The Victoria creates the ultimate break-faster for cyclists
Those inspired by Bradley Wiggin's triumphs in sporting history last month, may want to pop down to The Victoria in London, where they'll find the Bradley Yoggins, a highly nutritious breakfast designed for serious cycling enthusiasts eager to maximize the intensity and duration of their training! The breakfast has been created by the Victoria's head chef, Paul Merrett and celebrity sports nutritionist Martin MacDonald.
The Victoria, is an award winning gastropub and hotel located right on the edge of Richmond Park - one of the Royal Park locations to host the Olympic and Paralympics Cycling Road Race. Cyclists flock to the Park in their droves to train daily, including Paul himself who has been warming up for a London - Paris bike ride, in aid of the charity Freedom from Torture.
Paul said, "I have been training for the Charity ride for the past two months but have often felt low in energy. After discussing this with Martin, I became aware that what I have been consuming before and after training could have a very significant effect on my performance. I have learnt that I am limited not only by my fitness but also by my energy stores."
Paul went on to develop the perfect breakfast for cyclists which is available daily at The Victoria just in time for Better Breakfast Week which starts on the 24th September. The Bradley Yoggins, which is priced at £4, consists of a Creamy coconut Greek yoghurt with a quinoa crunch, fresh raspberries and roasted beetroot.
Quinoa - Good source of carbohydrate, an ingredient with a low glycemic index.
Creamed Coconut - Good source of fat, providing a more sustained energy release.
Total Greek Yoghurt - Contains a high level of protein, excellent for muscle recovery.
Baobab and raspberries - Contain antioxidants and minerals, to reduce soreness and muscle damage.
Beetroot - Contains nitrates, shown to significantly improve cycling performance.
Commenting on the breakfast dish, Martin said, "Eating a breakfast like this is important when training intensity and duration are going to be high. Paul's dish will supply immediate energy for the beginning of the session but also longer lasting energy sources for the rest of the journey."
Along with a team of chefs from the Victoria, Paul is due to cycle London to Paris on 5th September. The team have raised over £6000 for charity through local fundraising activities.
Martin went on to say, "The amount of calories Paul and his team will need to consume daily depends on the amount of training they do, and also their phase of training. However, on a hard training day I recommend that in the region of 4000kcals are consumed. Bradley Wiggin's training regime would command a diet of approximately 9000 calories/day."
If people would like to support Paul by donating to his charity Freedom from Torture, they can donate through Paul's Just Giving page: justgiving.com/thevictoria. This will make an incredible difference to the lives of torture survivors. Every contribution represents an act of compassion, as well as a statement of defiance against the perpetrators of torture.
