In this issue:

AUGUST Specials

Bianchi 2009 Product Launch

Fusion Roller Derby Dash

Upcoming Events

Peak Physique PT Offer

Training Nutrition Tips – fuelling at the top

August Specials

Flashpoint FP60 Carbon Race Wheels RRP: $2200
Fusion special: $1799

Win a 3 hour cycle skills course with Cycling Science valued at $320.  Purchase any bike product in August to be in the draw.  Cycling Science courses are novice to elite.

Bianchi 2009 Preview Product Launch Friday 8 August 6-7pm

Be the first to view the 2009 Bianchi range!  The annual Bianchi Product Launch is usually exclusively for their dealers but we have negotiated a small viewing time for our customers on Friday night 8 August. 

Bianchi is the oldest bike designer and manufacturer in the world.  Bianchi cycles are renowned for their style, attention to detail and race performance innovation.  Bianchi is synonymous with Italian professional cycling and has been since 1885.

The Bianchi 2009 Product Launch will be held at Fusion Cycles. Click here to register by email.

August

Sat Aug 2 RaceFace MTB 8hr Race Kooralbyn
Click here for more info

Sun Aug 3 Gold Coast XC Race and Downhill MTB Open Day
Illinbah. Click here for more info

Sun Aug 2 Cunningham Classic u19/Elite Masters Road Race
Click here for more info

Sun Aug 10 Queensland Downhill State Championships
Click here for more info

Sat Aug 10  MTB Orienteering Qld Champs Day 1 Sprint Distance, Beerburrum State Forest.  Click here for more info

Sun Aug 10 Elite and Masters Road Championships
Click here for more info

Sat/Sun Aug 16-17 Tour of the Scenic Rim Road Race u19/Elite/Masters, Boonah
Click here fore more info

Sun Aug 24  Flight Centre MTB Cycle Epic 100km/50km/20km
Click here for more info

Matt is organizing a team for this race.  Click here to join the team.

Sun Aug 24  Tweed Valley Banana Festival Criterium u19/Elite/Masters
Click here for more info

Sun Aug 31  Grand Fondo Brisbane Elite/Masters Road Race
Click here for more info

Sun Aug 31 Teva Adventure Series 8hr sprint race, Brisbane Click here for more info

September

Sept 4-7  Australian Road Championships
Click here for more info

Sat Sun 6-7 Sept  MTBO Qld Championships, Yarraman
Click here for more info

Sat Sun 6-7 Sept Netti MTB Enduro 100km, 50km, 10km
Click here for more info

Sun 28 Sept  Qld Road Teams Time Trials
Click here for more info

Peak Physique PT Offer

Looking to cross train, build strength and go to the next level?  Peak Physique is offering Fusion Cycles customers a Personal Training experience package valued at $646 for $99. 

PT Experience Package includes:

• Introductory wellness Goal setting activity (valued at $39)
• Wellness Assessment (valued at $220)
• Nutrition Program (valued at $220)
• 10 Top Tips to Fat Loss e-book (valued at $29)
• Functional Strength Session with a Personal Trainer (valued at $66)
• Complimentary Gym membership attendance (Valued at $25)
• Peak Nutritional Strategies mp3 (valued at $47)

This offer expires on 8th August.  Contact Brad Sheppard at Brad@peak-physique.com or 0412 999 656.

Training Nutrition Tips – fuelling at the top

Tour riders are some of the most highly developed athletes on the planet but no matter how good physiologically they are if they don’t eat to replenish energy used by the body they will not finish.  

Trust me there are no tour riders on low carb diets.  The average energy expenditure of a tour rider has been measured very few times. The last time was in 1989.  In that race the average energy expenditure per day was around ~30,000kJ.  On long mountain stages cyclists burnt close to 38,000kJ. This is more than four times the average person’s daily energy expenditure.  Considering that the average speed of the tour has increased by 3km/hr since 1989 these figures may be higher still.

If a cyclist spends around 5 or more hours on the bike each day and hopefully a further 8 hours a day sleeping, a few more recovering, getting rub downs, warming up, doing media etc. it leaves very little time to eat the large amount of energy required to maintain intensity over the entire 3 weeks of racing.

Most people would think that to increase their energy intake it would simply mean eating more at breakfast, dinner and supper.  But professional cyclists are actually exceptionally good at consuming energy while on the bike.  Feed zones are an essential part of the race and even though they can cause major headaches for the peloton without them the race would not be possible. 

The consequences of not eating enough was seen famously in 2000 when Lance Armstrong lost significant time to rival Jan Ulrich after failing to collect food in the feed zone because he felt so good.  So a race can be potentially won or lost based on nutrition.

A Tour de France cyclist consumes up to 50% of their daily calorie requirements on the bike.  They achieve this by consuming a whopping 90+g of carbohydrate per hour, ~30% of that is through fluid intake.  This is a phenomenal amount of energy.  It would be say 1.5 gels and 750ml of a 7% sports drink per hour.  This is using specialised carbohydrate blends that increase the absorption and usage of ingested carbohydrate and spare muscle glycogen.

Over the length of the tour you would expect a cyclist to lose considerable weight due to the inability to eat enough energy.  This is actually not the case, in fact a tour rider is able to maintain body weight within a kilogram of their starting weight throughout the tour. They do this by continuing to eat large volumes of food on days when energy expenditure is less (rest days, time trial days.) This allows them to play catch up and restore some of the losses that may be seen during high energy stages like mountain stages.   

Lets hope Cadel Evans is 3rd time lucky in 2009!

Eat up the Road.

Greg Shaw, Australian Institute of Sport, Sports Dietitian

Have Fun
Fusion Cycles Team

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