What do the best cyclists need to be able to perform at their maximum in the Tour de France?

5000 water bottles, 100 cans of energy drink, 3000 energy bars/chews and 3000 energy gels. During the current Tour de France, this is the amount that Team Visma | Lease a Bike cyclists need to have the necessary energy for the 21 stages. A detailed plan is drawn up for each stage to ensure that all the required energy is available in the right amount and at the right time.

Energy - carbohydrates

The riders have two important goals for each stage: one for carbohydrate intake per hour and one for fluid intake per hour. Depending on the duration and intensity of each stage, a plan is drawn up for the required carbohydrate intake during the ride. Simplicity and ease of execution is one of the main principles here. Because in hectic stages, where decisions constantly have to be made in the "heat of the moment", the riders must be able to get their energy without thinking.

Regardless of the stage, riders are trained to consume three products per hour. On relatively calm days, the Amacx Energy Line is used, which allows riders to consume 3x 30 grams of carbohydrates, for a total of 90 grams per hour. The 2:1 ratio between glucose and fructose ensures optimal absorption of up to 90 grams per hour. Since all bars, chews, gels and drinks in the Amacx Energy Line are perfectly matched, riders have the flexibility to choose a combination of gels, chews, bars and/or drinks according to their preferences.

On the toughest days of the Tour de France, such as the high mountain stages, the carbohydrate target for most riders is increased to around 120 grams (or even more in some situations) per hour. In order to be able to consume these very large amounts effectively, the team switches to the Turbo Line on these days. This line contains a glucose to fructose ratio of 1:0.8, which allows the intake of 120 g of carbohydrates per hour. In practical terms, nothing changes for the riders - they still aim for 3 products per hour. However, 3x 40 grams of carbohydrates now provide the required 120 grams per hour.

Hydration

The other essential nutrient during this phase is fluid. To compensate for sweat losses, maintain body temperature and avoid performance losses due to dehydration, riders must drink on the go. How much exactly? This varies greatly from individual to individual. In addition, it is strongly influenced by weather conditions. However, a cyclist loses an average of 1 to 2 liters of sweat per hour (for some, this value can be significantly higher in hot weather).

Drinking enough is therefore crucial. On most rides, the majority of riders aim to consume at least two bottles of fluid per hour (= approx. 1 liter). They are free to drink a mix of Amacx Energy Drink or Turbo Drink and water to ultimately meet both carbohydrate and hydration targets. Riders who struggle to replenish their fluid losses and/or lose a lot of salts through sweat also add Hydro Tabs to their water bottle. This provides the additional necessary salts, which also help the body to retain more fluid.

Even in warm conditions, the new Amacx Ice Gels are very popular with riders. These Ice Gels not only provide the same amount of carbohydrates as traditional gels, but also improve performance in warm conditions through internal cooling.



To bring all this together in a good and practical plan, Team Visma | Lease a Bike makes sure to draw up a detailed plan before each stage, matching all supply points along the route to the riders' needs. The goal is to provide all riders with the necessary energy (carbohydrates), hydration and cooling without having to resort to one of the support vehicles again and again. In addition, the drivers are reminded by the team leaders to eat and drink at regular intervals. All this is to ensure that the plan can be implemented smoothly in practice.