The Inside Scoop – How we fuel for the Classics

The hustle and bustle of excitable fans vying for the best spot to catch a glimpse of their heroes and heroines, the clatter of bikes smashing over the cobbles, plus the outcry and roar from the crowds that cover every metre of Flemish roadside and farm-tracks, undeterred by their muddy boots and rain-soaked jeans – there is something truly magical and special about the classics.

Riders battle the toughest of conditions often faced with howling winds, heavy rain and bone-shakingly cold temperatures; that sounds a lot before we even talk about the parcours. Twisting and narrow roads make for a stressful day out, and combined with the long distances, challenging cobbles and steep climbs; it is an incredible test of endurance, skill and valour.

It’s no surprise then that it takes a lot of planning to make sure that the race goes as smoothly as possible, both in terms of logistical on-race planning but also behind the scenes at our HQ with our team of experts, ensuring that the riders are as fuelled as well as they can be for those epic days in the saddle. Ahead of the recent Omloop Het Nieuwsblad we sat down with Team DSM Nutrition Expert Zoë Overzee and Team DSM coach Phil West to get all of the details.

T-minus 1 day to action

Of course, the riders don’t just turn up on race-day, get on their bike and that’s that, depending on the race we all rendezvous one or two days before and that’s no different for Omloop. Together with the other race coach, Pim Ligthart, Phil plans all of the logistics for the day – who arrives when, when they head out for a ride, what time massage is and so on; all with some input from our experts.

With the rigours and demands of any bike race, it’s important that the riders fuel up well the day before as Zoë explains.

“When looking at the day before the race, the meals are highly carbohydrate-based. The focus is on wholegrain and wholewheat sources such as pasta, rice and bread, so that the riders can maximise their liver and muscle glycogen stores and start the race optimally fuelled.”

Alongside the grains, the riders also get their carbohydrates from legumes, vegetables and fruit – which also provide them with important minerals and vitamins. It’s not just the classic “carb-loading” rhetoric that is hailed by many amateurs though, we also focus on ensuring that the riders get enough proteins to support their muscle recovery.

“Protein is not used as a source of fuel for cycling. However, it ensures that riders can recover properly from each race, so it is important to get an adequate amount of protein in every meal to get a constant delivery of amino acids – which are the building blocks of protein.”

This is achieved through carefully curated menus made from as many whole foods as possible which focus on the above factors but for the day before a race, the team also tries to focus on foods that are easier to digest so minimising saturated fats such as butter and fatty meats, and instead focus on unsaturated fat sources such as olive oils and fish. All of the dishes on the menu are then brought to life by the Team Cook.

Following the rider meeting, the team will sit down for their dinner and with the last crumbs and bites finished off the riders will head to bed, ready to take on the next day.

In the meantime, Phil and Pim will have coordinated and liaised with the staff group throughout the day and then at staff meeting; making sure that everyone knows the logistical plan for the following day – and giving an opportunity for people to bring up any points that need focus so that everyone can discuss them.

It’s race day, yo!

Depending on the race, it might be an early alarm for the staff – with the soigneurs first port of call to be filling our bidons with Sanas Isomix or Sanas Isomix PeptoPro. Once that’s done, they’ll be loaded into cool boxes and divided between the coach support car but also all of the soigneur cars which will be hopping the sectors later in the day.

Riders will head down for breakfast and for a race like Omloop, they will eat a large portion of oatmeal – with some riders even consuming 150 grams of oats in the morning, combined with some fruit and honey. Our cooks will also prepare homemade whole wheat bread which provides the right nutritional values for riders.

“Our main goal of breakfast is for the riders to get some energy in, top up their glycogen stores and to be fully fuelled for the start of the race.”

Ahead of the start, the riders will also have some pre-race food and snacks, such as a banana, with one item in particular a special highlight point for Zoë.

“Alongside our partners Sanas and DSM, we have developed a Canola Pro protein bar, which provides high-quality vegan protein and carbohydrates to start the race with. The carbohydrates are then fuel for the action, while protein is for muscle remodelling and amino acid delivery during the race – plus it fills the riders’ stomachs for further nutrition sources.”

3, 2, 1, GO!

As the crowds shot and cheer, with the announcer booming over the speaker system, it’s race time and the next part of the process begins!

Our soigneurs will have already left the start area at this point and headed off to their first point, remaining in contact with Phil throughout the day about their progress.

“With how hectic the classics are it’s a challenge for feeding and bottle points. We have a lot of experienced soigneurs who know the roads well who can then hop between points smoothly and know some local shortcuts.

“All the staff will have their bottles or feed bags with them, but also spare wheels so that we’re covered for any eventuality. Throughout the day we have a maximum of 15 points so that the riders have an opportunity to get a bottle regularly because it’s not so easy to come back to the car all the time – especially if the race is on early and we have groups all over the road.”

At over 200 kilometres long and made up of several cobbled sections and climbs Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is a challenging race of attrition, with the riders often spending roughly five hours in the saddle. That means the regular options to take bottles and feed from the soigneurs is important, but so is what the riders take during certain moments too!

“Road cycling is a demanding sport, therefore the carbohydrate intake is crucial to performance at a high level. We focus on a combination of Sanas Isomix, Isomix PeptoPro and bars (Sanas Endurance bars and Sanas Fruit bars) during the race. Bars are important for gut health and support digestive function. So together with Isomix, which is essential for hydration, bars are at the basis of our in-race intake and fuelling strategy. The Sanas bars are made from natural ingredients, so contain as little as possible additives, which is great as we always want to eat as purely as possible.”

“The two types of drinks, the Isomix and Isomix PeptoPro give energy and hydration to our riders. Riders consume about one bottle per hour in normal weather conditions, and two or more bottles in warm conditions. The Isomix PeptoPro has the addition of the PeptoPro protein from DSM, those added amino acids (protein building blocks) are important to help support the muscles during the race.  Additionally, riders can also take a Sanas gel to meet their energy needs. Gels are ideal during hectic situations as they are quick to eat and consume. Finally, for when we need an extra energy boost or to fight moments of fatigue then we have Sanas Guaranol caffeine shots.”

Maintaining an overview

With the chaos of racing, things can often be spread over a range of several kilometres meaning that it is important for everyone to be in contact with each other. It’s therefore important for Phil to keep that overview of both where the riders are but also where our soigneurs are too. The soigneurs will feed back some vital information from the roadside of the parcours such as current weather conditions or time gaps between the various groups. Likewise, they will also let Phil know how many bottles or feedbags were handed out so that he knows everyone is eating and drinking enough; if not in the quieter moments he will arrange for riders to come back to the car to feed – if possible.

“For us it’s important that we’re always in contact with the staff so we can feed back to the riders what is going on. It means that if they miss a feed point then they don’t stress, as we can tell them exactly when the next one is coming up. It’s better to have too many bottle points than not enough. That’s the key part of having a good plan.”

5 hours later…

No matter how the race panned out in the end, optimal recovery for the riders starts straight off the bike. Firstly they will get a Sanas Carbomix recovery shake which has a combination of carbohydrates (60 grams) and whey protein (20 grams). The quick release of carbohydrate (high GI) enables the immediately recovery of energy stores in the form of glycogen and ensures that muscle recovery is supported by the addition of protein This is essential to reducing fatigue and muscle soreness in the following days for the riders.

“Nutrition to support recovery does not stop after the recovery shake; recovery is very important for several hours after the finish. We aim to spread carbohydrate intake over the hours after the finish.”

This means that a post-race meal is prepared for the riders which once again is composed of healthy whole grains, proteins, essential vitamins from vegetables and healthy fats – all of which promote recovery due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties.

With the riders well and truly fuelled, they’re on their way to recovery – ready to do it all again in the next race: which during this classics period, comes around pretty often!

We hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned some useful information from it.