Should Cyclists Eat from Feed Station Food?
Cycling feed station food can be a useful lifeline during a sportive, Gran Fondo or long-distance event, particularly when carrying everything yourself is impractical. But convenience comes with trade-offs, including less control over your fuelling, unfamiliar ingredients and hygiene concerns. Here’s how to decide when feed station food makes sense and when you are better […]
Choosing the Right Bike for the Right Terrain
Choosing between a TT bike vs lightweight bike depends on the terrain, your expected speed and the demands of the event. A lightweight bike can make sustained climbs and technical descents more manageable, while a TT bike can offer a meaningful advantage on fast, flatter roads. Once you have chosen the right tool for the […]
Fueling for Performance: How Cyclists Can Train Their Gut to Handle 120g of Carbohydrates per Hour
Consuming 120g of carbohydrates per hour on the bike would once have sounded extreme, but high carbohydrate intakes have become increasingly common in endurance cycling where athletes need to sustain performance for many hours. The challenge is that simply deciding to eat more does not mean your digestive system will tolerate it. Large amounts of […]
The Complete Cyclist’s Guide to L’Étape du Tour: Training, Nutrition, and Coaching
L’Étape du Tour training needs more than simply accumulating kilometres: you need sustained climbing power, durable endurance and a fuelling plan you have practised. This guide sets out a practical approach to training, nutrition, recovery, equipment and race-day pacing for the demands of a long mountain sportive. It also explains where individual coaching can help […]
How to prioritise your cycling events
Whether you have one major Gran Fondo in mind or want to ride every event on the calendar, deciding what matters most is key to training well. This guide will help you prioritise cycling events as A, B or C goals, decide which ones deserve a taper and recognise when an event no longer fits […]
Your guide to successfully completing a gran fondo or sportive
You have done the training for your big ride. Now your Gran Fondo preparation needs to make sure the final few days, your pacing, nutrition and kit choices help you arrive ready to enjoy it. These are the practical details that can stop a strong build-up being undone before, or during, the event. Covered […]
Cycling equipment checklist
The last thing you want after a year of training for an event, training camp or cycling trip abroad is to forget something important. This cycling equipment checklist covers the essentials for races, sportives and Gran Fondos, as well as cycling holidays. Bookmark it so you can quickly check your kit before you travel. […]
Client profile: Julian Ormandy
Gran Fondo Training Julian Ormandy, 46, did not come into coaching with a major cycling background, although he had always been active. As a younger athlete he had experience in cycling and triathlon and had also played international hockey. What he needed now was Gran Fondo training that could help him become stronger and more […]
How to fuel for sportives and gran fondos
Most often, one of the quickest wins for my new clients is the way we look at nutrition. I’m an advocate for eating healthily most of the time, but a long, intense ride needs a different approach. This gran fondo nutrition plan explains how to prepare, fuel on the bike and test what works before […]