Our latest World Champion Cadel Evans is an Ambassador for the Amy Gillett Foundation. With his partners at Winners Sports Nutrition, he will be providing Cadel's Mountain Mix bars to all participants in each of the Amy’s Ride events. Here he provides some advice on nutrition for cycling to Amy's Ride participants:

Fellow riders,

Congratulations to those of you registered to take part in the South Australian leg of the  Amy's Ride on the 1st of November.  Better relations on the road between drivers and cyclists is vital and this event can greatly contribute to the promotion of road safety for all.  Winners are proud to work with the Amy Gillett Foundation to promote increased awareness in this area.In terms of nutrition, professional cyclists think about food more than just about any other profession (sumo wrestlers and supermodels may be the exception). During a day’s racing on a Tour, we can use over 10,000 calories as we climb mountains and power through straight stretches, so there is always a lot of talk in the peloton about what we are consuming before, during and after a day’s racing.

As you prepare for your experience, keep in mind the following to ensure you complete the day in your best shape and avoid the dreaded "bonk":

1) Carb Up - The "bonk" occurs when the body's stores of carbohydrate (glycogen in the liver and muscles) is depleted and the exercising muscle shifts to fat metabolism as its primary source of energy. To avoid this consume a high carbohydrate diet during your training program and in the days before the race. Rice, pasta, cereals, breads and energy bars and gels should all feature prominently.

2) Event Day - Again, carbs are key. Don't wait until you get hungry. Prepare your food plan beforehand. A rule of thumb is one gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour. For example if you weigh 80kg and you plan to ride for 5 hours, you should plan to consume 400g of carbohydrate.  I would suggest you plan to carry extra energy bars and gels and be conscious of "fuelling up" throughout the ride.

3) Beware the Sugars - Beware the quantity of sugar in your race foods. Sugar causes an energy spike that gives you a quick high but plummets very quickly, leaving you feeling flat and listless and a long way from home. Save the soft drinks and sweets until after the race

4) Recover! - A long ride does knock your body around. The first step to recovery is to keep restoring your glycogen stores with further carbohydrate intake. Energy bars, bananas are sandwiches are a good choice. Don't be afraid to pig out as your body needs it. Protein is important to repair your muscle tissue so your first meal after the ride should feature high-protein ingredients such as red meat, chicken, fish or tofu.

Good luck and good riding,

Cadel and his partners at Winners Sports Nutrition will be providing Winners-Cadel's Mountain Mix energy bars for all participants in all Amy's Rides. For more information and special product offers www.winnersbars.com