Tips to master the 2023 AusCycling Gran Fondo National Championships

THE 2023 AusCycling Gran Fondo National Championships is back at RoadNats in 2023.

This is your chance to tackle the iconic Mount Buninyong climb head on before the elites with perks such as fully closed roads, professional timing and nutrition support AND $5 from every entry goes to our charity partner, Ronald McDonald House Charities.

With the Gran Fondo just seven-days away, we take a deep dive into managing your final week into the ride to get you primed for a fun and enjoyable Gran Fondo experience.

1 – Back off your training volume

By lightening your training load the week prior to the event, your cumulative fatigue from training fades and your ability to perform rises. Our simple tips for tapering are to keep your riding frequency the same but shorten those rides and include some short but hard efforts.

2 – Prioritise sleep

High quality sleep for this final week is crucial for effective training and for feeling fresh and strong on the start line.

3 – Pre-ride fuelling

What should I eat for a big ride is a very common question. Here are a few simple keys to remember.

Eat what is familiar – just eat like you’d normally eat before a big ride.

Don’t worry about carbo-loading – consuming a pre-ride meal that’s rich in carbohydrates (vegetables, pasta, rice and potatoes) is a good idea, but overemphasising carbohydrates in the days before the event is unnecessary.

Base your lunch on your early you eat – you want your lunch to be digested before the start. A big lunch might be fine four hours before the start but reduce the size of your pre-ride meal if you only have 1-2 hours to digest it. The less time there is between your pre-ride meal and the start, the more you should prioritise carbohydrate and reduce the amount of fat, protein, and fibre.

Here is everything else you need to know!

AusCycling Gran Fondo National Championships is set for Saturday, 7 January from 5.15pm.

It goes over 58 kilometres or five laps of the 11.6-kilometre Mount Buninyong course.

Entry cost $95 for non AusCycling members or $85 for AusCycling members and use the code, code ‘10OFF’ to save $10 on your entry.

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