Para Cycling Support Profile

All information correct as of July 2012

Sport: Para Cycling
Performance Director: Gareth Sheppard
Athletes EIS work with: 23
Investment in EIS services since 2009: £1,012,330.91*
EIS services accessed: Physiology, Performance Lifestyle, Performance Analysis, Strength & Conditioning, Soft tissue therapy
Hours of support received: 1,712

* Investment figure includes investment in Olympic support as well as Paralympic
 

The EIS team behind Para Cycling

The majority of supported provided by the EIS to British Cycling takes place out of the EIS High Performance Centre at SportCity in Manchester, a stones throw from the National Cycling Centre,  the home of British Cycling.

The EIS works seamlessly with the British Cycling employed scientists and medical support staff to provide additional support across a number of disciplines.

EIS Performance Lifestyle advisor for British Cycling working with both the Olympic and Paralympic squads, Jo Harrison says “in order to fulfil the no compromise approach in British Cycling we have to also look beyond the numbers in supporting the individual athlete, the person behind the performance – that is where Performance Lifestyle comes in. I’m concerned with supporting the individual rider in their “off the bike” life in areas such as personal development, planning and organising, managing finances and maintaining important relationships.

“Performance Lifestyle is also concerned with helping athletes to create a future pathway for themselves so that they can continue in their sport for as long as possible, safe in the knowledge that there are options and opportunities waiting for them, when they are ready.

This year in particular, has been about identifying and removing (or managing) potential lifestyle distractions such as media and commercial demands, the appropriate set up of working relationships with agents and providing support around the management of their own friends and family.”

EIS Strength & Conditioning coach Martin Evans also works with the British Cycling Para-Cycling squad.  His main role is to improve the rider’s ability to produce power on the bike. Through careful planning alongside the coach, the strength training portion of the rider’s training plan aims to improve the ability to increase force generated by the muscles involved in cycling. In addition Martin works closely with the physiotherapist and the medical team to try and manage the injury risk of the riders.

EIS physiologist, Len Parker Simpson also works with Para-Cycling and has helped inform its altitude training programme and also developed a pacing strategy for the time trial riders to help them get to the line in the quickest possible time, based on their individual physiological make-up and capacity.