(00:00) Welcome
(02:35) The Route, Elite Men's
(03:52) Riders to Watch
(06:01) Matteo Trentin
(06:46) Matteo, Route and Weather,
(11:30) Matteo, Tactics
(12:31) Matteo, Favorites
(13:30) Matteo, Back Racing in Glasgow
(16:37) Team Italia High-Performance Kit
(19:00) Aero Gains
(22:36) Castelli Custom Team Program
(25:17) Where to find the Team Italia kit
(26:09) Nutrition for the had Glasgow course
(33:57) How to Boost Your Performance
(42:23) Anabolic Window

MATTEO TRENTIN
It's really technical and it's really important to find your spot in the bunch and ride as best as you can. So in the end, that's the secret to saving energy. 270 plus kilometers, it's a tough day in the office.

DANI HOFSTETTER
You start by eating regular stuff like rice cakes and little paninis and then the later you go, the more fluid your nutrition gets, so the gels, the sport fabric.

ALVIN NORDELL
Super long days in the saddle, they'll definitely be in our San Remo suit, designed to be super comfortable and very aerodynamic, so that way they can save all those watts over a seven hour race, so that at the end they still have that pop in their legs to go for the sprint and to win.

SOREN JENSEN
Welcome back to another exciting episode of the Castelli podcast. I'm your host, Soren Jensen, and today we have a special episode dedicated to the highly anticipated Road World Championships held in Glasgow, Scotland, starting officially Thursday, August 3rd, and running for 11 days, until August 13th.  Joining us today, we have Team Italia’s very experienced leader, Matteo Trentin, with 8 Road World Championships under his belt. Dani Hofstetter, a professional sports nutritionist, will give us his insight on how to face such a long and demanding race as the elite men’s road race. Last but not least, our third guest is Castelli in-house race performance product specialist, who’ll give us some insight into what the Italian team will have in their cycling clothing-arsenal for Sunday. But before we dive into the details, let me first give you a brief overview of the event, race course, and favorites. There are 13 world championships across seven disciplines up for grabs in Scotland. There will also be more than 200 rainbow jerseys awarded to over 2600 athletes. So, some exciting days are ahead of us.  In this episode, we’ll cover the elite men’s race, which will come first this year to give equal space for the women to recover for their edition of the Tour de France. It will be quite an opening show around and in Glasgow. On Saturday, we’ll have the junior men's road race as a preview before the big showdown on Sunday, the men's elite race. The race course is described as a puncher's paradise, with a 14.3km finishing circuit that includes a steep climb on every lap in Glasgow. The men's road race covers 271 kilometers and includes 3570 meters of climbing. After racing 120 kilometers from Edimburgh to Glasgow, including the climb of Crow Road (5.8 km at 10%), the race ends with 10 technical and punchy laps in Glasgow. The 14.3-kilometers circuit includes 207 meters of climbing per lap. It features 42 corners and plenty of road furniture, with rarely a straight piece of road in sight. This is likely to string out the peloton and make it difficult to move up. At 1.5 km to go, we have the Montrose Street climb which is 200 meters long, average is almost 11%, and should provide a perfect place to launch an attack. Looking at the weather forecast, it looks to be a course for the Classics hard-men as rain is expected and temperatures hovering around 16°C. With the course and the weather, we should see an extremely reduced peloton at the end of the race, likely with under 50 riders battling for the win. Now let's take a look at the race favorites. Given Remco Evenepoel's recent win in the Clásica San Sebastián and with the weather and a course similar to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Evenepoel leads a long list of favorites for Sunday's race - which is expected to be a hard, damp, and a cool day in Glasgow. Belgium is going in with a power-packed team of three leaders: Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert, while the Dutch team in orange will rally around Mathieu van der Poel, who’s coming off a strong Tour de France and embracing a course as challenging as Glasgow.  Mads Pedersen of Denmark won his first world title in Yorkshire and will love this kind of weather and the course, supported by Asgreen, Skjelmose, and Cort among the favorites. Then, we have Julian Alaphilippe, Christophe Laporte for France, Neilson Powless, Ben Healy, Magnus Sheffield, Michael Matthew, and the list goes on. So many names to mention for what will be a fight of attrition through Scotland this Sunday in the elite men’s road World Championships.  But we’re still missing one important team, the squadra Azzurra, Team Italia. Italy has been one of the most successful nations in the history of the elite road races at the Road World Champs, with the women's team securing six titles since 1957 and the men's 19 titles since 1927. And leading the Italian team with the support of Alberto Bettiol, Daniel Oss, and other five riders, we have probably the most experienced rider, especially on the Glasgow course, a rider who won the 2018 European Championship in a sprint finish against Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert in a rain-soaked race. Lets welcome Matteo Trentin. Matteo welcome back from the Tour, thanks for taking the time to jump on the Castelli Podcast here with us. You completed the road worlds in the men's elite category 8 times since 2012.

MATTEO TRENTIN
And imagine it is the only World Champs I've ever done on the road race. I've never been in the world before as an amateur, as a junior. I did a lot of worlds in cyclocross. Yeah, that's it. 

SOREN JENSEN
Wow. Which one was your best one up till now? Was that the second place in 2019?

MATTEO TRENTIN
Yeah,  I was second in Yorkshire 2019, then I was fourth in Bergen and I was fifth last year in Australia.

SOREN JENSEN
And now looking ahead for Sunday, where you'll be back racing in Glasgow, where you have some good memories from after you won the 2018 European Championship ahead of the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert in wet and slippery conditions, I remember.

MATTEO TRENTIN
Yeah, I mean, it's kind of going back into one of the nice places of my career. That European was super wet, raining from the start to the finish. And it was actually pretty long too, it was 2004, it was the last very long European, the EUAC put together. After that year they decided to have a shorter but more explosive race. It was a really nice day for us, for me in particular. Let's try to go on the line to try to replicate.

SOREN JENSEN
Yeah, that will be a dream come true and we'll definitely, all of us, be cheering for you on Sunday. But also back in 2018, it was a long, as you said, 230 kilometers, but you guys were out for almost six hours in wet and slippery conditions. So hopefully the weather will be nicer, but would that come into your favor or do you rather prefer wet conditions and really a hard race like in 2018?

MATTEO TRENTIN
Let's say when I won the European competition was actually one week after. So it's the same period of time because I think it was the 12th of August if I'm correct.

SOREN JENSEN
I think you're right, yeah.

MATTEO TRENTIN
And if I'm not it was the week before. Actually the same week and period of time. It was raining anyway because I think that they are actually raining 360 days a year and the other 65 is that the other five days are cloudy. The temperature was okay. To be honest, it wasn't warm but it wasn't you know it was not this kind of spring rain you can have in the last weeks or this autumn rain you can have by October. Yeah. Where you're actually freezing time by time. If it's raining, if it's raining, if it's not raining, it's not raining. I'm not concerned about the weather. 

SOREN JENSEN
No and again I mean it's definitely going to be a long course, 271 kilometers with almost 3,600 meters of climbing. I think you guys will start off from Edinburgh and then ride in 120 kilometers into Glasgow,   where then you will do 151 kilometers, 10 laps.

MATTEO TRENTIN
In the center, that's going to be the hardest thing. Because this is not actually the altitude that we're going to have in the woods is a lot, but it's nothing too much Yeah, it's a kind of a right number, but you don't have many many times just like maybe one climb in the circuit by the Montrose three climb or a couple of climbing circuit just up and down up and down up and down, and I think the most it would be when you hit the circuit is gonna be like one billion corners. So probably the straight, the longest straight will be three, four hundred meters.

SOREN JENSEN
Oh yeah, proper classic race, yeah, yeah. Because of the technical nature of the circuit, I mean, I was just reading up on it this morning with a bunch of turns, I think there are 42 corners per lap. That makes it to 420 corners out of 10 laps. And a lot of road furniture and, you know, all that would definitely impact on the outcome of the race. Yeah. So no matter if it's a dry day or a wet day, it will definitely be extremely hard and stressful for everyone in the pack.

MATTEO TRENTIN
Yeah, of course. And also, you are in the city, so the streets can be big, but at the end, when you have a 90 degree corner, which we're gonna have, I think 90% of the corners are 90 degree corners. So it's starting to become pretty technical, and it's really important to find your spot in the bunch and ride as best as you can because at the end, that's the secret to saving energy because at the end, 270 plus kilometers, it's a tough day in the office.

SOREN JENSEN
It's a very tough day, yeah. But also then for you, I mean, your main goal is to sit in the bunch, not waste too much energy making sure that you hydrate and you eat enough until the race really will unfold. But when do you think that the race will unfold? There will be the breakaway that will go away, but when is time for you to step in? I mean, is that within the last 50 kilometers? I mean, it always depends, I know.

MATTEO TRENTIN
Depends from the other national teams. I think it's more like really when you see there will be a moment and it will be far from the finish from my point of view. Where it's gonna be actually active and... Parts will start to split. But if you see the nature of parkour, it doesn't allow the bunch of cities to get together. Especially if it's raining. If it doesn't rain, then maybe you know, it's a little bit better. But if it's raining, I remember the European I won, like 60 to go, a group went away, and we just went. There was nothing anybody else can do, because then someone has a teammate, someone has a different interest and they group those. But lately especially in cycling

SOREN JENSEN
The race is faster and the finish compared to five six years ago. Yeah no you're right so the key thing also for all the teams is to get a guy in the breakaway early on. MATTEO TRENTIN But not really early on because the race is long enough normally the first every break is not with teams that want to be the final, because also being that long, there is the element of surprise, we're actually like pretty much a big team, because I think the national team is eight guys, and then the other has seven, and the other has six, so you can be organized, right? So most likely like a normal race we do with our three teams. But it's gonna be more like using the team to sit in the front, especially when you hit the circuit before it's technical, but it's not too much. The moment you enter the circuit, it's game on.

SOREN JENSEN
It's game on, yeah. And that's 151 kilometers that are game on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But also then with making sure they don't lose the breakaway and we always have somebody there up front. I don't think Team Italia will go in and try to control the race. You let it be up to some of the bigger countries like Belgium or the Netherlands or how do you see it?

MATTEO TRENTIN
I see Belgium for sure as the country with the most talent inside. I wouldn't see anybody else than Aert, Evenepoel and Philipsen leading the team so they have options for everything. Then you have Van Der Poel for Dutch. I wouldn't, I would say okay, you are Danish so Petersen is coming off the tour with a really strong condition to get to the last. Yeah. Then Laporte for the French and Julian Alaphilippe. This kind of circuit. And then you have a lot of other guys like Taddei, Moritz, all the guys who saw the tour, making good moves and good races and you know they fit into classic parkour. Yeah. It's something that is gonna be really interesting.

SOREN JENSEN
It's gonna be very interesting. Yeah, no, it's gonna be a race to watch from almost, I'm not saying from the start to finish, but almost. The last three hours. Yeah, exactly. Three, four hours. Three, four hours. Let's say four. When you guys hit the city center. Yeah. Well, it's gonna be exciting. I mean, it's a puncher's paradise, the course here. And do you feel confident coming back to Glasgow and racing, it's not completely the same course, but part of this is the circuit from 2018. Do you feel a bit more confident about it or?

MATTEO TRENTIN
Well I don't care too much, there are some parts of the Parkour of 2018, some others are changed, the finish is different for example, we don't go in the park anymore, which is a good choice by the organization. Last time we were there we pulled from kilometer zero, we just stopped a couple of times for a natural break, but the bounce was on one line. There is no place where you can actually gain position because you are in the back and stay in front. So if it's raining it's going to be like this, we hit the circuit, a team is going to take control and that team is going to be more favorable than all the other teams. Then you sprint much more in the wheel and it will be even more hard. So how you get over this kind of thing, you attack to bring the group away. And I think it's going to be kind of a washing machine. Like group after group after group, until the last six snap, one of the group is staying away. Can be a group of 35. And from there, another race starts.

SOREN JENSEN
It's going to be exciting and a very technical and tactical World Championships for sure. Thank you so much, Matteo, for giving us this insight into the race and also your predictions and the overall plan of what you guys are thinking about doing and executing and what can happen during the race. It was good, it was really good.  Well, thank you so much for jumping on the Castelli podcast. It was a pleasure to have you here. Thank you. And let's see sometime when you are back in Val di Fiemme if we can go out for a spin together with Pietro. That would be awesome. Matteo, thanks again, man. All the best of luck for Sunday.

MATTEO TRENTIN
Thank you very much, Søren. Have a good day. Ciao.

SOREN JENSEN
Ciao. And now let's have a look at what kilometers and the other guys will be wearing on Sunday. And to give us some insight, I've invited our product specialist and keen cyclist Alvin Nordell in the studio. But before we dive into performance enhancing clothing, why don't you first present yourself?

ALVIN NORDELL
Hey, I'm Alvin Nordell. I'm the product marketing manager here at Castelli and part of my job is working with our pro athletes to make sure that they have the best equipment for racing. Cool, let's just dive into the World Champs. I mean it's just around the corner. Oh, I'm so excited. It's gonna be, well that course looks super tough. It's gonna be a great race to watch.

SOREN JENSEN
It's gonna be a great race to watch. I mean with 271 kilometers and almost 3,600 meters of elevation. Tough day. It's gonna be a tough day, yeah. And what about weather conditions?

ALVIN NORDELL
And it's Scotland, so I mean the weather could really be anything up there. It could be sunny and a nice day, or it could be full-on torrential rain the entire day. So it's gonna be one of those game-time decisions on which clothing you're gonna be wearing.

SOREN JENSEN
Yeah, so what do you think about what clothing they will be wearing for the beginning, for the first 120 kilometers into Glasgow from Edinburgh?

ALVIN NORDELL
You know, for the guys who aren't gonna be interested in getting into the breakaway, they'll be dressed up pretty warm, especially if those conditions are more in that 15 degree range. They'll probably have a vest on, some arm warmers, just to save that energy so they can stay nice and warm for that beginning part. And they'll begin to shed clothes off as the day goes on. If it starts raining, those guys for sure will be in Perfettos or Gabbas to start the race, and maybe even our NanoFlex V warmers, just to really keep that rain off and keep themselves nice and warm. And as the day goes on, yeah, they'll start peeling it off and it'll really depend on the weather.

SOREN JENSEN
So it's basically also very similar to what we saw in 2018 when Matteo Trentin won the European Championships. I remember photos of him in the Gabba there in the morning and we might even see something similar here on Sunday.

ALVIN NORDELL
Yeah, it could be a repeat of that. Maybe he'll start off in the Gabba and go from there.

SOREN JENSEN
What will the riders then wear underneath the Gabba if they're starting out with a Gabba? What is the main kit? Will they be in the race suits and which one?

ALVIN NORDELL
Yeah, for a day like that, those super long days in the saddle, they'll definitely be in our San Remo suit. So that one's designed to be super comfortable and very aerodynamic. So that way, they can save all those watts over a seven-hour race so that at the end they still have that pop in their legs to go for the sprint and to win. So they'll have our San Remo suit on, which is the aero jersey with the aero bib short. They're attached, so it makes it nice and comfortable and extra aerodynamic. And then also they'll probably wear our Fast Feet socks. The Fast Feet socks use our aero fabric, so it saves a couple extra watts on their feet. So it saves a couple extra watts for them as they go throughout the day.

SOREN JENSEN
Do you think some riders will opt for shoe covers, or like the Fast Feet shoe covers, or in case of rain, something more protective?

ALVIN NORDELL
You know, it really depends on the weather. They might go for our Aero Race shoe cover, which is nice and aero, but also sheds water with the fabric that we use, so it'll help keep their feet nice and dry. Or if it turns out it's gonna be a nicer day out, they might put on the Fast Feet shoe covers on top of that for that extra aero advantage. I've noticed in the races, usually the guys just wear fast feet socks most of the time, but if it's cold in the morning, probably start out with the aero race shoe cover.

SOREN JENSEN
What aero gains are we talking about for the San Remo speed suit and fast feet socks versus a standard jersey and socks?

ALVIN NORDELL
Versus just the normal standard cycling kit, the aero gains are pretty substantial. So the San Remo suit will save you 3 or 4%, which is quite a lot, especially over a 7-hour race.

SOREN JENSEN
Oh yeah, it's a lot. Huge.

ALVIN NORDELL
Quite a bit. And then the Aero socks save a couple more percentage on top of that. So I mean, the whole system can really save you 5, 6, 7% as a total package. And then if you put that in the perspective of an entire 7-hour race, that's a lot of watts that you can save at the end. So you have that extra energy to sprint or go for that breakaway or get away from your competitors right there before the finish line.

SOREN JENSEN
Yeah, but we're not only talking about marginal gains here. We're talking about something way bigger. Think about the course of a race in six hours.

ALVIN NORDELL
Yeah, it's funny, you know, just those couple percentage points don't sound like a lot, but when you put it into context of a seven-hour world championship race, it's quite a bit.

SOREN JENSEN
Yeah. Can you even go a little bit deeper into the aero savings that the riders will gain both wearing the Aerofeed socks and the San Remo suit, especially over such a long distance and time in the saddle? We're not only talking about marginal gains here, I mean, we're talking about big gains. So what about for the national team? We know that it's a mix of riders suited for that race course that will be participating, but not all of them, of course, coming from a Castelli team like Soudal Quick-Step. Has that been a problem for some riders getting into a different seat pad or have they all just felt comfortable with the X2 pad that we use in the San Remo Speed Suit?

ALVIN NORDELL
You know, for all the riders, really, they really like getting into our kit because the San Remo suit is so comfortable, so they just feel super comfortable on the bike. And then both our X2 Progetto chamois and the Kiss chamois are both great. And the riders enjoy getting into them and really haven't had any issues having to swap back from their trade team kit into their national team kit. They've all been very comfortable and been able to make a pretty seamless transition. Maybe even a little happier.

SOREN JENSEN
Yeah. I know we also have some new, exciting and faster developments coming for the Paris Olympics. I'm not sure if you can already wheel something for us today, or if it's too early.

ALVIN NORDELL
For sure, we definitely have a couple tricks up our sleeves when it comes to the Olympics. There's been a lot of time in the wind tunnel spent working on some new technologies, perfecting some current technologies, especially for those guys on the track to save every single second that they can so they can repeat as Olympic champions. We're working really hard on a couple things. Don't want to let the cat out of the bag yet, but for sure you'll see maybe a glimmer of it at the World Championships, but then you know it'll really really come out at the Olympics next year.

SOREN JENSEN
Anything else the Italian national team will have in their cycling clothing arsenal for Sunday?

ALVIN NORDELL
Man, really for Sunday I think I'd be happy to be on the Italian national team because they have such a great quiver of jackets and gloves and shoe covers and arm warmers to pick from, especially if it's going to be bad weather. I mean, those guys will be really happy from head to toe. You know, our Perfetto will protect them if it gets really nasty out. You know, the gobbler will be that perfect piece they can still race in and be protected, so that's always great when you can still wear your most protective kit while still being competitive and racing and not taking an arrow hit, because the Gabbas are still super aero. And then, man, that San Remo suit, they test so fast all the time. So they'll just be in the best kit all day to go for the win.

SOREN JENSEN
What's particularly exciting about the Italian National Kit and what Castelli supplies to Soudal Quick-Step is that even amateur cyclists can enjoy the exact same performance and aero advantages that we provide to a professional cyclist through the Castelli Servizio Corse Custom Team Program and inline collection.

ALVIN NORDELL
Yeah, every single piece of kit that the men and women on the Italian national team will be using in the road race is also available in our collections. You can buy Sanremo, you can buy Fastfeet socks, you can buy Gabas, all out of our collection.

SOREN JENSEN
And if you want to create a one-piece custom jersey for your weekend rides or more for your training mates, Castelli has just launched a custom solo program.

ALVIN NORDELL
If you go to our website, you can use our Castelli Solo Configurator and you can make yourself the exact same Aero 6 jersey and Free RC bibs that the riders on the Italian national team will be using for training and getting ready for the race on our website. You can just make one piece. If you have a favorite design you like or just want to add your own logos to a jersey and do your own design, you can do that with just one piece, really small minimums.

SOREN JENSEN
Absolutely, this is an incredibly cool new offering from Castelli. So head over to our website and click on custom in the menu to discover more details. Alvin, what are your   predictions for the Elite Men's race on Sunday?

ALVIN NORDELL
My predictions for Sunday? I mean of course I got to be hoping for Matteo Trentin there, you know that Italian Team are racing in the scorpion, but the other side of me says that Soudal has Remco Evenepoel so I'll be pulling for him a bit too but I think it's gonna be a really hard day it's gonna depend on those conditions and yeah I'll be excited to watch and excited to find out who wins.

SOREN JENSEN
Indeed it's going to be an extremely exciting race to watch. Actually I'll be on holiday in Belgium when the race takes place so my wife and I will probably watch the last 150 kilometers on the circuit in Glasgow inside one of the many sports bars in Flanders, ensuring the ultimate viewing experience, good company and enjoying some cold Belgian trapeze beers. Well thanks for taking the time to join us on the podcast. I know you had a busy morning schedule with the product team, but I appreciate you taking the time to share some insights on what the Italian team will be wearing on Sunday.

ALVIN NORDELL
Yeah, no problem. It's always fun to chat and especially when it comes to the pros and the world championships get a little extra excited. So it's always, always good to chat about that in the middle of the day, if you can.

SOREN JENSEN
Have a good rest of the day and enjoy your ride tonight. I'm sure you'll be heading out for a quick spin after work.

ALVIN NORDELL
Yep. After my work ride today, I'm excited. Probably go hit the, hit the hills, do a couple of intervals and, and yeah, just enjoy being out.

SOREN JENSEN
Well, ride safe and hope to see you again sometime soon on a future Castelli podcast.

ALVIN NORDELL
Go thanks!

SOREN JENSEN
If you're as excited as we are about the world champs and you're cheering for the Italian team or just find the kit Azzurra totally amazing, you can always find the kit on our website castellicycling.com where you can purchase the Team Italia kit or find it in stores around the world.

DANI HOFSTETTER
My name is Dani Hofstetter. I'm a former professional triathlete. Today I work as a performance nutritionist with professional and amateur cyclists. And in my spare time, I spend most of the hours in Castelli Bibs.

SOREN JENSEN
Welcome to the pod, Dan. It's an honor to have you here with us today. Let's dive straight into the Elite Men's Race, we know will be one of the most demanding and challenging world champs courses in a long time. How crucial is nutrition when preparing for a hard race like the world's?

DANI HOFSTETTER
We expect a race duration between 5 hours 45 and 6 hours 20 depending on the average speed that the guys are hitting. And for an event of this duration maximizing your glycogen stores up front, so the day before the race or the last two days before the race is essential. Especially if you have a race like Glasgow where the first three hours are probably going to be quite relaxed and then the second half is super hectic like a criterium style racing where you don't have time or the complex foods, you start by eating regular stuff like the rice cakes and little paninis and then the later you go the more fluid your nutrition gets, so the gels, the sport beverages.

SOREN JENSEN
Like also the days up to, what would the riders usually, from your experience, what would they prepare, what would they eat?

DANI HOFSTETTER
If days leading up to the race and because professional cyclists are used to eating a high volume of food, because that's part of their job, so to speak, you can reduce the carb loading to the last 24 hours before the race. Okay. And in this period of time, you make sure that you do not have too much fiber in your food, so a so-called low residue diet. So instead of the whole wheat bread and the healthy legumes and vegetables you reduce your fiber to a minimum and you eat a lot of pasta, a lot of rice, a lot of white bread. Most of the athletes also consume I mean we speak of 700 800 grams of carbs that's a high amount and most of the riders also partially consume that through a beverage their usual sports drink and in the days before the race they they won't have as much riding anymore so that normally they go for a spin for one or two hours with some leg openers and they don't have a high calorie spending the day before the race and then that assures with having not heavy foods like red meat or a high fatty meal for dinner that they feel light that they don't have too much excess stool in their bowel, which you want for a high intensity race. And then crucial is also the last meal before the race. Normally, riders on individual preference eat heavy, or a big breakfast two or three hours before the race kicks off. I think the start is around 11, so they actually can almost sleep in. And then you go for another two or three grams of carbs that are very, very light on your stomach. So, it's again widespread. It might be kind of a pancake thing with something with eggs because you also want some light protein there. And as I said, pro cyclists, they are used to have a large meal before a race. That's something you need to train as well. And then with breakfast, most riders also include some form of oats because oats have a soluble kind of fiber that is really soothing for your stomach and your gut. And that has a very good satiety effect. Oats are easy on the stomach but give you long energy as well. That's normally then pre-race meal. Again, you want to have a good hydration up front so that you don't start kind of dry or partially dehydrated heading into the race, because fluid or the way they consume calories during the race most from beverages or gels, helps you to stay hydrated later. But you want to be properly hydrated up front.

SOREN JENSEN
Carbs intake is key, but what about protein? How important is protein intake during the race?

DANI HOFSTETTER
During the race, it's not so necessary. You actually only need sugar or let's keep it in general, you only need carbs because protein is prone to cause digestion issues, it's digested slower. But the day before you want to hit your protein target, which for an endurance athlete of that caliber is probably around 1.7, 1.8 grams per kilogram. Chicken is a favorite because it's light and it contains a high protein density and a good quality protein. White fish is very good and then obviously some athletes struggle to also kind of hit their protein targets and they use some form of protein supplements whether it is a whey protein, whether it's a protein bar for dessert because it gives you a bit of satiety through the night and helps you get through and wake up less hungry.

SOREN JENSEN
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And also, as we have to remember that those guys, they are trained to, as what you were mentioning earlier, to have a big carbon intake, up to 120 grams per hour, you were saying, which is something I think for an amateur, it would almost be impossible or you would definitely have to train your stomach for that, correct?

DANI HOFSTETTER
Absolutely. I mean, this is something we train in training. Well, first of all, you need to have the proper products. To absorb 120 grams, you need the right blend of carbohydrate sources. So this is various kinds of starches, rice starch, some beverages are made with potato starch in combination with glucose and fructose and that helps to absorb these high amounts and then to be able to absorb these on the load because you need to know when we're riding our bikes hard the blood or most of the blood is that distributed in the working muscles so in the legs and and the gut area is not so well served with blood and so that's why we need to train the gut, so to speak, to stomach these amounts. And that's something that cyclists are really trained for. And compared to, let's say, 10 or 15 years ago, the fueling hygiene or the awareness is also much better during training. So even if we have to be very light, if we have to be insanely lean as cyclists, cyclists eat during their training, otherwise they couldn't cope with the volume and otherwise they would get over-trained pretty quickly.

SOREN JENSEN
Pretty quickly, yeah. And now when we're talking about cyclists in general, an amateur cyclist, what are the key recommendations when he or she is out there training? Maybe they're racing on the weekends, maybe some are doing some endurance races on the weekend, which is a completely different ballpark, or some grand fondos. How important is it to train the aspect of eating well, but also when you come home, have your protein shake, get your carbs in right away? Can you maybe give us a few tips for an amateur cyclist to boost his or her performance?

DANI HOFSTETTER
Well, 80% of the athletes I work with, they underestimate the energy needs, like their global energy needs. So, even if, especially endurance athletes that want to be lean and light, they almost all the time eat not enough calories. So that's something you need to be aware of and cyclists have the opportunity to measure their energy expenditure with a power meter. So that's something that people should do the math up front and say okay in which magnitude do I need calories in my training. And then another thing is they should arrive rested. Most of the amateur athletes train a lot and they enter a race fatigued so dare to rest and use the resting period as we mentioned before to to maximize your glycogen stores. And then the last two or 1.5 things are eaten during the race. Train this as we just mentioned before. So up your carbohydrate intake for racing to 100, 120 grams because it's evidence-based. The athlete, no matter what we talk about, females or male cyclists, the acid that can stomach more energy during the race will always have the better result. And then I said one and a half things because it's not only the amount of energy you put in, but also the blend, how many gels, how much beverage do I consume, and find your individual preference and what works for you. And always keep in mind the fluid amount is depending on how much you sweat, how hot it is. And that's why we dilute beverages in climates or on days that are warmer than 25 degrees a bit more. So we have less carbohydrate concentration than when we go to colder areas, such as we expect in Glasgow, where we can up the carbohydrate concentration up to 12%.

SOREN JENSEN
Up to 12%, yeah. Because also as you said earlier with the 1.8 grams of protein per body weight the days leading up to the race, 1.8 is kind of high. I mean, I know that the recommended daily intake is 0.8 grams, which is probably also more on the lower end of what even a normal person, a non-athletic person probably needs a day. Can you give a little bit more insight into why the protein intake, also for an amateur cyclist, should be higher than the recommended daily intake?

DANI HOFSTETTER
Yes, these 1.8 grams are not something that is only important before the race. This is more or less a stable amount that you should consume and the importance is when we train no matter whether it's cycling running and so if we use our bodies we damage muscle tissue that's nothing bad actually this is the bout we need to super compensate and to get better whether it's stronger whether it's more enduring and this super compensation process of building muscle of building mitochondria in your cells to have a more efficient energy metabolism, this needs protein. And if we miss the protein target, we fail to progress accordingly. And that's actually a limiting factor in training. And the thing is, why we're more keen on the protein consumption for athletes recently is that we found out that it's not very efficient if you have like one big bolus of protein let's say for your dinner after you're riding but you need to spread it out over the day so that you have a constant supply every three to four hours and this makes the daily meals whether it's your breakfast, your snack in the morning, your lunch, etc. need to have a certain protein amount and that needs certain organization because eating protein by itself is a positive fit for your body. So next to your training, it's a signal, hey, we can build muscle, we're on an anabolic terrain here. Because cyclists normally have high energy turnovers during the day, you also need to make sure that you give them the bricks to build these stronger walls that we want for our endurance house, so to speak. Especially one other aspect, and that's probably more for the keen amateur cyclists or the professionals. Since we have to be so lean and since this requires often an energy deficit to really raise weight, in an energy deficit we need to even have higher protein consumption. So this goes up to 2.2, 2.3 grams per kilogram. Because with this, you are sure not to lose weight, but to reduce body fat. And that's what you need. Because muscle is always the hardest currency for an athlete, so to speak. And if we want to slim down, losing muscle is also reducing your performance, obviously.

SOREN JENSEN
Correct, yeah. You know, make sure that you get a good balance of protein and carbos, but especially the protein intake in the morning is key.

DANI HOFSTETTER
Yes, because after, I mean, most of us, they sleep for, let's say, eight hours, and most of us don't eat during the night. So your body sounds dramatic, but it's kind of in a starvation point at this point of time. And when we start the day correctly with a balance of sustainable carbs, of slow carbs, not just the sugary breakfast cereals, but something that is rich in fiber and starch, combined with protein, sets us up for a steady day where we're energetically stable and the blood sugar is not just rollercoaster. And there, I recommend lots of dairy for athletes with their oats or eggs or maybe even fish, like salmon, which also contains really healthy fats. It's a staple for athletes' breakfast. And then, as you said, it takes a bit of a conscious meal design throughout the day, whether it's snacks that contain protein sources, whether it's meat or whatnot. And then also, I try to supply the athletes with real food first, and then if they're on a very busy schedule, if they're traveling a lot, then you use the supplements, the protein bars, the shakes, or as we know it from cycling, in the recovery phase, so then the first 60 minutes after a hard workout or a race, there is your open window where you can accelerate recovery a lot by having 1.2 grams of carbs per kilogram body weight and 0.3 grams per kilogram of protein. And that's most easily done with a supplement because you have the best quality, it's absorbed quickly and you don't want to kind of fry your chicken breast behind the finish line.

SOREN JENSEN
No, but then again, also, when you cross the finish line, we all know about that 30 minute window after you just finish your race or training where it's key to get those, especially the sugar and all the carbohydrates in. What is the best strategy when you finish a hard training workout or a race or Grand Tour, you need to prepare for the following day. Is it to get the sugar in or the carbohydrates in within that 30-45 minutes window and then go on with the proteins later? But also you don't want to get your proteins too late before hitting the bed because that could also cause a night without too much sleep. It's hard on the stomach to digest the proteins, I think, no?

DANI HOFSTETTER
Yes, you're right. For me, it depends a little bit on the preference of the athlete, but for me, we always start with a high sugary beverage. So it's the usual cans that you see behind the finish line without naming any world known brand. But yes, it's all about sugar. And then normally, like after maybe, let's say 15-20 minutes when you're not in this kind of hard state of suffering anymore. We make a protein shake with water because you can't bear milk at this point in time. So we take a whey protein that is one of the best amino acid patterns that you can get. We dilute it with water so that it's more drinkable, easily stomachable. And then I think it's good to go towards regular meals within the next hour or one and a half hours. So then you have your huge bowls of rice, your chicken breasts, your fish, because then it's also from a flavor fatigue point of view, athletes, especially in a grand tour, you eat these kind of high-octane rocket fuels all day, and it's important to have something decent, something salty, something that is a bit not in the sweet realm anymore. So regular food is highly appreciated. And that's a good thing because most equipped in pro cycling have their own chef and have things ready for this point of time and also when they travel in the national squads like now for the world, normally a chef is on board and is taking care of that. 

SOREN JENSEN
What do you think Dan as an expert, but also within a race like the world's where each rider is not racing for his or her own team. What would they have in the movesets that will be handed out? What do you think will be in the bag apart from the energy bars, NGLs, and rice cakes? Will it be something that is different from your experience?

DANI HOFSTETTER
I think I will never change a running system. Most of the riders try to have their individual product. And I can only speak for the Swiss national team. Their riders join the squad up front and it's discussed, okay, what can be administered individually. But normally, this is something you don't want to play around with. And so in training or in a preparation camp, this is tested and made sure that everything works. But you also see when you watch races that athletes pick up a musette and they toss out 80% of its content because they're not happy with it. So, here, even at this super professional level, you come to a point where you say, okay, either I deal with it or I get hungry and bonk maybe. So, it kind of comes down to everyday survival.

SOREN JENSEN
No, it's interesting. I mean, all of this is, well, it's all science, but it's also something I think for a lot of people, including myself, a lot of amateurs alike. Those are the things that we think a lot about. We go and search on the internet, but there's so many different kinds of information. That's why it's important to have someone like yourself, an expert, to help and guide you, give you a plan that is also easy to follow that would be adapted to your daily life. Dan, before we wrap up this interview, can you just tell us where people can find you?

DANI HOFSTETTER
Yes. So my website is the easiest point to get access to me, it's www.danihofstetter.ch. It's a bit of a mouthful because it's obviously a Swiss name. But I'm sure if you have the link in the show notes, people will see it.

SOREN JENSEN
Dan, thank you so much.

DANI HOFSTETTER
Awesome, thank you Søren.

SOREN JENSEN
And looking forward to seeing you again sometime soon and then fingers crossed for the Squadra Azzurra on Sunday.

DANI HOFSTETTER
Well thanks for having me Søren. All the best of luck for all the riders in Glasgow and enjoy the race.

SOREN JENSEN
The full interview with Dan lasted almost one hour. So stay tuned for a future episode where we will bring you all the tips and tricks from Dan on how to boost your performance. Thanks to Matteo, Alvin and Dan for joining the Castelli Show and sharing their experience, insights and predictions for Sunday. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to subscribe, give us a five-star rating to help us be seen by other cyclists in the algorithm and if you have a Castelli product related question or topic you would like to us to take up on a future episode, email us from the contact form on the Castelli website, DM us on Instagram or Facebook or you can also submit your question through the Q&A on the Spotify app. Good luck to everyone racing in Glasgow and see you soon!