Okay, Tadej pogacar It's a phenomenon, but if it's so strong, it's also thanks to the attention to detail that the Slovenian and his team put into it. Top-notch bikes, top-notch integration, top-notch accessories. And then the domestiques, the staff... everything works flawlessly. And in this context, nutrition couldn't be left out, a crucial element these days.
Michele Romano he is the cook of the UAE Emirates. He's the one who prepares meals for Tadej and his teammates during races and even during training camps. And they're never ordinary dishes: quality and functionality are always taken to the maximum. In this Tour of Italy so his hand is also triumphant.
Your work, Michele, is much more complex than you might expect. This winter you talked to us about "fine-tuning" and balancing recipes. Tell us more...
During the Spanish retreat We balanced the recipes that the kids then ate and continue to eat throughout the rest of the year. Let's start with the first courses (essentially rice and pasta, ed.) and test the recipes and the quantities of seasonings. By balance, I mean the amounts of fat and other macronutrients for each finished dish.
Do you do this together with the nutritionist?
Exactly, together. We study the precise weights of what we are going to use during the season. And this is important for practical purposes because it saves time when you're competing, you know exactly what you're going to prepare, and therefore you can meet specific needs at the time, and above all it can be replicated by other chefs, even if I'm not there.
And this work also came in handy at the Giro…
Clear. We selected the recipes for the various stages and proceeded accordingly. Whether it's a flat, rolling, or mountainous stage, we have specific recipes.
Do the recipes change based on the weather?
Of course. For example, if the temperatures are low, we make soups, cream soups, or pureed vegetables to help keep them warm.
Is the menu only for the evening?
No, it's for breakfast, for lunch which would then be the post-stage recovery, and for dinner. For breakfast, what varies for me is essentially the bread. And we've studied different types. For example, if there's a flat stage, we use sweet bread made with raisins. For a medium-mountain stage, we make turmeric or olive bread.
Why turmeric or olives?
Because they're anti-inflammatory and easily digestible. While we use a more classic white bread for mountain stages, we always add fiber to these recipes by using organic stone-ground flours, so we're talking about... type 1 or 2 flour.
Let's assume you're the one doing the shopping, given the unique nature of the recipes. Is that right?
Exactly, I'll do it. A week before our arrival, I send an email to all the hotels where we will be staying, requesting specific products based on the nutritionist's recommendations. But before the start, we have our own supply, provided by our sponsors among others, of dry goods such as pasta, but also oil and various preserves. These products are stored in the warehouse. We go there and stock up before the big start.
Michele, when you talk about requests to hotels, do you also indicate the brand of the product you want to find?
Yes, yes… first because it must be of extreme quality and then because having done our balancing we are certain that that brand has certain characteristics. I then supervise that product and if it is not what I requested or does not satisfy me, I do not use it.
What were Pogacar's three most popular dishes during this Giro d'Italia?
Tadej is a gourmet and eats just about everything. He's especially fond of quality white fish, like sea bass and bronzini. But above all, He loves pasta more than anything. In three weeks, he ate it 15 different ways. Of course, they were all balanced recipes. We try to combine the needs of nutritionists with the tastes of athletes.
What was your favorite pasta of this Giro?
Spaghetti with cream of pumpkin, red pepper, and leek. While for short pasta dishes, he mainly focused on mezze maniche with roasted tomato sauce.
What was Pogacar's mistake in the Giro?
That evening in Bassano he wanted a Nutella crumble. Incidentally, he gave me the recipe for this dessert. Then, as always, the nutritionist and I balanced it for him. It was his ultimate reward, and the nutritionist approved this rather high-calorie dessert.
