Team Raleigh GAC a British Continental cycling team and is managed by ex pro-cyclist Cherie Pridham.
With new sponsors and riders on board for 2016 and a strong rider line up, the whole squad is looking forward to a very productive season.
Cherie Pridham: “The squad has been strengthened for 2016 with new riders being brought in to do specific jobs which I believe will allow us to be even more successful than in 2015.
The local businesses have really got behind the team and we are proud to represent the East Midlands area as we travel the UK.
We have won the British Cycling Elite Series for the last 3 years in a row and of course we want to retain that title, but we will also focus on performing in the Tour Series. It’s fast, frantic racing. We won the 2015 Point Series Jersey which is a combination of team work and individual.
How does HIGH5 fit in with the team’s training and competition?
“The HIGH5 products that we use fit in really well with the teams training and competition really well. I personally have got in to a good routine with using certain products at certain times. For shorter training rides a bottle with ZERO in normally does the trick, longer rides I will use a weak 2:1 EnergySource. When my training rides exceed 3 hours I will use the EnergyBar as well. HIGH5 have some great tasting bars, my favourite has to be the coconut.As for competition I use the ZERO tablet in 750ml water, and 1x EnergyBar 1hr 30 before start time, then sipping on EnergySource up to the start. During the race I like to start with 1x EnergySource and 1x ZERO tab in water as 2nd bottle. 15mins before the start I use the IsoGel X’treme, which has a good hit of caffeine to get me ready to race.
During race I use 2x EnergyGel or IsoGel and 1x EnergyBar per hour!
After the race HIGH5 Protein Recovery is consumed, I find this product the perfect post-race consistency, as when it is mixed it does not become thick. It’s like drinking a normal drink which is great after a hard race.” – Steven Roach
“I love the Coconut EnergyBars. They taste really good so when I’m racing I haven’t got to worry about reminding myself to eat because the bars taste so good and I would just eat them anyways!”
– Fraser Martin
“Proper nutrition is in my mind as fundamentally important as riding the bike itself. With the high volume of training and competitions I find that HIGH5 works really well. Often before competitions using the ZERO tabs in water is great as it gives some taste and the electolytes help to maintain the body’s electrolyte balance.
During training and competitions, the SportsBars, EnergyBars, EnergyGels, IsoGels, IsoGel X’treme and EnergySource drink all come into play. Keeping fuelled for the races and training is pivotal. Road races are normally 4 hours plus and the body cannot store enough carbohydrates to complete it. If you don’t keep fuelled in training you dig deep into the body’s reserves and the following training session is compromised. The HIGH5 products provide a good amount of carbs in a easily digestible way.
Straight after any training or race we get a Protein Recovery drink. The muscles need to repair as fast as possible so that we can train or race as soon as possible. The Tour Series is a great example as these highly intense races can happen on back to back evenings.” – Karl Baillie
Tips For aspiring Athletes:
“Getting hydration right is very important. This does not mean just downing a couple pints of water. It’s important to plan your hydration, this can be very simple and once you get into a routine it becomes second nature. I always travel with 1.5litres of water or a ZERO tablet in drinks bottle, this is to ensure I stay hydrated when travelling to races. Drinking 750ml of ZERO 1.5hrs prior to race start is good to top up electrolytes and keep on top of hydration. Between 1.5 and race start sipping on weak EnergySource is always good. You want to start the event hydrated but not busting for a pee on the start line.
Always try to test out any new strategy or new products you are using in training. This is the best time to get it wrong and adapt to any changes. Always keep race day food and hydration the same, this way your body knows what it’s getting and what it can do with what you are putting in” – Steven Roach
