a large group.

Make sure you keep looking up the road and keep an eye out for any road furniture or potholes. And most of all enjoy the event!

Once you’ve finished, don’t forget to stay around for the Deakin University Elite Women’s race in the afternoon and the men’s elite race on the Sunday — there’s plenty to see and lots of entertainment in the Steampacket Gardens.

For your final week’s training, aim to complete two rides of one hour in length.

The purpose of this week’s training is to stay comfortable on your bike while reducing the intensity and duration to freshen up for Saturday.