Starting with a solid plan
Planning begins weeks before the race. Each stage is analyzed and nutritional needs are estimated. To get these predictions right, all the coaches, performance managers and nutritionists are involved. The machine learning algorithm is also involved in processing the data. It takes a combination of technology and human input to do all of this on time and with high quality.
Excellent logistics is needed
The Jumbo-Visma team has an advantage in one of its main sponsors. Jumbo is a Dutch supermarket and plays a key role. The team uses Jumbo’s expertise in logistics and food access to make sure the right food gets to the right place at the right time. Giant food delivery trucks travel across Europe to supply the team exactly as needed.
Aux Champs-Élysées🇫🇷🤗 pic.twitter.com/yT5Y5045j4
— Jumbo-Visma team cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) July 25, 2022
You can’t do it without qualified personnel.
succeeding in the Tour de France It’s not just about getting talented riders on your roster. The staff dealing with the cyclists behind the scenes must also be world class. Jumbo-Visma made substantial investments in his staff. The team has 7 chefs led by Karin Lambrechtse. Chefs are also dietitians and are becoming high-performance chefs. Everyone on the team is part of the plan in some way. How well the staff can execute the plan is often the difference between success and failure.
“I have worked (and still work) in many places in the sport and my advice and plans are mostly similar, but the way things are executed is not always successful,” explains Asker Jeukendrup.
eating should be fun
The main goal of nutrition is to make sure riders get the correct amount of calories and nutrients they need to continue to perform at the highest level throughout the Tour. In the early days of cycling, that was all nutrition, carbs, and calories. The riders ate overcooked pasta with red sauce day after day. If they could put up with it for 3 weeks, it worked. Jumbo-Visma goes one step further to help riders eat well and tries to make meals enjoyable and fun.
“The meals we eat both at breakfast and at night are some of the most important parts of the day. We want to enjoy the food, sit with the team, have a good time. It must be a celebration, and the food must taste great. The chefs constantly evaluate the meals and try to improve them. Now we have cyclists who ask for less tasty meals because they want to eat more”, describes Asker Jeukendrup.
Science Driven Nutrition
There’s a difference between jumping into every new supplement, diet, or quick fix and making decisions based on science. The real magic happens when you get the basics day after day. If you make a mistake on something pivotal on the Tour, you’ll pay the price the next day and you may never fully recover. Most of the time, it’s not flashy or exciting work, but it’s what it takes.
“If you do the basics better than everyone else, you will succeed. This is also where science really makes a difference. A good understanding of the scientific literature will be the foundation of a successful evidence-based approach. It’s essential to keep the nonsense, hype, and pseudoscience separate from the things that can make a difference. We can focus on real effects rather than just placebo effects,” explains Asker Jeukendrup.
