{"id":554,"date":"2024-09-25T12:47:48","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T09:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enervit.ee\/?p=554"},"modified":"2024-09-25T12:50:07","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T09:50:07","slug":"554-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enervit.ee\/en\/554-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Double attack on the Grand Tours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Double attack on the Grand Tours:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Tadej Poga\u010dar’s Nutrition for the Giro and the Tour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Equipe Enervit meets Gorka Prieto-Bellver<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taking on both Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year is a formidable challenge. Few cyclists aim for top results in both. Let’s hear from Gorka Prieto-Bellver<\/strong>, the nutritionist for UAE Team Emirates<\/strong>, about how to maintain peak performance over eleven weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Giro d\u2019Italia and Tour de France last three weeks. From a nutritional standpoint, have you noticed any differences in energy expenditure between the two races?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can’t say one is necessarily more demanding than the other. Energy expenditure varies greatly depending on the route, weather, and competitors. For example, mountain stages<\/strong> require higher caloric intake than flat stages, but situations like breakaways can drastically change this. <\/em> We also consider the overall level of riders in the race<\/strong>: at the Tour, all teams field their top athletes, which can lead to a higher race pace regardless of the route. On the other hand, Giro d’Italia has often more adverse weather conditions<\/strong>, like this year\u2019s stage in Livigno, where energy expenditure increases due to thermoregulation<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
As you mentioned, the weather can vary between these two races. How does the menu change based on weather conditions?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGenerally, we face higher temperatures at the Tour. This can be problematic for riders who might have less appetite on certain days. To help them, we adjust the menu<\/strong> to ensure they get the right amounts of macronutrients. Not eating enough would be critical..<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can you give us some examples?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMain courses like pasta, rice, meat, and fish stay quite standard. However, desserts change to fresher options for the Tour. For this year\u2019s Tour, we developed new recipes like a mango mousse. For the Giro, we had a chocolate brownie, which is more suitable for colder weather\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you test these recipes during training?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbsolutely, we test everything during our training camps. The camp’s purpose is to fine-tune every detail for race days, especially for the grand tours. It’s during the December camp that we develop the menus for the competitive season. I discuss this with the chefs, who then creates dishes that meet my nutritional guidelines and are appealing to the team.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do you determine portion sizes for the various dishes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter each stage, I check each rider’s energy expenditure and send them the recommended portions of various dishes via an app on their smartphones. Nothing is left to chance<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking of Tadej, after dominating the Giro, he\u2019s also aiming for the Tour this year. How have you planned his nutrition for such a demanding schedule, concentrated in just eleven weeks? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom the start, we planned to bring Tadej to Florence <\/em>(this year\u2019s Tour start location) at his peak form. This doesn\u2019t mean we used the Giro as a ‘trial run’. On the contrary, the Giro was a primary objective. From a dietary standpoint, we approached it step by step<\/strong>: first aiming to win the Giro, then assessing Tadej’s condition to act accordingly<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How was Tadej’s condition at the end of the Giro?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis weight was the same as at the start. So, we are not ‘chasing’ any specific condition, except losing about one kilogram for the Tour. Everything is going as planned, which is to tackle the Tour at a slightly lower weight<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why does Tadej need to lose a kilogram?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe specified weight is optimal for a race that will be run in different climatic conditions compared to the Giro<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are the challenges of tackling two grand tours in such a short time?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say there are specific challenges. The most delicate factor might be the athlete\u2019s weight<\/strong>, which could drop too much, especially before the Tour.<\/em> That\u2019s why we decided to approach the Giro at a slightly higher weight. Additionally, we mustn\u2019t forget that in the five weeks between the two races, Tadej is training: this means facing eleven weeks of very high physical stress<\/strong>. And the season is far from over<\/em>…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding the five weeks between the Giro and the Tour, how did you manage the team?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUsually, after a grand tour, I allow the athletes some freedom. Of course, I don\u2019t want them to gain too much weight in the weeks post-race, but at the same time, I don\u2019t expect them to follow a strict protocol, weighing every gram they eat.<\/em> I give them relative freedom to manage themselves and follow their ‘sensations’ for at least two or three weeks. Of course, with Tadej, it couldn\u2019t be like this<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
What protocol did you follow with him?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI also gave him a break period, about a week, during which he also reduced his training. After the week of ‘relaxation’, we restarted at 100% towards the Grande Boucle<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aren\u2019t you afraid that a strict program over all these weeks could stress Poga\u010dar?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTadej is very focused and motivated.<\/em> So, I\u2019m not worried. In any case, after the recovery week, I spoke to him, asking if he felt ready to get back to full training. Of course, he said: ‘Yes!’.<\/em> A little anecdote: on the first rest day of the Giro, during the classic training ride coffee break, he ate an ice cream. When he returned, he immediately informed me<\/em> (smiles).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you tell us more about the diet he is following these days?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs mentioned, we are not chasing a specific condition, since his weight and skinfold measurements after Giro d’Italia were good. In these weeks, we are focusing on keeping his gut trained to handle many carbohydrates during training. In practice, we are doing the now well-known ‘training the gut<\/strong>‘ during the most intense and demanding training sessions<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many grams of carbohydrates are planned for the most intense workouts?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"UAE](\"https:\/\/enervit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-4.webp\" "\\"UAE")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Gorka](\"https:\/\/enervit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-3.webp\" "\\"Gorka")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Tadej](\"https:\/\/enervit.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image-2.webp\" "\\"Tadej")
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"