The Ötztaler Radmarathon is one of the most well-known Gran Fondos in Europe. The 227 km ride has over 5,550 meters of climb over 4 alpine passes. The climbs are brutally long, the descents highly technical, and the competition tough.
Exercise physiologist and sports nutritionist Dr. Tim Podlogar raced it back in 2023. But he wasted energy in the breakaway and was destroyed on the last climb. Lesson learned.
So, when coming back to the 2025 Ötztaler, he had a clear goal: ride with the pack to conserve energy and fuel smart to finish strong.
The Fueling Plan
Dr. Tim wanted to keep his fueling plan simple. Regardless of the race conditions, he planned for:
- Carb loading: 12 g/kg bodyweight in the 24 hours before the race (see guidelines)
- Target intake: 90 g carbohydrate per hour (his personalized, lab-tested intake).
- Fuel sources: Nrgy Gels 45, Nrgy Drink 45, and Nrgy Chew Bars 22.5.
The plan was to use Nrgy Drink 45 on the climbs and supplement with the Gels or Chews, depending on how he felt. This would ensure he started the descents well fueled, so he could replenish glycogen then.
What about caffeine?
This was planned too. Dr. Tim had a small coffee at breakfast and then a 100 mg caffeine capsule at the start line (See caffeine dosing protocol).
After each feeding station, he took a Nrgy Gel 45 with 65 mg of caffeine—and saved a stronger Nrgy Gel 45 with 130 mg for the final climb.
Executing the Plan
Logistics for the Ötztaler is a challenge. The course is a loop with no connecting roads between climbs. As Dr. Tim said,
“You need very good and patient friends or family on the road to help you.”
He knows this firsthand from when he raced the Sportful Dolomiti Gran Fondo without support. As a result, he ran out of water at one point and was forced to slow down.
Luckily, he had people at 4 strategic points this time. That allowed him to structure his fuel and water availability:
- Start: 2 bottles (one water and one Nrgy Drink 45) + 3 Nrgy Gels 45 + 6 Nrgy Chews
- Support 1: 2 bottles (one water, one Nrgy Drink 45) + 2 Nrgy Gels 45 (taped to the bottles)
- Support 2: Same as Support 1
- Support 3: 1 water bottle + 1 Nrgy Gel 45
- Support 4: 2 bottles (one water and one larger 750 ml bottle with ~55 g carbs) + 2x Nrgy Gels 45
Plan vs. Reality
Dr. Tim is the first to admit that even nutritionists don’t always nail their nutrition plans. But this time, he executed everything perfectly: no issues, steady energy, and a smooth race from start to finish.
Crucially, he never ran out of water and still had two gels in his pocket when he finished—so the plan not only worked but left him with a margin of safety. The caffeine strategy helped him maintain focus and energy.
Dr. Tim crossed the finish line after 7 hours and 11 minutes, putting him in 25th place out of the 3,633 male finishers.
Not just a solid performance—proof that science-backed fueling, executed with discipline, works.