Teams are real companies. They have technical sponsors with whom they collaborate to get the best results, but in some cases (very rare) they go directly into the field and produce what they need themselvesThis article was born by chance at the World Championships in Zurich, when a friend pointed out to us a food product package with Big Carbo written in large letters on it (at the beginning Nadia Zuccherelli prepares the supplies for the Giro dell'Emilia). We didn't have time to read what was written, but we recognized, even if well stylized, the hedgehogs of Laura MartinelliThe name is not unknown to you. Martinelli is the nutritionist of the Team Jayco-AlUla, often our guiding light when it comes to food-related issues. What was his image doing on that bag of supplements?
The best thing was to go to the source and talk to her and a glimpse of team life emerged that we had never known before. The union between research, the needs of athletes and, why not, the need to optimize resourcesThis is the story of how Team Jayco-AlUla began producing its own water-soluble supplements, thanks to the expertise of its nutritionist, the advice of the riders and a highly specialized laboratory.
Dear Laura, good morning. What's your image doing on a supplement package?
It was born a bit by chance, to be honest (she smiles, she is the portrait of modesty, ed.). There was a need within the team for which no solution could be found with products already on the market.. So, to summarize, we said to ourselves: why not do it ourselves? Runners have very specific needsSo we combined them with our knowledge. We asked for the collaboration of Dr. Carlo Guardascione, who is my supervisor, and Dr. Matteo Beltemacchi, the doctor primarily involved in the project. And in the end, we created a drink. Initially, it was almost a game, but In the end, it was so popular that it basically replaced all the team's carbohydrate drinks.In practice, with the same powder, by changing the dosage, we obtain the various water bottles. We call them by different names but they just have different concentrations: the dust is always the same.
Did everyone really like it?
Really a lot. Initially, partly to keep costs under control, we only made one flavor, and for two years no one complained. This year we introduced two new flavors, the two you saw in Zurich: lime and peach tea.There's no great story behind this product, there's an idea that came up and was then tested. And then there's the usual saint Brent Copeland (team manager of the team, ed.) who gives the approval. So, with every slightly strange idea I had, he trusts me. And this time too, he said, "Laura, if you feel like it, lead the project. Make this drink, let's do it." And so we did.
Did you create the powder in collaboration with an existing technical sponsor or with a third-party laboratory?
Physically, it is made by a Belgian laboratory. It's the same one that makes the products 6D Sport Nutrition, which is our supplierSince I needed a quality laboratory and we already knew them, I asked them who they trusted. And they... with great correctness they directed us to Medix Laboratoires from Oudenaarde, the same ones with which they produceI contacted them, found them very helpful, and we started. Then our marketing manager and sponsor, Paul Santen, took care of the label and packagingAt one point he asked who made the dust, I was behind, making myself small so I couldn't be seen. Instead, the graphics department made this proposal and as soon as Brent saw it, he approved it. In short, it was a spontaneous and choral creative project, which is working.
How do you make a powder that works for everyone? Do you start with something that already exists?
No, we started from a completely blank page. You need to have the right contacts. I am a nutritionist, I am not a chemist or a galenic pharmacistI have some basic knowledge of biochemistry, but I don't have the skills to develop a drink on my own. However, we found excellent support from the research and development department of this Belgian laboratory and we added the rest. It was complex, but it was such a pressing need that we had the full cooperation of the riders. When I arrived in the team there were significant gastrointestinal problems, to the point that some were unable to finish the racesIt was a problem that needed to be solved, and possibly quickly, but I would never have done it alone. Instead With the team and the support of the laboratory, we did everything and in adequate times too..
A different approach than the nutritionist who requests the intervention of the sponsoring company.
We did it ourselves. I put on a piece of paper what I wanted to be there and we had the not insignificant advantage of removing all the commercial frillsOften you read about ingredients whose actual dosage is negligible, but from a commercial point of view it is convenient to indicate it. We, however, have done so. a clean, simple product, with the four things we needed and in the end the simplest solution was the most functional oneRunners are a showcase; ultimately, it's the amateur who consumes certain products. He might drink 10 bottles a week, while our riders drink 10 a day. So, too. From a palatability standpoint, they need something a little more delicateBecause the same products swallowed repeatedly can be annoying.
Were there any particular riders you used as role models?
We did it like this. In the initial, embryonic phase of the formulation, I sent a questionnaire to all the riders, trying to understand what their needs and problems were. When the first samples arrived, we selected as diverse a group as possible. From the climber to the expert of the classics, from the Italian for example to the foreigner, because obviously they have different preferences. And so we moved on.
The operation has costs, but it probably allows the team to save money, right?
We spend a third, we save a lot. The people at 6D were very honest. We did it with maximum transparency., we have no ties with them, but they could have put a spoke in our wheelsInstead, they told us that if we were happy with our experience, it was right that we should move forward with our project. Keep in mind that we have many athletes, divided into several teams, so in the end it will be tens of thousands of euros saved.
With the taste of a custom-developed product…
The the masseurs gave their contributionSometimes they would scratch their hands when they reached into the tin cans with the measuring spoons. So we made a resealable plastic containerAnd ultimately, everyone who comes into contact with this product feels like they've done their part. And I find that very interesting.
