"Pure marketing" - Jumbo-Visma deny effects of bycarbonate drink

Sunday, 02 April 2023 at 01:00

The cycling world has been abuzz with talk of Jumbo Visma's impressive performances and remarkable winning streak. Some have attributed their success to a newly introduced bicarbonate of soda supplement, which is said to have performance-enhancing properties for cyclists.

There is no clear indication that Jumbo Visma's success is linked to the new drink, as Cyclingnews recently spoke with numerous riders and staff members from various teams, and none of them suggested that the drink played a role in their success.

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"Pure marketing," said the manager of a WorldTour team. The focus is on a drink named 'Bicarb System' produced by the Swedish firm Maurten, which is Jumbo-Visma's nutrition partner. Though it's nothing new. Bicarbonate of soda, a substance frequently utilised in cleaning and baking, supposedly neutralises the production of lactic acid in the muscles. This is believed to reduce fatigue, particularly during high-intensity efforts.

Primoz Roglic has been using it for the last two years. "It's already in use in the peloton for many, many, many years across all the teams. Lots of companies are trying to push it through the media at the moment. It's an extremely small piece of the whole performance puzzle. For me, it's nothing special,” said one team boss.

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Even Patrick Lefevere is not concerned about it. "I think it’s marketing, a kind of bluff. I know how it feels to be a winning team. Before the blue guys came on the front, and everybody was shaking. Now it will be the opposite."

Matteo Trentin disclosed that the riders have been consuming the drink during time trials for a number of years. "Ah no, the riders are not really worried about this. It is nothing new I don't think. People have been using this for many years - they used to use it a lot in time trials."