In the middle of the journey #7

WHAT DO CYCLISTS EAT DURING A TDF STAGE?

Each team has its own diet, dictated by their nutritionists and doctors, and also based on the needs of each rider. The most famous case in this sense is that of my teammate Rigoberto Uran, who likes to eat a banana or two during the stage. In any case, the nutrition varies greatly from rider to rider.

Within the EF Pro Cycling team, as soon as the bus arrives in the starting village and turns off the engine, the masseur takes out the various Rice Cakes, which are usually 2 or 3 types, out of the refrigerator. Then there is a small bag with small sandwiches, made with milk and cut in half, which can be eaten with ham or jam. Finally a piece of cake, which we eat during the stage. The cakes vary every day, so that we don't always get used to the usual tastes: apple pie, tart, banana bread, walnut pie. Then we have a vast assortment of bars, more or less caloric and rich in carbohydrates in addition to all the various gels. We have 6 to 7 types of gels, more or less concentrated at the sugar level, some with caffeine, others - perhaps with long-chain carbohydrates - therefore dedicated to the initial phases and similar to maltodextrins.

The supply bag:
Finally in the supply bag that we take during the stage we find a banana, coca, rice cakes, bars, gels, and when it's cold, even small chocolates, Mars or small Twix.