Catering control (cycling)
In cycling, the catering control is understood to be a section of the route on which the riders are supplied with food and beverages while standing or running. The correct technical term is in the area of the Federation of German Cyclists (BDR) catering section , but the term catering control is used almost exclusively .
On this section of the route - in the long, 200 to over 250 km long professional races after about half the race distance - the drivers are given so-called "food bags " by sports directors, supervisors, carers and mechanics , the contents of which they stow in their jersey pockets and then throw away the empty bag. They mainly contain high-calorie foods such as energy bars, rice cakes and energy concentrates, but also pieces of fruit and the like. The banana has been pushed back as the traditional “standard cyclist meal”, but is still popular. The consumption of dried fruit, which used to be more common (above all apple rings), has also decreased.
Need for food on the way
Food on the go - whether by eating the food stowed in the jersey pockets before the start, by getting food from the team support vehicle or at the food control - is a necessity in cycling for distances of more than 50 km. In contrast to the strains that a marathon runner has to endure and that reduce the athlete's physical performance , the transfer of the physical performance of the cyclist in cycling to the drive achieved is almost loss-free. This makes very long driving times and high mileage possible. The stages of the Tour de France are between 180 and 230 km in length, which corresponds to a travel time of 4.5 to 7 hours, in exceptional cases 8 hours. With an average power of 300 to 350 watts and an efficiency of 25 to 30%, this corresponds to an amount of energy of 20,000 to 35,000 kJ or 4,500 to over 8,000 kcal .
Energy cannot be stored quickly in the body to this extent. The glycogen stores last for about 90 minutes at the intensity of exercise mentioned above . Filling up these energy reserves is therefore absolutely necessary. If a driver eats too little on the way - such as Jan Ullrich in the Tour de France 1998 on the memorable stage to Les Deux Alpes - he is threatened with hunger .
History of the food control
Since in the early phase of cycling - especially in the Tour de France - drinks and food were indiscriminately picked up from the roadside, and in a number of cases - intentionally and unintentionally - doping substances were accepted or poisoned food and drinks were consumed, a control became essential . This is probably where the term catering control comes from .
The regulations today stipulate very precisely when and where meals can be taken, although every driver is free to take care of himself at the start for the first 150 km and beyond. There are three large jersey pockets on the back of the jersey.
Rules for the orderly consumption of food
The consumption of food in the race is regulated by the UCI regulations , which are implemented by the national associations. For the area of the BDR , the regulation is made in section 7.6 of the racing regulations "Road Racing" (hereinafter in italics).
Catering from the support vehicle
Catering from team cars is “permitted from 50 km after the start to 20 km before the finish. The supply of food may only take place behind the accompanying inspector's vehicle or, in the case of smaller groups of up to 15 drivers, at the end of the group. ” - The handover may only be carried out by the corresponding registered supervisors from registered support vehicles. Exceptions - e.g. postponement of the start of the catering at km 50 or the end 20 km before the finish - are regulated in the competition regulations. In this way, the racing jury can also decide ad hoc that, for example, drinks can be accepted to the finish line in excessively high temperatures.
Catering sections (= catering control)
"In the case of longer races or stages (more than 150 km), the organizer must set up refreshment sections at suitable locations where the riders can be served food from the stand." - This stipulation means that the riders will be able to enjoy shorter races / stages if necessary have to supply from the support vehicle or from the reserves packed at the start. In the refreshment section, the handover may only be carried out by the corresponding registered supervisors on the precisely defined section of the route, approximately 2 km in length.
Catering for the drivers among themselves
This is practically unlimited, but according to the regulations only allowed among teammates. For his own protection - for example his situation in doping investigations would become more complicated to his disadvantage - a driver will reject an offer from an opposing driver to give him an energy bar or a drinking bottle - unless they have a special relationship of trust through the Team boundaries.
water
Water is the most important element that the racing driver needs for food. In glycogen storage, for example, almost three times the amount of water is stored in the muscle. According to unwritten laws , it is the first task of the team helpers, who are therefore also called " water carriers " , to provide the team with water by regularly picking them up from the team car. Contrary to popular expectations (which are fueled by advertising for obvious reasons) there are mostly no sports drinks, isotonic drinks, etc. in the drivers' drinking bottles . like., but clear water. In certain phases of the race, individual drivers are provided with special drinks. These, too, are not necessarily isotonic : Rather, they are tailored to the driver's metabolic situation and can be isotonic, hypotonic or hypertonic .
In addition to the supply by the water carriers, there are many races, e.g. B. at the Tour de France, neutral support motorcycles that offer water-filled drinking bottles, which usually bear the label of a sponsor of the organization.
Written and unwritten laws
The rules mentioned above as well as the UCI regulations define exactly what is allowed. Beyond that, however, it is above all the “unwritten laws” of cycling that guide riders. For example, it is considered unsporting to attempt to break away during the refreshment control phase - i.e. in the racing phase before the refreshment segment, in the refreshment segment and immediately afterwards . These rules - as important as they may be for the functioning of a large field of riders - are not always understood outside of cycling and journalists like to give them a mysterious aura.
Before the start, the drivers are informed where the food control is located and prepare accordingly. It is also beneficial if the field of drivers is pulled apart a little so that the drivers can pass the food check individually and not hinder each other. Those who do not comply will be called to order accordingly. This “inner mechanics” of the driver field is not visible to the spectator . In order to expand and slow down the field of drivers, a straight route is usually chosen for the refreshment section, which is at the end of a slight incline and / or has a slight incline itself.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dr. Peter Wastl: Energy supply. (PDF; 73 kB) Energy metabolism. (No longer available online.) Institute for Sports Science Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, p. 7 , archived from the original on February 28, 2013 ; Retrieved October 28, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d Racing Regulations of the Federation of German Cyclists, Section 7.6 ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 1.1 MB) accessed on October 28, 2012
- ↑ nova87: Torment yourself, you pig! Experience report. (No longer available online.) Ciao !, August 10, 2001, formerly in the original ; Retrieved October 28, 2012 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Martin Sümening: Strange code of honor for professional cyclists. Tour entourage. Der Spiegel, July 20, 2007, accessed October 28, 2012 .
Web links
- UCI regulations for road cycling, there: 2.3.025 ff "Feeding" ( Memento from July 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (English / French)