The Mont 24 Hour MTB Race - Training Tips and Top Gear -

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Camp it up GU Chomps - Mini Review Look after your body Schwalbe Tyres Jayco Work ''N Play Julbo Eyewear A message from Cadel Evans What not to wear...It''s about time...JetBlack Trainers Frameskin & Framewrap Five questions...Mont Training with Mark Fenner Love your first Mont JetBlack Floor Pumps Weldtite TF2 Lubrication Mont Moondance 1 Tent Mont Moondance 2 Tent NiteRider Lighting

Sponsor the Mont Expo/Demo

We all know Cadel Evans as the reigning World Road Cycling Champion, two-time runner-up in the Tour de France and his triple Olympian status. What some of you may not realise is that Cadel was also a tour de force on a mountain bike, dominating the XC racing scene through the 1990s and early 2000s before switching to road racing.

Of course, we'd love to say right now that Cadel is coming to rail around Sparrow Hill with you all at the Mont, but he can't make it. However, he did take time to write a message to you, which we think is very cool.

A message from Cadel Evans

“Firstly, I’d like to congratulate you all on participating in the Mont 24. Twenty fours of mountain biking around Sparrow Hill is my type of event. I’d like to be there with you but will be there in spirit as together with my partners at Winners Sports Nutrition we provide you with Winners energy bars to fuel your ride. I’ve been busy with “on the road” cycling over the last few years, but here are a few tips that might help you prepare.

Visit your Bike Store:
Make sure you take your bike to a store that does proper bike fits. They will make sure your equipment basics are correct such as saddle height, reach, head stem length, cleat positioning, wheel alignment and brakes. The key to speed is maintaining stability on the bike allowing you to transfer your weight evenly as you flow through the curves. The confidence to do this will come from knowing you have your bike in good condition.

Skills, Skills, Skills:
Hopefully your training is well established with your fitness base rising for the event. As the Mont 24 gets closer, the emphasis should be on practising your key skills of cornering, climbing and descending. The more you train these fundamentals the more they will hold up under the stresses of competition and fatigue.
 
The Energy Equation
Dehydration and inadequate food intake are the major reasons for good riders riding badly. Always plan your food and fluids intake before the ride. Don’t wait until you get hungry or thirsty. When riding, 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. So stock up on those energy bars and gels.

Use your Community
The Mont 24 demonstrates one of the great things about biking – it is a community sport. Tap into this to improve your performance. Ask other riders how they got better. Ride with a different crew... Go online and check out the forums. Check out the training tips on the Mont 24 website. You’ll be amazed at how much you improve by listening to others.

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 competitors in the Mont 24. Also, all Mont 24 participants will be eligible for 7.5% discount on all on-line sales at www.winnersbars.com. Just include the Discount Code MONT when prompted.