Chris Froome is, possibly, one of the best road cyclists today. However, a decade ago, few would have predicted that he would become a reference in the world of road cycling. In his early years as a professional, his performance did not stand out and he seemed destined to be just another rider in the peloton. Maybe he would achieve a victory in classics or in stages of grand tours, but he did not look like a great champion.
One of the key factors in his evolution has been his strict nutritional planning, designed to optimize his performance on the bike. His physical transformation began 10 years ago with a program focused on weight loss and increasing his pedaling power. This ultra-planned approach to cycling nutrition, developed together with Team Sky, allowed him to reach his best version and become a reference in road cycling.
Although nutrition is a fundamental aspect for any high-level cyclist, both in road cycling and in mountain biking, maintaining a proper balance between weight and power is essential to improve performance on any terrain. From long climbs on a road bike to the demanding technical trails of mountain bikes, proper nutrition can make the difference in a cyclist's endurance and recovery.
Froome managed to lose 10 kilos and raise his power-to-weight ratio to 6.25 watts per kilogram
In 2007, the first year he competed as a professional, Froome weighed 75.7 kilos at 21 years old. In 2013, when he won his first Tour de France, he weighed in at 65.8 kilos. Almost 10 kilos less! In 2018 he could win his fourth Tour in five years and, at 32 years old, he remains below 70 kilos in weight while measuring 1.85 meters. This weight loss helped him significantly improve his level on the bike, especially in the mountains. In scientific terms, the measure used in cycling to calculate performance is the power-to-weight ratio (w/kg), which is the watts a cyclist can generate per kilo.
A cyclist with a high level moves in the range of 4 to 4.5 watts per kilogram. For a professional cyclist, this ratio is usually around an average of 5.5 w/kg, reaching up to 6 w/kg in the case of the top riders. Chris Froome's power-to-weight ratio is approximately 6.25 w/kg! What changes did Froome introduce to his diet to achieve this transformation? According to what he himself confessed in an interview given to the Irish newspaper The Independent
, the first measure he applied was "going hungry". During the preparation for the 2011 Vuelta, in which he finished second, he reduced the number of calories he consumed each day. "I think I lost weight for that 2011 Vuelta in an unhealthy way". After that carrera, he decided to change his nutritional planning. He stopped counting calories, reduced carbohydrates to the bare minimum, got rid of heavy breakfasts, and built a diet based mainly on proteins. Instead of going hungry to prepare for a big carrera by stages and then allowing himself a few weeks of a more relaxed diet, he adopted a route that allowed him to maintain the same weight steadily throughout the year. With his new menu in the summer of 2012, he finished second in the Tour de France and, a year later, would win his first French round.
What does Chris Froome eat?
The menu Chris Froome follows is no secret. In his biography, he dedicates pages to talking about his diet and how he structures his meals. So, for example, about what he eats for breakfast, he says the following: "I try to keep it light. In the morning I stick to a bowl of oatmeal and a two-egg omelet. Nothing else. If I am riding a big stage that day, I have a three-egg omelet and a small amount of white rice for breakfast".
James Morton, head of nutrition for Team Sky, is the one in charge of monitoring every gram that Froome consumes. His plan is based on the following: no carbohydrates during the preparation periods and some carbohydrates during competition. "This concept of periodizing daily carbohydrate intake is the most exciting part of sports nutrition in the last decade", explains Morton. In the nutritional plan that Morton has developed for Froome, it includes the recommendation to eat "between 2 and 2.5 grams per kilo of his body mass every day, every three or four hours". The rice cakes that Team Sky itself prepares, along with water bottles and energy bars, dominate the menu during the Tour stages. When he is not on the bike, the diet is filled with avocado, eggs, salmon, fruit shakes, and meat fillets.