{"id":7911,"date":"2025-03-31T17:59:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T15:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=7911"},"modified":"2025-04-07T18:09:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T16:09:54","slug":"alpecin-deceunincks-chef-and-head-of-performance-nutrition-can-make-a-good-athlete-great-and-a-great-athlete-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2025\/03\/31\/alpecin-deceunincks-chef-and-head-of-performance-nutrition-can-make-a-good-athlete-great-and-a-great-athlete-good\/","title":{"rendered":"Alpecin\u2013Deceuninck\u2019s Chef and Head of Performance: \u201cNutrition can make a good athlete great and a great athlete good.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s episode of the \u0160koda We Love Cycling podcast is all about nutrition and its timing on a pro cycling level. Staying on top of every rider\u2019s ideal fuelling needs during the Grand Tours, Classics, World Championships or training camps requires extensive knowledge and organisational skills, a love for food science, and a pinch of alchemy. Matt Stephens invited Matti Stiens and Kristof de Kegel to walk us through the inner workings of compiling the perfect diet strategy for some of the world\u2019s best cyclists.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Matti Stiens<\/a> is a former professional road racing cyclist from Belgium turned chef for teams Alpecin\u2013Deceuninck and Fenix\u2013Deceuninck. He\u2019s one of the crew members travelling everywhere with the riders, making sure everyone stays well fed, and he\u2019s been doing so for three years. Kristof de Kegel,<\/a> the Head of Performance for both teams, is overseeing all the processes and schedules designed to get the riders to the starting line in the best shape possible, which includes training but also, increasingly, nutrition.<\/p>\n