FUELLING FOR THE MOUNTAINS

How INEOS Grenadiers use Science in Sport to fuel a Grand Tour

Every day of a Grand Tour is different. What doesn’t change is the need to fuel correctly to ensure each individual rider can perform to their best and then recover ready for the next day.

Dr Marc Fell is one of the INEOS Grenadiers performance nutritionists; his role is to ensure riders are fuelling optimally. “The stages within a Grand Tour are classified as either flat/sprint, hilly, mountain or time trial and each of these classifications will have unique demands, parcours and terrains,” he says.

On the critical and challenging mountain stages, fuelling is of the utmost importance. “Mountain stages determine the general classification of the race and with 4,000-5,000m of climbing, riders will expend enormous amounts of energy. These stages are often characterised by high power outputs and higher intensity efforts for longer durations. On the climbs riders will be aiming to maximally fuel to help maintain energy levels,” Dr Fell says.