Multipower Sportsfoods have calculated the demands placed on a rider during a Grand Tour time trial. See the bottom of this article for a larger version

The Tour de France champion, who endured a roller coaster ride in his campaign to win the 96^th corsa rosa, would have started the 20.6km test from Mori to Polsa as favourite.

Should he watch from home today, the Londoner will be well aware of the grueling effort demanded by the time trial, a discipline known to the cycling cognoscenti as “the race of truth”.

Multipower Sportsfood, nutrition partner to the Giro, has created this infographic to show the physical toll levied by the time trial.

Riders typically lose between 1.5 and two litres of sweat during a time trial, according to Multipower, who estimate that on particularly grueling tests, they could lose as much as three litres.

Timed efforts do not come much more demanding than stage eighteen, which will unfold over an almost unbroken upward trajectory.

The amount of calories consumed on even a short time trial can be as high as 600, say Multipower, who claim that longer efforts can reach double that figure. Carbohydrate expenditure can reach three grams a minute, they say.

While trained athletes are likely to have increased capacity for carbohydrate storage in the liver, as much as 2000Kcal, and so almost sufficient even for a  long time trial, they are unlikely to leave their fueling to chance. The race to consume sufficient fuel for the challenge of a time trial begins long before the race of truth.

Three hours before the race, the riders will “enjoy” a basic breakfast of porridge, with juice and water, say Multipower, before taking on low fibre carbohydrate, energy bars and drinks an hour later.

Riders typically lose between 1.5 and two litres of sweat during a time trial, according to Multipower, who estimate that on particularly grueling tests, they could lose as much as three litres.

With an hour to go, and perhaps with a warm up on rollers looming, caffeinated gels to raise the heart rate will be added to the carbohydrate already consumed, say Multipower, along with more water, and energy gels.

Thirty minutes from their effort, and with a warm up almost certainly begun, sports drinks, perhaps adding further supplies of carbohydrate, will be the preferred intake, the Giro’s nutrition partner says.

Once down the start ramp, the only food supplies the riders will have access to is the energy gel typically stored beneath the leg band of their shorts. They’ll have no time to drop back the team car for supplies and their aerodynamic skin suits come sans pockets.

The effort of the stage two team time trial is writ large on the face of Mark Cavendish. The Manx Missile and his colleagues will face a similar ordeal in today’s individual test

As soon as a rider has crossed the finish line, typically at the point of exhaustion, a 15-minute “golden window” for recovery opens, a period in which the body is most receptive to nutrients. Multipower say a recovery drink containing carbohydrate to replenish energy stores and protein to repair muscle tissue damaged by the effort of the test is likely to be first on the “menu”.

Once the 15-minute milestone is passed, and with the heart rate returned to normal, the riders are likely to move from energy drinks to easily-consumed solid food, such as bananas and rice cakes. An hour after a time trial, the riders are ready for what might be described as a proper meal, something with a high concentration of carbohydrate, and some protein, say Multipower, such as stir fry chicken or rice.

The amount of energy expended, and so fuel required, will be effected by the position adopted by the rider. Riding in a tuck position on a low profile time trial machine can be more than 20 per cent more aerodynamically efficient than pedaling out of the saddle on a road bike, Multipower claim. The relentlessly uphill parcours of eighteen, however, may mean that greater efficiencies are to be found in a more upright position.

It promises to be a fascinating stage, and a test of both man and machine.

The French-themed event will take place from 12pm on Bastille Day, while the riders of the Tour de France tackle Mont Ventoux.

Visitors are invited to enjoy French food in the Lion’s French restaurant, La Cloche, while watching the action unfold on the Giant of Provence.

Vulpine’s cycling fete will take place on Bastille Day, while the riders of the Tour de France tackle Mont Ventoux

“Dogs, giant sunflowers, and entire families are welcome,” say Vulpine. “Non-cyclists have permission and indeed opportunities to enjoy themselves too.”

Rollapaluza roller racing, a frame building demonstration from The Bicycle Academy, and maintenance tips from the London Bike Kitchen are among the attractions.

Exhibitors include bespoke frame builders, Saffron, Enigma, and Rusby, illustrator, Rich Michelson, and new Soho bike shop, Kinoko, among others.

Entry to the fete is free and exhibitors’ fees will go to charities, Rollapaluza Outreach and Syria Relief.

Website: Vulpine

Stage seventeen exploded into life on the fourth category climb of the Crosara.

The run from Caravaggio to Vicenza had threatened to be the first dull encounter of what has been an exhilarating Giro, with a four-man breakaway the only talking point of the first 190 kilometres.

The Crosara, however, turned the stage on its head, serving as the breakaway’s final destination and the launch pad for a second solo victory in three stages by three-time Italian champion, Giovanni Visconti.

Visconti returned to racing in January after serving a backdated, three-month suspension for his patronage of Dr Michele Ferrari, although ‘Gio’ insists he received no doping products from Lance Armstrong’s favourite medic.

The stag eighteen time trial is likely to end Visconti’s extended spell in the spotlight as the GC contenders renew their claims for overall victory.

Today’s highlights were captured in this gallery by official UCI WorldTour photographer, Stefano Sirotti.

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The three-time Italian champion, and former client of Dr Michele Ferrari, won stage 15 by riding the Col du Telegraphe and the lower slopes of the Galibier alone last Saturday.

Today, he attacked on the fourth category climb of Crosara, the sole interesting feature of an otherwise featureless parcours, bringing to life a stage that had lacked excitement.

Giovanni Visconti celebrates his stage 17 victory in Vicenza

Visconti’s assault quickly brought him level with Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fantini) and Miguel Rubiano (Androni-Giocattoli), the latter the sole remaning survivor of a four-man breakaway that went almost from the gun.

The Movistar rider wasted little time in driving clear of the pair, cresting the Crosara alone and with 32 seconds in his pocket, riding ahead of a chasing bunch driven by Tanel Kangert (Astana), a key figure in the denouement to yesterday’s stage.

Crowds at the roadside and television viewers were treated to yet another descending masterclass, this time with Visconti acting as tutor, as he extended his lead before assuming time trial mode for the final, pan flat run to the finish.

Behind him, the peloton had shattered, with the favourites safely clear of a shell-shocked group of sprinters teams, Mark Cavendish and his Omega Pharma-QuickStep men among them.

Robert Gesink (Blanco Pro Cycling), rode aggressively as the finish loomed closer, replicating his performance from the previous stage, in another aggressive but fruitless display.

Visconti almost came to grief with 1.7km remaining when he seemed to misjudge a corner, but a last second correction through the tight left-hander kept his bid for victory on course.

As he passed under the flamme rouge, it was all over bar the shouting. After a few exploratory punches of the air, Visconti sat up, zipped up his jersey, and allowed himself  a full celebration.

Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin Sharp) was second for the second day running, and celebrated with such joy that he seemed to believe he had won.

Luka Mezgec, another of Argos-Shimano’s seemingly inexhaustible supply of sprinters, finished third.

Vincenzo Nibali rode safely in the bunch throughout the day, surrounded by rivals who saw little point in attacking. Tomorrow, however, promises to be quite different.

The stage 18 time trial from Mori to Polsa, a 20.6km test of unrelenting gradient, will be the first of three brutal stages that will unquestionably decide who ends the race in the maglia rosa.

Overall victory looks beyond the Movistar team, but with Visconti’s second victory marking his team’s second win in two days, following Benat Intxausti’s stage 16 victory, the Spanish squad is likely still to consider their campaign in the 96th corsa rosa a success.

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Giro d’Italia 2013 – stage seventeen – result

1) Giovanni Visconti (ITA) – Movistar – 5.15.34
2) Ramunas Navardauskas (LTU) – Garmin Sharp +19″
3) Luka Mezgec (POL) – Argos-Shimano – ST
4) Filippo Pozzato (ITA) – Lampre-Merida
5) Danilo Hondo (ESP) – Radioshack-Leopard
6) Salvatore Puccio (ITA) – Team Sky
7) Sacha Modolo (ITA) – Bardiani Valvole
8) Fabio Felline (ITA) – Andrioti-Giocattole
9) Francisco Ventoso (ESP) – Movistar
10) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing

General classification

1) Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) – Astana – 73.11.29
2) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing +1.26
3) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Team Sky +2.46
4) Michele Scarponi (ITA) – Lampre Merida +3.53
5) Przemyslaw Niemiec (ITA) – Lampre Merida +4.13
6) Mauro Santambrogio (ITA) – Vini Fantini +4.57
7) Carlos Betancur (COL) – Ag2r-La Mondiale +5.15
8) Rafal Majka (POL) – Saxo-Tinkoff +5.20
9) Benat Intxausti (ESP) – Movistar +5.47
10) Robert Gesink (NED) – Blanco Pro Cycling +7.24

With the last few weeks and months approaching, the foundations are laid. You’ve built the endurance and skills necessary to complete your goal event and only the final layers of icing need to be applied to the cake before you are fully ready.

These last few weeks can be crucial in your goal of achieving a gold standard time, so make sure you get the final preparations spot on and can stand on the start line ready and confident of a great ride.

Riders contemplating the three-day Tour of Wessex will need to have prepared thoroughly. Pic: ©Tour of Wessex

Now is the time to look at two things: firstly, specificity of training to get as familiar with the type of efforts you will be making and often the type of terrain you will be riding on; secondly, squeezing that last bit of fitness out to get on the line in the best possible shape.

As I have mentioned in earlier articles, aiming to train for the type of efforts you will be making, whether they are long climbs in the Alps or Pyrenees for l’Etape du Tour; shorter, steeper efforts in the Chilterns or the mountains of Wales in UK sportives or the challenge of riding hard and recovering daily in a multi-day event, is a vital part of your preparation.

Now is the time to take this one step further, can you recce some or all of the course? Can you take a few days off work or extend a bank holiday weekend to get a mini multi-day event in preparation? Have you honed a nutrition strategy to use on the day (more on this next time)?

Taking the time and effort to do these things now, with time before the ride to sort out any problems, will pay dividends in a few weeks time when you’re relaxed, confident and fit. Where it’s not possible to train on the course, think of ways around this. Can you ride a ‘virtual reality’ version of the course on a turbo trainer to see what to expect? Can you find climbs of similar length and gradient near you if travelling abroad, or at the other end of the country if overseas travel is impractical?

The second thing to look at is dialling in your top end fitness to improve speed.  You’ve built a strong base now so are ready to add some…. interval training! These words might sound daunting for many riders, but a short four to six-week block of high intensity training can make a huge difference in your fitness.

Short intervals can help to add a layer of speed to the fitness foundation laid by long miles

In the previous article, I discussed training for hills and, once again, trying to make these intervals as specific as possible is best. Short intervals at almost full gas for the shorter climbs, or accumulating a longer period of work such as 3×10-minute intervals at just over your comfortable climbing pace for a long ‘Col’, are a good start. These can be done on a turbo trainer to allow greater control over the workload and keep a consistent effort; or on climbs, increasing specificity and often motivation (especially with a training partner) to push yourself to the limit! As with most aspects of training, intervals should be introduced gradually.

The hard efforts will require proper recovery between efforts and between sessions to get the most benefit from them.  Working in a block of several weeks training by increasing the training load over three to four weeks before backing off for a week to fully recover, repair and adapt so that you come back stronger is a good strategy.

If, for example, you have eight weeks from now until your goal event, a good strategy would be to increase the number of intervals from, say, 5×2-minute efforts with equal rest periods in the first week by one per week for three weeks before backing off to three efforts in week four.

In weeks five and six, try to complete two interval sessions per week, maybe at the expense of a hill climbing session, and reduce your recovery time to just one minute, before starting your taper midway through week seven so that you’re fit and fresh for week eight. These sessions will be very hard, so making sure you’re well fuelled for them and remaining hydrated (especially indoors or in the heat) can make a big difference to your ability to complete the session. If you’re using the turbo trainer, try to ride in a well-ventilated area and have a fan blowing on you to help you cool down. Aim to drink at least one bottle in an hour long session and a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink will help too.

Hydration is important to everyone’s performance, from world road race champions downwards

Such an emphasis on high intensity training will mean something has to ‘give’, and this is usually your training volume. While this is inevitable, and often a good thing, adding a little more rest, increasing recovery and quality of training during these high intensity sessions, do try to keep one longer ride in every week. If you haven’t managed a full-length ride for your chosen sportive try to get one in – it will be great for confidence as well as the legs. This may mean cutting out some other sessions so you are maybe training less frequently, but every session is made to count and ultimately you will be in better shape when it counts.

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Non-specific bags often provide a poor match for cycling kit, making it easy to lose, or still worse, forget items.

Enter the Transfer bag from Inside Line Equipment, an American firm making bags by hand in California. We’ll be getting to know the Transfer better in the weeks ahead, but we thought we’d bring you our early impressions and these pictures without delay.

The Transfer bag from Inside Line Equipment

The Transfer, made from robust looking sail cloth, is one designed specifically for cycling, and contains an internal drawstring bag for shoes or wet kit, an elasticated net on the outside in which to carry a helmet, and short, elasticated pouches on either side, perfectly sized for water bottles.

Two chunky zips run either side of the full length of the main compartment, allowing the bag to opened like a suitcase and so providing easy access: no scrabbling around blindly for items at the bottom of the bag, as with a conventional ruck sack.

Once inside, the drawstring bag is the most immediately obvious feature, one that easily swallowed the Vitoria Hora Evo shoes we have on test. As an early test, we laid shorts and short-sleeved jersey over the top and were impressed by the amount of room remaining: we’d expect to get a full set of kit in here without difficulty.

Either side of the draw string bag are net pouches, presumably intended for bidons.

The interior of the rear panel is lined with elasticated net for further storage options. We stowed our glasses case in there for these pictures, but there’s plenty of room for gloves, a folded base layer, and folded arm or leg warmers.

The shoulder straps are padded, as is the panel that rests against your back. The sternum strap, like all others on this bag, closes with a firm ‘click’, and there’s a handle above the shoulder straps at the top of the bag if you want to carry it by hand rather than on the back.

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Website: Inside Line Equipment
UK Distributor: VAM Performance
Price: £159

The Welshman led home a bunch sprint, pipping former national circuit race champion, Dean Downing (Madison Genesis), and team-mate, Tobyn Horton.

A five-strong breakaway went clear early on, including Felix English (Rapha Condor JLT), Gruff Lewis (Metaltek-Knights of Old), Liam Holohan (Madison-Genesis), Lachlan Norris (Raleigh), and Horton.

Yanto Barker sweeps to victory in Stoke-On-Trent to win the fourth round of the 2013 Pearl Izumi Tour Series

English said: “I was in the break of five for most of the race, but got caught with four laps to go. I still felt really good, so I hit the UK Youth leadout with 300m to go, but the headwind and uphill finish was too much to hang on.

“I’m feeling really good now, I just need to get my tactics and timing right.”

English’s quintet was hauled back by the combined efforts of Team UK Youth and Madison Genesis. The crashes did much to affect the chances of Team Raleigh, who had raced in the red jerseys of leaders of the team standings.

Their bad luck in Stoke-on-Trent, and Team UK Youth’s posting of three riders in the top 10, combined to push the Nottingham squad from the top of the team standings. Raleigh salvaged one result from the result, by claiming leadership in the IG Sprints Jersey, courtesy of Tom Scully.

Both teams face a strong challenge from debutants, Madison Genesis, who enjoyed greater fortune in Stoke on Trent than they had in Durham, where Ian Bibby rode comfortably in what appeared to be a decisive break with eventual winner, Kristian House (Rapha Condor JLT), before a mechanical ended his challenge.

In Stoke-on-Trent, the Roger Hammond-managed squad claimed second with Downing, and fourth place with world track champion, Andy Tennant, and placed all five riders in the top 20.

“I was really pleased with the team tonight: they showed power, tactical awareness and worked well together, but above all the determination was there in abundance and it was great to see,” Hammond said.

The next round of the series will be held in Aberystwyth this Friday (May 24) as part of the Aberystwyth Cycle Fest.

Metaltek-Knights of Old’s Welsh duo of Lewis and Dale Appleby, who finished eighth in Stoke-On-Trent, will be seeking to build on their good form in front of a home crowd.

Highlights of the Durham round will be screened on ITV4 at 10pm tonight, and repeated tomorrow at 12.55pm.

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Stage 16 unfolded with unanticipated drama as the 2013 Giro d’Italia said good-bye to the Alps. 

An unexpectedly significant feature – the third category ascent of the Andrate, crested just 18km from the finish in Ivrea –  lit the touch paper on an explosive finish that drew another imperious display from the maglia rosa, Vincenzo Nibali.

The Shark showed his teeth once more on the Andrate’s descent, effortlessly bridging across to Samuel Sanchez and Carlos Betancur, forcing his GC rivals to push themselves to their limits on a nerve-shredding descent.

Stefano Sirotti, our photographer in cycling’s elite WorldTour, will also have had a day to remember. As one of the men with a lens on the back of the camera motorbikes, he will have experienced similar speeds to the riders as they plummeted from the Andrate.

Despite his precarious position, his hand and eye remained steady. Enjoy this superb gallery of his best images of the action from the Alps to Turin.

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The Spaniard has already worn the maglia rosa at this year’s Giro, and today proved wily enough to thwart his breakaway companions.

The trio chipped clear of the maglia rosa group after a white knuckle descent of the third category Andrate, whose summit was reached after 220km of a gruelling 238km stage.

Benat Intxausti throws his hands to the sky and shouts with delight after winning stage 16 of the 2013 Giro d’italia

King of the mountains leader, Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani Valvole), had been the relentless star of the stage, joining a break of 15 riders who went clear after about 55km on the ascent of Mont Cenis.

Some 165km later, with just 20km remaining, the blue jersey holder was still launching from the front of an escape group diminished, after various shifts of composition, to just Pirazzi and three others: Movistar’s José Herrada, stage 11 winner, Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp), and Fabio Duarte (Team Columbia).

Pirazzi’s efforts were almost brought to nought just a kilometre later, when Italian champion, Franco Pellizotti (Andrioni) jumped from an already closing bunch, inspiring Lampre-Merida leader, Michele Scarponi to follow, and the Astana squad of race leader, Vincenzo Nibali, to chase down Scarponi. The net result was the final termination of the breakaway, just a few hundred metres from the Andrate’s summit.

Carlos Betancur (Ag2r-La Mondiale) ended Pirazzi’s hopes of maximum KOM points by accelerating from the bunch as if it was going backwards, streaking past Pirazzi (though the Italian held on for second under the kite and five points) and beginning the treacherous descent alone.

His isolation didn’t last for long. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), the 2008 Olympic road race champion and a noted descender, soon hoved into Betancur’s snatched rearward view, prompting the Columbian, perhaps unnecessarily, to beckon the Spaniard forwards. Sanchez did not need a second invitation and swept past Betancur.

There followed one of many moments that will doubtless form the historical tapestry of the race, should Niabli win. With two fearsome descenders ahead, and each rider at his physical and mechanical limit on a road surface still drying in places, the maglia rosa somehow bridged across to the leading pair, seemingly for the sheer pleasure of doing so. Scarponi was the next to make it across the gap, and the quartet sped onwards.

The riders began the stage back on the snow covered slopes of Mont Cenis, retracing their steps from stage 15

Just four kilometres later, only nine kilometres from the finish, the maglia rosa and an elite group of pursuers, BMC Racing’s Cadel Evans among them, rejoined, and set about covering the flat ground to the finish in Ivrea.

Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini), winner of stage 14 and who had begun the day fourth overall, had lost contact on the descent, however, and was left with all the work to do in a chasing group dominated by Sky riders with little interest in helping him chase down a group containing their man, Rigoberto Uran.

The maglia rosa group was not an easy group to chase in any instance. A relentless series of attacks fired from its front as the best riders in this year’s race went full gas to the finish. First Scarponi, then Robert Gesink (Blanco Pro Cycling), then Pelizzotti attacked, while Niabli kept an untroubled watching brief.

Finally, four riders went clear with three kilometres to go: Kangert, Niemiec, Intxausti, and Gesink. The Dutchman was dropped with mechanical problems one kilometre later.

As the trio swept beneath the flamme rouge, a cat-and-mouse battle began, but with a Pellizotti-led bunch closing fast, Niemiec was first to blink, leading out the sprint, only for his two rivals to sweep past.

Intxausti took an easy victory over Kangert, but the 26-year-old Estonian champion has time on his side, and will doubtless receive other chances  of victory, such has been the strength of his riding in support of Niabli this Giro.

The maglia rosa and his contemporaries, led by Navardauskas, swept in 14 seconds later, prompting only minor changes in the top 10 GC.

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Giro d’Italia 2013 – stage 16 – result

1) Benat Intxausti (ESP) – Movistar – 5.52.48
2) Tanel Kangert (EST) – Astana – ST
3) Przemyslaw Niemiec (POL) – Lampre-Merida
4) Ramunas Navardausias (LTU) – Garmin-Sharp +14″
5) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing – ST
6) Franco Pellizotti (ITA) – Androni Giocattoli
7) Michele Scarponi (ITA) – Lampre-Merida
8) Rafal Majka (POL) – Saxo-Tinkoff
9) Jose Herada (ESP) – Movistar
10) Carlos Betacnur (COL) – Ag2r-La Mondiale

General classification

1) Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) – Astana – 67.55.36
2) Cadel Evans (AUS) – BMC Racing +1.26
3) Rigoberto Uran (COL) – Team Sky +2.46
4) Michele Scarponi (ITA) – Lampre-Merida +3.53
5) Przemyslaw Niemiec (POL) – Lampre-Merida +4.13
6) Mauro Santambrogio (ITA) – Vini Fantini +4.57
7) Carlos Betancur (COL) – Ag2r-La Mondiale +5.15
8) Rafal Majka (POL) – Saxo-Tinkoff +5.20
9) Benat Intxausti (ESP) – Movistar +5.47
10) Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale +7.34

Le Jardin de Yorkshire, an entry from the county’s tourism agency, Welcome To Yorkshire, picked up a Silver Gilt award today, and with impeccable timing: five-time Tour de France winner, Bernard Hinault, and race director, Christian Prudhomme, visited the show today to see the garden.

The garden was designed by Alisdair W Baldwin Associates, based in the Yorkshire town of Beadale, and features sheep, grassland, a dry stone wall, and a cottage – features synonymous with the countryside through which the riders will race from next year’s Grand Départ.

The Silver Gilt-winning Le Jardin de Yorkshire, Welcome To Yorkshire’s entry to the Chelsea Flower Show

Baldwin said: “Our intention in creating this garden was to represent Yorkshire and its famous Dales as well as to capture the excitement of the 2014 Grand Départ, so hopefully people will have a glimpse into the future of cycling in the county.’’

Stage one starts from the steps of Leeds Town Hall and passes through the villages of Harewood, Otley, Ilkley, Skipton, Kettlewell, Aysgarth, Hawes, Reeth, Leyburn and Ripon, skirting the the Yorkshire Dales National Park, before arriving for an expected sprint finish in Harrogate.

The entirety of stage two will take place in Yorkshire, with a parcours that takes in Knaresborough, Silsden, Keighley, Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Elland, Huddersfield and Holmfirth, and include the giant Pennine climb of Holme Moss.

Of the three stages to be held in the UK next year, only stage three, a 170km run from Cambridge to London, takes place beyond Yorkshire’s boundaries.

The centre piece of the county’s award winning entry at the Chelsea Flower Show are three likenesses of sheep, fashioned from wire by sculptor, Emma Stothard.

“‘I’m delighted to have been involved in creating this award-winning garden for Yorkshire,” she said.

“The Grand Départ will be a worldwide invitation for people to come and see this county, and I’m proud that my Swaledale Sheep and our Yorkshire gardens are part of the great image that will showcase what we have to offer.’’

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