How much do World Tour riders eat? "Until I'm about to burst, I swear" new Visma signing laughs

Nutrition is one of cycling's most important factors and weight management is absolutely key for riders at the top level. Whilst it seems counter-intuitive, new Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider Filippo Fiorelli says that he is eating more than ever, but is no longer experiencing issues maintaining his best form.

The Italian is one of Visma's nine signings this winter. The Dutch team didn't sign any huge reputable name, but has put a lot of emphasis in riders who haven't raced at the highest level previously. Part of the plan is to unlock potential in riders that otherwise wouldn't be expected to win at the highest level. One of them is Fiorelli, making his World Tour debut at age 31.

A few food pictures on Instagram triggered an interesting topic. “I posted those photos precisely because I was impressed by the food. The food at Visma is extraordinary," Fiorelli said in words to Bici.Pro. “You know that weight has often been an issue. I never thought about quitting for that reason, but I couldn't get to the bottom of it. It wore me down".

"Not because I couldn't eat what I wanted or dessert, but because of the quantities. If I ate too much, my weight went up. Here, on the other hand, they make me eat a lot. At training camp, I thought more than once that I wouldn't be able to finish my meal because I thought it was too much.”

The former Bardiani rider finds in Visma a completely different environment, but one that he is enjoying thus far. It is known that in training camps, riders not only train their form but also their gut, and use these weeks away from home to adapt to new preparation methods. In this case, nutrition, which came as a bit of a shock to the Italian.

“Until I'm about to burst, I swear. It's absurd. To give you an idea, when I was doing four hours, I ate up to 500 grams of cooked rice in the morning, which is 250 grams of uncooked rice, made into porridge. I was bursting. Even on rest days, there's always food to eat. And I asked: how is this possible?”

Tadej Pogacar famously said that he often takes up to 45 minutes to have breakfast, and the large amounts of food seem to be part of the modernized way of feeding riders in ways to allow for higher power outputs. But none of this is being done by chance, and Fiorelli is following a set program for him.

“I ate what was written in the app, and the fact is that I'm still the same. I haven't gained weight. In the past few months, if I ate an extra leaf of lettuce, I gained weight. Here, however, they explained to me that I have to adapt my body and get used to eating," he explains. “But if they tell you to do it, there's a reason".

Out of all changes, this is the biggest one for Fiorelli when comparing his time at Visma with Bardiani. "Eating is the main difference, and I really wasn't expecting it. Everything is portioned out. We have the FoodCoach app, which tells you what you need to eat. You arrive at the buffet, and there are three scales. You weigh this and weigh that, go to your table, and start eating. And it feels like Christmas dinner.”