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In the 2017 Gree-Tour of Guangxi Road Cycling World Tour, the BMC team was rated as the best team and stole the spotlight: Daniel Oss won the King of the Mountains title, and several team members also won multiple stage awards.

Throughout the race, Bass Cat followed the BMC team closely and obtained a lot of 'insider information.' Today, let's take a look at what foods the best team in the Tour of Guangxi carried with them during the race.

Before the start of the second stage, team member Manuel Senni 'secretly' stuffed something delicious into his cycling jersey pocket, but it was fully captured by Bass Cat's camera. What is this tasty treat?

The BMC team provided its riders with energy supplements from the American brand PowerBar. What Manuel Senni put in his pocket was a PowerBar energy bar. This blue energy bar is specifically the 'Natural Protein' variety, with a salted peanut flavor. This 40-gram energy bar contains 30%, or 12 grams, of protein. Although the packaging indicates that this energy bar should be consumed during the recovery phase after the race, Manuel Senni might have a particular fondness for this flavor, so he still kept it with him. It seems that professional cyclists sometimes prioritize taste when choosing their energy foods during the race.

The BMC team provided its riders with PowerBar energy bars in various flavors, allowing them to choose according to their taste preferences.

In addition to energy bars that supplement calories and protein during the race, the team also carried a large number of PowerGel energy gels (also from the PowerBar brand, shown in the top row of the picture below). Each 41-gram gel pack contains about 200-300 milligrams of sodium (depending on the flavor), 26-27 grams of carbohydrates and sugars, and 107-108 kilocalories of energy, helping the body better absorb water and replenish energy during the race. However, it is important to note that some flavors of PowerGel contain caffeine. Although caffeine is not on the banned list of the World Anti-Doping Agency, riders need to determine whether they need the caffeinated flavors based on their actual needs.

Besides ready-made energy bars and gels, the team also provided delicious snack bento boxes for the riders, so they wouldn't have to rely solely on these 'battlefield fast foods' during the race. A varied diet can provide more comprehensive nutrition and help alleviate the psychological and physical fatigue of the riders, boosting their mood and motivation.

During the Tour of Guangxi, each professional team brought their nutritionists, who also provided portable baked goods for the riders in addition to energy gels. These snacks not only provided energy but also satisfied the riders' cravings during the tough race. The picture below shows BMC team staff member Alice distributing snacks made by the nutritionist.

I tried one, and it tasted very good, with a hint of mint. It provided a refreshing taste for the riders who were parched and sweating, helping them adjust their fatigued bodies halfway through the race.

The repackaged rice balls were placed on the portable refrigerator of the support vehicle, ready to be distributed at the mid-race supply points to each rider.

Team staff member Anthony told me that since Chinese people love rice, and they were in Guangxi, they decided to follow local customs. The nutritionist made many portable rice balls to be distributed to the riders before and during the race. This way, they could enjoy a 'Chinese meal' amidst the beautiful scenery of Guangxi, effectively replenishing carbohydrates.

At the mid-race food supply points, these portable foods and drinking water were packed into small satchels and distributed to each rider in the team.

The picture below shows BMC team staff member Anthony distributing food supply packs to the riders at the supply point, providing them with energy and hydration for the second half of the stage.

It seems that the mid-race diet of these professional riders is not mysterious at all. You can also prepare the same foods for yourself during your rides!