
Recovery is a key component in bike racing success and elite recovery specialists Hyperice and Normatec are right at the top of the game. Following Hyperice’s acquisition of the team’s long time recovery partner Normatec earlier this year, Rally Cycling is pleased to announce a continuation of the successful partnership with these industry-leading brands.
Hyperice develops products specially designed to enhance and improve an athlete’s recovery, including percussion, compression, vibration, thermal and ice-based recovery tools. Rally Cycling’s Performance Director Jonas Carney knows firsthand the value of proper recovery for athletes.
“The importance of recovery cannot be understated. With our athletes competing around the world while constantly traveling and transferring between hotels, ideal recovery is hard to achieve. With Hyperice as a partner, all 28 of our athletes have access to incredible products that will help them maximize their recovery between events.”
With virtual racing on the rise and more team members staying home to train, it’s been vital to maximize recovery during such intense training.
“Virtual racing has been a huge lifesaver for riders and teams during the pandemic,” said Shawn Beitelspacher, Hyperice’s VP of Endurance and Specialty Retail. “It’s pushing the pace in all areas and allowing athletes to go harder physically, so recovery has never been more important.”
The entire roster now has full access to Hyperice’s product lineup, including Normatec’s compression systems, which offer substantial gains in performance. Rally Cycling athlete and Olympic long-team member Krista Doebel-Hickok has been a firm believer since day one.
“No one has access to a daily massage therapist, especially not during the pandemic, but I can and do benefit greatly from my daily Normatec and Hyperice sessions.”
Recovery is especially important for Doebel-Hickok who just competed in the first-ever UCI Cycling eSports World Championships.
“I’ve always considered recovery sessions, whether they are with a therapist or in my home, to be essential. I think there is a lot of validity to the idea that many people who believe they are over-trained are really under-recovered. I recover harder to train harder.”
With virtual racing going full gas from the start, riders need to be able to push harder and recover faster than their opponents to be successful. With the pandemic reducing the road racing calendar in 2020, e-racing was a suitable substitute. Normatec devices have been a staple part of the riders’ recovery over the past few seasons, but with the high intensity of virtual racing, the team has been appreciative for their support.
“I’ve been using Normatec legs for so long that I can’t remember when I had my first session. I use it as a recovery flush—very similar to massage. I’m pretty sure I’ve not missed a day since they arrived.”
Doebel-Hickok continued, “I do 40 minutes on my legs and then 15 min on my hips. I also use Hyperice’s Venom on my back. After all that, I use the Hypervolt to finish working out any extra tight muscles. All that is part of my post-training recovery protocol. Once or twice daily, I also do a stretching routine which for over a decade has included foam rollers and trigger point balls. Now, instead of the basic ones, I use the Hypersphere and Vyper 2.0.”
Rally Cycling is grateful for the continued support of market-leading recovery brands Normatec and Hyperice, and with the full product line now available to the riders, the team is looking forward to maximizing their recovery and performance during the entire 2021 season.