NANTUA (FRANCE) – The Tour de France is about to experience the last stage after three tiring and fast weeksWe had the feeling that the Boucle was exhausting, an impression reinforced when you look deep into the riders' eyes. They were tired, indeed, extremely tired. We wondered how they had experienced this immense challenge. two riders at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of physicality and aptitude: Tadej pogacar (the strongest of all) and Jonathan Milan (the fastest)Both did so well that they were in contention for the green jersey until the very end.
Tadej Pogacar is 26 years old, runs at UAE Team Emirates, is 1,76 tall and weighs 66 kilos. Jonathan Milan he is 24 years old, he runs to Lidl Trek, he is 1,96 tall and weighs 87 kilos. There couldn't be two more different riders and so, Speaking with their nutritionists, we tried to understand how different their nutritional approach to running was.Discovering that, net of centimeters and kilos, the differences aren't that huge. And that's strange.
How much does Pogacar consume?
Gorka Prieto is the nutritionist of the UAE Emirates And he says that you can learn a lot from someone like Pogacar. And in the early days of their collaboration, the Slovenian didn't follow his advice to the letter, but now he's very careful.
«Calorie consumption – he says – obviously depends on the stage and the role of the rider. In the Hautacam stage, Tadej won, but maybe Nils Politt he also consumed more carbohydrates than him. He pushed for a long time and perhaps suffered a greater drop, given that he struggled more than the others. However, the strongest rider doesn't necessarily consume the least: Tadej also needs plenty of carbohydrates. At that stage he went with 120-130 grams every hourWe had put a higher amount of it at breakfast and the same thing during recovery. You immediately look at the files, you fix dinner and you look at the food strategy for the next dayThey must not be looked at only carbohydrates, actually, even if we always talk about those. You also need to have the right calorie plan, with proteins and everything else."
How much does Milan consume?
Marco Sassi is the Lidl-Trek nutritionistTo express its enormous power, Milan must reach the final stages still having reserves and without having spent everything to carry its weight.
«It is always complicated to manage a Grand Tour – explains Marco Sassi, nutritionist at Lidl-Trek – because there's no time to do big carb loadsEach stage requires a variable consumption of muscle glycogen, so carbohydrates must always be kept high. Given Jonathan's build, which requires very high expenditures, Both cycling nutrition and reaching the calorie target for the rest of the day become fundamentalAnother fundamental aspect is gastrointestinal regularity, because the stomach and intestines are put under great pressure during the three weeks of the race. For this reason careful management of fibers is necessary. Foods are given that can promote recovery, but also gastrointestinal health."
Pogacar's metabolism
«Many tests are done – continues Gorka – to understand the metabolism of each athlete, based on which we can understand how much he will consume while runningWe weighed Pogacar the morning before the stage and after arriving to assess his dehydration. We know how much weight we lose and what it is made ofYou calculate the ratio of carbohydrates to fluids, look at the rest you may have lost, and work to make up the difference. Recovery begins after arrival. Before the Magic Cherry with black cherry, Then eat recovery and for dinner we have different meals prepared by our chefs. It's all weighed, there's not even a gram moreEveryone has their own, top-level cycling is like this now. The next check obviously isn't done after dinner, but the next morning, before setting off again. So it's okay if Tadej still has some liquid to drink when he wakes up: he will do it at breakfast and the recovery will be complete."
Milan's metabolism
«Due to his metabolism – says Marco Sassi – Jonathan tends to dry out a lot, but Since carbohydrates are currently limited, build up a significant calorie deficit at the end of each stage.Achieving energy balance isn't always easy, and it's the most delicate aspect. You have to avoid the rider arriving with a sore neck after two weeks, so you need to constantly monitor the situation. Fortunately, we can accurately calculate energy expenditure based on the powermeter reading. This way, we can make a fairly accurate estimate of calorie expenditure. And then, at the end of each stage, we can evaluate and compare our estimated calorie expenditure with the actual calorie expenditure. Thus, if necessary, we can reevaluate the next steps. Among the factors to take into account in his case, there is also the mental one, because the pressures have an impact. Then, fortunately, the stage victory came, which made all the spending worthwhile."
Pogacar, water bottles and slushes
«There are always two water bottles at the start – explains Gorka – there are carbohydrates, but also electrolytes that Enervit makes for usOn hot days, you look at the weather, the temperature, the wind, and the humidity, and then decide where to put your water bottles. If it's very hot, sometimes we just give them water so they can throw it on themselves, to lower body temperature. When it's hot, it's also important to pay attention to thermoregulation. But if it comes to drinking, then just water is not enough.The composition of the water bottle is decided each day based on the type of route. If there is a flat stage, 30 grams of carbohydrates in the first bottle and electrolytes in the other are sufficient. If the stage is more challenging, we also resort to granitas, which are like ice lollies with carbohydrates inside.Sometimes Tadej finds himself without a water bottle on the climb. If he sees he's eaten everything and the water bottle weighs half a kilo, maybe he chooses to carry a lighter one. Because he knows that at the top they'll give him a water bottle and a gel too.
Milan, rice cakes and water bottles
«By now practically only technical foods are used – confirms Sassi – whether they are liquid or solid. Enervit offers us a rather wide range that allows us to meet everyone's tastes, without boring the rider too muchMaybe you use the classic rice cakes, but mainly before the race, as a last snack. When you go to the start, Milan has two water bottles and it's up to him to choose whether to have 30 or 60 grams of carbohydratesAlong the route, we always offer the choice between water and a bottle containing at least 30 grams of carbohydrates. This varies, depending on the temperature and sweating. If the stage is particularly hot, you will drink more, so you should take more water bottles or at least ones with less carbohydrate concentration. Also because gels must also be considered when counting carbohydrates.
Uphill finish: no food at the finish
«When there are multiple climbs – says Gorka Prieto – we always have two staff members at the beginning and two at the end. We have several energy products, which we mark with a single X or with two Xs.Vary the amount of carbohydrates in each bottle, so on challenging stages we use bottles with more carbohydrates. Tadej has a very clear target of what he should eat for each hourIt may be that he does a little more or a little less, but he rarely makes mistakes. He knows he has to eat before the climb begins, So that when he attacks or has to respond to attacks, he'll already have what he needs inside. You never see a rider who sprints and then takes a gel. So even if the last climb lasts 40 minutes and he has to attack, the amount remains the same at 120-130 grams per hour».
The sprint starts two days before
«If there's a sprint – explains Sassi – we think about it starting a couple of days before. The meal immediately before the race must be very digestible, so that it leaves the stomach in good time and does not cause problems of heaviness, given that the intermediate sprint often had to be completed very close to the start. During the race you try to keep the levels as high as possible, without risking gastrointestinal problems.. If anything, to get an additional boost, it may happen that you give a gel with caffeine, or of bicarbonate or other pre-race swabs. As you get closer to the finish line, liquid foods are preferred. Le Fingers, although very digestible, are reserved for the first part of the raceIn the final stages, although it's common to see them taking a gel in the last 20 minutes of the race, what prevails is the suggestion that they have taken other carbohydrates. There may be a psychological advantage: we know that in addition to the effect on glucose levels, Having carbohydrates in your mouth causes the appropriate receptors to send a signal to the brain which receives the incoming energy, even if it is not yet fully in circulation".
Carbs are the same for everyone
We entrust the closing to Marco Sassi, for the love of the flag and to draw the conclusions of a comparison that could not be more unreasonable and which instead highlighted that You can be a climber or a true giant, and yet your carbohydrate intake is the same.
"Jonathan is a bomb," he smiles. "He has a huge engine. He also has the mass of an athlete, not at the minimum like a climber, but still that of a cyclist, It consumes a lot of calories and in some stages we easily exceed 7.000 calories.It becomes quite a challenge to cover all these calories, which is why you can't expect to do it all in one day, but you have to start early. Should he eat more carbs while running, given that he consumes as many as Pogacar and is twice his size? There is not much evidence that carbohydrate intake depends on weight.We know that a certain amount can be reached at the intestinal level. The beauty is in pushing this limit even further, but there is no direct proportionality. It is probably true that a larger body size can absorb a little more, but genetics plays the biggest part and how much the subject has trained for this type of intake."
