Thomas De Gendt is a Belgian pro cyclist known for his relentless breakaways and stage-hunting prowess. Over his impressive career, which spans nearly two decades, he has claimed stage victories in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España, as well as major wins in races like Paris-Nice and the Tour de Suisse.
De Gendt has since transitioned to gravel racing with the Classified Rose Team, where he continues to cement his status as a versatile, aggressive rider.
With so much experience, De Gendt has a wealth of advice and insight. Nduranz sat down with him in a recent podcast episode to discuss his career and get his firsthand perspective. He had a lot to say about cycling nutrition—and how far it has come. Here are the highlights.
You can listen to the full podcast episode here.
Eat. A Lot.
Because he’s been in the pro scene for so long, De Gendt has seen firsthand how cycling nutrition has changed. In the early years, there was almost no science-backed nutrition advice. Young riders would simply copy whatever the skinniest or most successful rider on the team was doing.
At the time, that advice was often: “Don’t eat during endurance training because it will make you fat. Just ride with water.”
Now, it’s a complete 180. Almost every team has a dedicated nutritionist, and we understand that cyclists need to eat a lot during endurance training. These calories are what allow you to perform at an elite level and recover properly. This is especially important for female cyclists, who are at a higher risk of developing RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).
New to endurance nutrition? Read our Fueling Guide and Recovery Guide.
Don’t Rely On Intuition
In the old days, cyclists relied on intuition to determine whether they were getting enough calories. As a result, they often ended up under-fueled on certain days.
Today, elite cyclists use science and technology instead of guesswork. De Gendt says almost every rider now uses an app to track intake: it tells you when you need to eat more—and when to stop.
“The app makes sure that you eat enough so you are prepared for the next day. This makes your training better and your recovery better, which makes you a better rider in general.”
Do What Works for You
While De Gendt agrees that science-backed nutrition advice is essential, he also cautions cyclists not to follow it blindly. Everyone is different—and personalization is key.
“You should try the advice, but you have to find what works for you and make it your own. For example, if your trainer says you need to eat 120 grams of carbs, but you don’t feel good with it—leave it out.”
Pasta First, and Then Salad
During his pro peloton days, De Gendt often needed to eat 6,000 to 7,000 calories per day. After weeks of consuming this much, it’s easy to get tired of consuming carbohydrates—but the body needs them for performance and recovery.
He says that no matter how much you are craving something else, you’ve got to get the pasta and carbs in first. If you are still hungry after eating your carbohydrates, then you can eat salad.
“Make sure that you get things that you need first, and it's not salad and it's not soup: it's the carbs.”
Fuel Before the Breakaway Chaos
You don’t have much time to eat once the chaos of a breakaway begins. And attacks can get so intense that you forget to fuel. That’s why De Gendt always made sure to consume carbohydrates before the race.
“I would take a gel 30 minutes before the start. In the neutral zone, I would take an extra one. Then I would already have 60 or 80 grams of sugar in me. And then I would start attacking.”
This pre-race strategy helped keep him calm since he didn’t have to worry about fueling during the first hectic hour of the race. Once the first gap was made, he would return to his fueling strategy of one gel every 20 minutes.
Gut Train for Higher Carbohydrate Intake
Because so many cyclists now understand the importance of fueling, there’s a push to consume more and more carbohydrates. De Gendt says some riders are even trying to get in 300 grams per hour! (Note that both De Gendt and Nduranz's head of research, Dr. Tim Podlogar, agree this amount is insane.)
But even when fueling with more moderate amounts of carbohydrates, side effects can occur. De Gendt said he felt bloated when he increased his intake from 100g/h to 140g/h.
If you want to increase your fuel intake without side effects, you’ll need to train the gut to tolerate them.
For more, read:
Spread Food Intake Out
A lot of riders get their carbohydrates by eating large meals, such as one big portion after the race and another one in the evening. This doesn’t work for De Gendt. His stomach would feel heavy and it would be difficult for him to sleep—which is crucial for recovery during stage races.
Instead, De Gendt would spread out his food intake by eating several smaller portions, so he could sleep better with a lighter stomach.
His Secret Weapon: M&M’s
Even though teams now employ professional chefs to cook delicious meals, taste fatigue is real. Riders get tired of eating enormous quantities of pasta and rice day after day.
Whenever De Gendt was struggling to eat enough or didn’t feel hungry for breakfast before a race, he’d take out his secret weapon: a yellow bag of M&M’s.
While not ideal from a nutritional standpoint, they’re calorie-dense and full of sugar. But most importantly? They gave him a mental boost.
“M&M’s are always yummy. You don't win races on this, but it helps you to get through the day.”
Want more insights? Listen to the full podcast episode with Thomas De Gendt.