{"id":332537,"date":"2025-12-08T14:43:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/332537\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T14:43:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T14:43:10","slug":"3-ways-that-pogacar-fuels-which-might-help-you-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/332537\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways That Poga\u010dar Fuels Which Might Help You at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated December 8, 2025 07:42AM<\/p>\n

Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a> pounds protein like a powerlifter, isn\u2019t afraid of fat, and doesn\u2019t always fuel with as much carbohydrate as you might think.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re the main takeaways from a breakdown of Poga\u010dar\u2019s nutrition on a day at the Tour de France<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And while \u201cMr 7w\/kg\u201d is in another physiological orbit<\/a>, there are some useful principles in his fuel strategy that could help us at home.<\/p>\n

Big numbers for a big day
\n\"Poga\u010darPoga\u010dar and Vingegaard traded attacks in the final kilometers of hte Col de la Loze. (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/p>\n

Velon and the Enervit nutrition brand which sponsors UAE Emirates-XRG recently shared on Instagram<\/a> an intriguing breakdown\u00a0of Poga\u010dar\u2019s Tour de France menu. Velo confirmed the data came from the\u00a0UAE Emirates-XRG\u00a0nutrition team.<\/p>\n

The headlines from Poga\u010dar\u2019s 6,000-calorie gut-buster?<\/p>\n

A 1,200-calorie breakfast, nearly 5,000 total calories of carbs, and more food in the afternoon than most people eat in a day.<\/p>\n

Velon didn\u2019t specify which stage of this year\u2019s Tour the data came from. However, a little sleuthing suggests it was stage 18 up to the Col de la Loze<\/a>. The original Instagram post by Enervit<\/a> on July 24 specifies a 5-hour stage spanning 171.5km \u2013 exactly the stats of that day\u2019s triple-punch \u201cqueen stage\u201d across the roof of the Alps.<\/p>\n

It was the day a fast-fading Poga\u010dar beat back a late attack from Jonas Vingegaard to finish second behind Ben O\u2019Connor. It was the final psychological kick Pogi issued to the Dane before he sealed his fourth yellow jersey.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what fueled Poga\u010dar through his 171.5km, 5,500m+ day, and what we can learn from it.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar\u2019s Tour de France fuel data, per Velon:<\/p>\n

[On mobile? Read chart in landscape \u2013 ed.]<\/p>\n

Pro cyclists pound protein like powerlifters
\n\"UAEPoga\u010dar is a lean mean protein-machine. (Photo: MARCO BERTORELLO\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

You thought high protein intake was only for powerlifters and biohackers?<\/p>\n

Wrong.<\/p>\n

High protein is for endurance athletes, too.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar ate a whopping 150g of protein on the day sampled. For context, that\u2019s the equivalent of more than 600g of salmon, 20 whole eggs, or more than a kilo of tofu. Based on Poga\u010dar\u2019s reported ~67kg Tour de France weight, that\u2019s more around 2.2grams of protein per kilo of bodymass.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar and his nutritionist are clearly reading the recent studies that show endurance athletes need to pound protein like a gym bro.<\/p>\n

While protein recommendations for the general population are as low as 0.8g per kilo of bodyweight, those targets explode to 2g\/kg or more for endurance athletes in periods of intensive load.<\/p>\n

An important point?<\/p>\n

Daily protein intake at the Tour de France doesn\u2019t follow a straight line. And it shouldn\u2019t do for any other endurance athlete.<\/p>\n

Velon\u2019s data shows Pogacar ate just 26g of protein before the stage, and a whopper 120g afterward.<\/p>\n

Protein intake is kept moderate at breakfast to prioritize fast-digesting, energy-giving carbohydrate. Tram nutritionists recommend just a token dose of protein \u2013 perhaps an omlette or yoghurt<\/a> \u2013 to stabilize blood sugars and provide a serve of essential muscle-preserving aminos.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing \u201cmoderate\u201d in the post-stage protein frenzy however.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar pounded 120 grams of muscle-building goodness between getting off the bike and getting into bed. That would have been drip-fed through a post-stage shake, a recovery meal on the bus, and another full feed at dinner-time to ensure maximal uptake and enhance recovery.<\/p>\n

Eat like Poga\u010dar:<\/p>\n

Training very hard? Eat lots of protein to fuel adaptation and growth. That said, Poga\u010dar\u2019s 2g\/kg+ at the Tour de France should be considered extreme. If you\u2019re not racing Vingegaard through the Alps, 2g\/kg protein per day is probably enough.<\/p>\n

Carbohydrate: Not every day is a 120g day
\n\"Poga\u010darThe pro peloton matches carb intake to exercise intensity. (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar fueled the stage with a total of 460g carbohydrate, which works out at 92g per hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly 92g\u201d I hear you say?<\/p>\n

What about \u201cthe magic 120\u201d everybody bangs on about?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, 92g per hour.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar has spoken of how he\u2019s now able to eat 120g of carbohydrates per hour on the bike, but that doesn\u2019t mean he would do it every day.<\/p>\n

As we explored here<\/a>, teams don\u2019t mindlessly pump their riders with kilos of carbs every day. They have athletes fuel the work required, and nothing more. That means the peloton hits 120g on the most eye-popping races, only.<\/p>\n

For example, Poga\u010dar ate 110g per hour<\/a> when he blew everyone\u2019s doors off and hit his best 20-minute power of the 2025<\/a>\u00a0at Il Lombardia. The 27-year-old likely had even more at Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n

And when the peloton isn\u2019t pounding the pedals all day, the fueling strategy is toned down accordingly.<\/p>\n

\"\"Big mountains need big meals. (Photo: ASO)<\/p>\n

Velon didn\u2019t provide a breakdown of what Poga\u010dar ate and when during the stage, but it likely was modulated by the hour.<\/p>\n

It would have been gels and carb-drinks galore before and during the HC climbs of the Glandon, Madeleine, and the summit finish on the Col de La Loze. The teeth would have seen welcome relief on the sprawling descents, where carbs would be cut back to match the low metabolic demand.<\/p>\n

This strategy keep energy input and output in balance, and helps safeguard against G.I. distress \u2013 something that\u2019s key when the body\u2019s defenses are at breaking point in the third week of the Tour.<\/p>\n

And just because Poga\u010dar didn\u2019t eat as many carbs as you might expect on the bike, he more than made up for it after the stage.<\/p>\n

Pogi ate close to 2,000 calories of carbohydrates that afternoon and evening to boost recovery and re-stock glycogen for another gruesome Alpine stage the next day.<\/p>\n

All told, Poga\u010dar ate around 18 grams of carbohydrate per kilo of bodyweight on the day sampled \u2013 three times the recommendation<\/a>\u00a0for a moderately training amateur.<\/p>\n

Eat like Poga\u010dar:<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that more carbohydrates are better for endurance training. But don\u2019t be seduced by super-carb stories of cyclists and triathletes pushing 120 grams per hour, or in some cases, a lot more.<\/p>\n

Remember \u2013 \u201cfuel the work required.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid of fat
\n\"\"Poga\u010dar\u2019s diet contains a low proportion of fat, but plenty for overall health. (Photo: LOIC VENANCE\/AFP via Getty Images )<\/p>\n

The one number on Poga\u010dar\u2019s fuel plan that\u2019s not enormous? The total fat.<\/p>\n

The data from Velon suggests he ate 66 grams of fat for the day, which works out at ~600 calories. That\u2019s 10 percent of his total caloric intake.<\/p>\n

Opinions vary, but studies suggest endurance athletes should aim for around 25 percent of their total calorie intake to be from fat.<\/p>\n

One gram of fat per kilo of bodyweight is considered the minimum.<\/p>\n

So while the proportion of fat in Pogi\u2019s diet is low at ~10 percent, the absolute number is adequate. For the Tour\u2019s 67kg climbing king, 66 grams of fat scrapes the lower benchmark.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t go thinking Poga\u010dar has decided fat is the enemy \u2013 sport nutrition moved on from that fad a long time ago. Healthy fats serve an essential role in maintaining hormonal health, maximizing vitamin uptake, and ensuring repair.<\/p>\n

Poga\u010dar\u2019s relative fat intake is low purely because he\u2019s so busy crushing carbohydrates.<\/p>\n

Deep in the third week of the Tour, carbs and protein take priority to ensure performance and recovery. Healthy fats from nuts, fish, oils, and dairy are served at a maintenance level to keep riders upright without significantly escalating overall caloric intake.<\/p>\n

Eat like Poga\u010dar:<\/p>\n

Athletes should take two things from Poga\u010dar\u2019s meal plan:<\/p>\n

(1) Eat your fats, always!
(2) Pro diets are not normal diets, particularly in the Tour de France. Average Joes should aim for more than 10 percent of their diet to come from fats. You can bet that Poga\u010dar is pounding Insta-friendly avocado toast and almond butter oatmeal right now in the off-season.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n