In the cramped space of the Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale truck-barely 3 square meters-, Maéva Paret-Peintre’s cuisine has a strange power of attraction. Behind her stoves, with a simple induction plate, the dietician of the cycling team achieves the feat of feeding eight professional runners for three weeks. “It’s sporty”she concedes. In this month of June, part of the training is on an altitude internship in Savoy to prepare the Tour de France. And, in this perspective, food is an essential element.
The device is identical to that deployed during the large loop, until July 27. The day starts between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. – “For the most sleepy” -, details Maéva Paret-Pintre, with a key moment: breakfast. Rice to milk, omelette, cereals, pancakes, waffles or pancakes … Each athlete composes his plate according to his nutritional needs, linked in particular to his body mass, exhibits Julien Louis, the nutritionist of Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale.
The objective? Make glycogen reserves, a complex carbohydrate essential for storage and energy release. “This meal is important because you have to be able to digest it before the race but have enough calories to hold for five hours on the bicycle”summarizes the doctor, who supervises and validates the team menus for each day of the Tour de France. By risk of digestive discomfort, runners are, for example, limited in their consumption of fibers – fruits and vegetables – before a step.
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