'They just need to put it in their mouth' – simplicity is key to Visma-Lease a Bike's Tour de France nutrition plan

More than 2,500 energy gels and bars will be consumed by Jonas Vingegaard and co. over the next month

The riders of Visma-Lease a Bike taking on nutrition
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW in 2021 he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to riding bikes.

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