Nutrition? This whole concept was almost an affront to the French-speaking peloton of the 1980s. The established idea of pre-race food for everyone was steak and rice, finished barely three hours before the start. Philippa York explained for Cyclingnews.
"I spent quite a lot of time learning what I needed for my diet, but it wasn't something I shared with many others because that knowledge was as guarded as any training schedule. It took many months to figure out how to adjust my nutritional requirements to suit the workload I was recovering from or planning for the next days and weeks."
"Of course, nowadays the advantage of teams having a bigger budget is that they have a nutritionist, dietician, official nutrition partner and a full-time chef. That's in addition to the collective knowledge available online so you don't have to trawl through books, experiment with levels of protein intake, or calculate how many calories you're likely to burn on a mountain stage that has 4,000 metres of elevation."
"Today's nutritional complexities are a world away from the days of steak for breakfast, and the consequence is that the level of competition steadily increases as everyone discovers what works for them before, during, and after the event."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Davide11-11-2026 - some of lidl-treks retention and recruiting has been puzzling in the mens and womens teams.Davide11-11-2026
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