As many as 2,500 gels and bars will be consumed by the riders of Visma-Lease a Bike across the Tour de France – three items an hour for every day of racing, whatever the situation. With things lost, thrown away, or missed, that could be over 4,000 items for the French Grand Tour.
"Everything eaten or drunk is planned or calculated," Martijn Redegeld, the head of Performance Nutrition Program at Amacx, tells Cycling Weekly the week before the Tour begins. "Each rider starts each stage with an individual goal. The goal is mainly the amount of carbs and fluid that they have to take per hour. Some prefer to have gels, or bars, while others prefer to have a combination.
