120km of riding, music and big Scottish landscapes await at Royal Deeside. It goes without saying that it’s something you want to make the most of, and something you want to do justice. Alongside the testing distance itself, throw in the hilly climbs and gravel-laden trails and the challenge becomes clear. Getting it right starts (and ends) with how well you fuel. We’ve asked our partners, Veloforte, to give you a breakdown of how you can prep for the road ahead.

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Who are Veloforte?

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Veloforte are on a mission to make nutrition right. They create nature-led fuel, feeding human performance without artificial shortcuts, to show that health and performance never have to be a trade-off. Veloforte builds everything around four pillars: Perform, Nourish, Recover and Restore. 

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Perform fuels the effort itself with gels, chews, bars and hydration. 

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Nourish looks after the everyday with oats, snacks and daily protein. 

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Recover replaces what's been spent so the body bounces back. 

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Restore works underneath it all, with the magnesium, collagen and functional nutrition that keep the foundations strong. 

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Each pillar does its own job, but they're built to work as one connected system, because real progress means fuelling, eating, recovering and restoring well, not pushing one while neglecting the rest. Performance today, longevity tomorrow.

Veloforte’s Fuelling Plan

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Pre-Ride: Filling the tank You want your energy systems raring to go at the start line. A meal rich in steady-release carbs 1–3 hours before setting off preps everything nicely. Aiming for 1–2g carbs per kg bodyweight in that meal, Protein Overnight Oats are the recipe for energy.

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Mid-Ride: Topping up

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With 120km taking, on average, 4–6 hours, your intra-ride carbs are going to be key. Those pre-ride Overnight Oats (or carbs of choice) should set you up for steady pace, but we recommend 60–90g carbs per hour to maintain it. Veloforte Natural Energy Bars, Energy Gels and Energy Chews for cycling are made with up to 36g,  30g and 44g carbs respectively, specifically crafted to help you get up to those figures and over the finish line. Getting two of the three in per hour will keep you on your way, while rotating between all three will help avoid flavour fatigue.

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A key tip: If you get chance, trial different methods and amounts of intra-ride gels and chews to find what works for you and your body. The last place you want it to go wrong is the big day itself.

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Post-Ride: Rebuilding for next time Rides like this — as fun as they are — ask a lot of your body. The refuelling is every bit as important as the prefuelling to ensure you’re back to your best, or even better, in no time. When most people think of post-exercise recovery, they tend to think of protein and muscle repair, overlooking your depleted energy systems. After endurance efforts, replenishing glycogen stores with carbs does just as much to get you back to 100% as protein. Veloforte’s Nova Recovery Powder is crafted with an optimal 3:1 recovery ratio of 13g protein and 40g carbs to get all systems firing again.

Beat the Dehydration Dilemma

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One last thing to consider (yes, even in a British summertime) is dehydration. Did you know a 5% drop in hydration can cause a 30% drop in performance? Beating it is about more than just replacing water lost to sweat, but the electrolytes and minerals that go with it. That’s why Veloforte’s Natural Electrolytes are loaded with salts and natural sugars, from real fruit, that are easy for your body to absorb and use.

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When it all comes down to it, it’s what’s inside that counts. The endurance you’ve built, the resilience you hold and the nutrition that gives you the final push.

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