Il Giro d'Italia U23 Today was a rest day. The caravan moved from Chiavenna, where yesterday's finish line was located, to Cuneo. The "Provincia Granda" will host the Giro d'Italia finale.
And as for the pros, This is a special day, even for those under 23. A day that must be managed with care, especially with regards to nutrition and exercise.
Astana has decided to complete the transfer to Cuneo by bike. Colpack-Ballan, like Astana, arrived at the new hotel by bike. This choice optimizes time. Hopplà-Petroli Firenze has bet everything on a quieter afternoon
Astana has decided to complete the transfer to Cuneo by bike. Colpack-Ballan, like Astana, arrived at the new hotel by bike. This choice optimizes time. Hopplà-Petroli Firenze has bet everything on a quieter afternoon
Two options
There were essentially two options. The first: depart from Lombardy, do the bulk of the transfer by car, and finish the trip by bike. This way, we could train in the late morning or around lunchtime, and then have a snack on the way back. The second: do the entire transfer by car, have lunch at the new hotel, and head out in the afternoon.
Colpack-Ballan and Astana, for example, have opted for the first option. While the Cycling Team Friuli he chose the second one. The Hopplà-Petroli Florence Instead, she chose a hybrid (closer to her first choice). She woke up early. She immediately tackled the transfer, and her boys rode directly to the Cuneo area just before lunch.
And precisely with the sporting director of the Friulian team, Andrea Fusaz, who is also a trainer, let's analyze the management of the rest day.
So far the boys have been racing flat out. They've never held back. In the Santa Caterina Valfurva stage they've spent a lot and also Yesterday they took 2 hours and 14 minutes to cover 101 kilometers, three-quarters of which against the wind. A crazy energy expenditure. Rest is more than deserved.
Andrea, we were talking about two different choices: those who went out at lunchtime or in the late morning ate more at breakfast. While those who went out after lunch ate less.
Two different choices but the same goal: reducing calorie intake and especially carbohydrates. Eating too many carbohydrates without burning them off actually means consuming too much glycogen, which binds to water. Ultimately, this results in kids feeling bloated and heavy. They need to "expel" the water before they can feel fully functional again. And this isn't easy to manage because kids are hungry. They'd eat anything: their minds and bodies demand it.
However, the first choice, that of going out on horseback a little before lunchtime, maintains the routine of the previous and following days when there is a stage…
Yes, but the primary goal, as mentioned, is to keep them from getting bogged down tomorrow. This is actually what happened some time ago, even among the pros. Some riders fared better on the rest day, while others needed a stage where they struggled to recover.
Why did you choose to let your kids go out in the afternoon?
We we preferred the idea of letting them sleep a little more. We woke up at 8:30, had breakfast, and then we were off. The transfer was four hours. We arrived around 1:00 PM and they ate right away. They didn't wait the usual two or two and a half hours before leaving, but there wasn't even that much need for that, because it was a relaxed workout. Plus, we'd managed our food intake, including breakfast.
What did they have for breakfast?
Compared to those who left before lunch, my boys they have severely reduced their carbohydrate intake. Less bread, fewer biscuits, fewer cereals. While they've increased the amount of eggs and ham—basically, protein. We haven't changed coffee and milk. There's no need to go that far. It's already a nice change.
And what about lunch? The others on this day off ate a quick, very small meal to get through dinner. How about you?
A classic lunch, but with reduced carbohydrate doses. A 120-130 gram plate of pasta, instead of the standard 200-250 grams. A little ham and mozzarella but no bread.
In training, the others did two hours. How long did you do after lunch?
An hour and a half. An hour and 40 minutes, to be precise. A leisurely outing, averaging about 30 minutes, maybe less. Some wanted to rev up a bit, others not even that.
But, Andrea, doesn't going out in the afternoon reduce recovery time?
A fair point, but logistics also have to be taken into account. However, it's also true that they went very smoothly and had rested a bit more in the morning. Plus, there was time for massages.
We said at the beginning that it's been a Giro run at full speed so far. How much energy did you spend?
Very high. Especially in the Santa Caterina Valfurva stage. Only in that one like De Cassan, who weighs about 60 kilos, burned 4.700 calories. Miholjevic, which is over 70 kilos, has reached 5.500.
And do they recover, between the race, basal metabolism and normal life?
Not in the race, but overall, yes... they're certainly very "tight." Being ready for a Giro d'Italia stage race also means this: being able to recover, even nutritionally. Having a body capable of absorbing carbohydrates. The problem, if anything, is not overdoing it. The more you manage to adopt a certain dietary approach, the more you'll be able to absorb carbohydrates without overloading them. Kids want a slice of cake, when perhaps they need pasta, which causes less of a glycemic spike.
Obvious question at this point, but do the under 23s have the same protocol as the pros immediately after the match?
Yes. We try to make the most of that 10-15 minute window after the effort within which they absorb the sugars better: in practice blood sugar levels do not rise because the glucose goes directly to the muscles. For this reason, they immediately drink a very sugary drink like Coca-Cola or, better yet, a Fanta, which contains more sugar. Then, after 30-40 minutes, they move on to the rice portion and then to shakes containing salts, amino acids, and proteins.
