Cycling: Nutrition is important – especially in cycling. If the professionals sit in the saddle for several hours, one or the other drink and food intake is mandatory. So that we can appreciate the work of the relevant employees, we were allowed to look around the Lotto-Kern Haus team on the sidelines of the Deutschland Tour. There, physiotherapist Lena also takes on the task of catering.
The lunch bag for on the go
In cycling, a team consists of more than six, seven or eight professionals – significantly more. Even if we only cheer for the well-known drivers, there are numerous forces at work in the background that make a race possible in the first place. Next to the mechanics and the Athletic Ladders are mainly the Physiotherapists to mention. In the German team Lotto-Kern Haus, however, Lena does not only take on this task. At the same time, she is for the Meals responsible. In the morning before the race, she packs the food bags - and there are actually a few goodies in them. Firewood: “Each driver gets two bars, two gels, a candy and a coke. There is also a bottle of water and a bottle of an isotonic drink. Sometimes rice cakes too, but the drivers bring them themselves.”
Off to the aid zone
In the Pit lane of cycling the teams' cars and buses are parked before the start of the race. Overall, the caravan can extend over a length of more than one kilometer. Then it takes quite some time to get from one place to the next - and time is a valuable commodity in cycling. Therefore, the Lotto-Kern Haus team has equipped itself with some city scooters, as Lena reveals: "The riders are always so much faster with their bikes and otherwise we can't keep up." Even before the peloton have to the employees with the food bags arrive in the appropriate zone. Often there is not much time here either and Lena has to leave before the start. Once there, the waiting for the pros begins – and then no mistake must be made when handing out the bags, otherwise a driver will have to go without his meal.
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"So far there hasn't been any airs and graces - not yet!"
Anyone who has ever ridden a bike more than 200 kilometers can easily empathize with the longing of the pros. A erfrischendes Getrank or a delicious snack can boost morale noticeably. Special requests are therefore not alien to the cycling circus. In the case of Team Lotto-Kern Haus, however, these have so far been limited. "So far we haven't had any airs and graces - not yet! But everyone is always happy about something sweet”, Lena gives us a look behind the scenes. She herself has only been there since March of this year, but would like to take over the mix of catering and physiotherapy in the team on a permanent basis. No wonder, because so far she has hardly experienced any negative moments - except for one time: "Nothing has happened to me since then with the drivers or the bags, but I've already been hit by an escort vehicle. The side mirror got me.”
"I was shot down with a bolt yesterday."
Rather a funny story on the subject knew us drivers Tobias Knauf to tell: “I was shot down with a bolt yesterday. Rally Cycling's Bradley Huff just threw out the things he didn't want from his bag. I went exactly in the direction he was throwing and got hit.” But there is also help among competitors: “Sometimes you trade with drivers who have a different outfitter. Then they say: We'll never get your bars. And then they can have ours and we get their bars.” Florian Nowak is very satisfied with the team's own bars: "It's important that you have a bit of variety. Luckily we have the right sponsor so we get a lot of different things.” But all professionals agree on one thing: "We're always happy about a cola and something sweet." Well then, meal!
Today, Tobias Knaup again tells us about his impressions of the 2nd stage of the Deutschland Tour in his diary.https://t.co/J1TvSi551G https://t.co/J1TvSi551G
— Team Lotto Kern-Haus (@lottokernhaus) August 24, 2018
The cover photo is by Marcel Hilger.
Here is a direct link to his homepage: www.marcelhilger.de