14th
Jan Bakelants' scorecard
Unbound Gravel 200 miler
Saturday 3rd June, 2023
Within recommended ranges
Just outside recommended ranges
Significantly outside recommended ranges
122g
Carb per hour
413mg
Sodium per hour
735ml
Fluid per hour
562mg/L
Relative sodium concentration
394mg
Total caffeine
How Jan hit those numbers
How Jan's hydration and fueling went...
- After recently making the move to gravel riding, former Tour de France yellow jersey holder Jan Bakelants, took on the epic challenge that is Unbound Gravel. Over 330km (205 miles) on rough, hilly, gravel roads through what was described as sections of ‘peanut butter like’ mud, Jan battled for nearly 11 hours to finish 14th in a very strong field
- As a heavy sweater who has struggled with hydration issues in hot weather previously, the high temperatures of 29℃ (84°F) could have caused issues but the former pro cyclist executed a solid strategy on the day
Hydration
- Jan began the day by drinking PH 500. Ahead of this hot race we would recommend he preloaded with a stronger relative sodium concentration drink like PH 1500 to make sure he was starting as optimally hydrated as possible
- During the race, Jan’s hydration strategy involved two main pit stops where his crew gave him pre-made bottles to replace those he had drunk up until that point. He began with two 500ml (16oz) bottles of concentrated PH 500 and PH 1000 respectively, which he effectively diluted with his 1.5L (48oz) hydration pack of plain water
- By the time he reached the first pit stop around the 135km (84-mile) mark, Jan had completely emptied his bottles and pack. With a lot of chasing in this first section, Jan mentioned he had to push hard to get back into the race and that he felt he was sweating a considerable amount. As a result, Jan needed to play catch up, not just in the race, but with regard to his fluid intake
- At the first stop, Jan replaced his bottles with another set containing identical volumes and products to previously. Into the second section, he felt he was still overheating and paying for his previous efforts so he decided to stop in a small village shop to pick up extra supplies
- Jan bought a bag of ice to chuck over his head to try and reduce his perceived body temperature, a bottle of Coca Cola and an extra 500ml (16oz) bottle of water. This additional cold drink was a great purchase as a cooling strategy, to replace more of his sweat losses alongside the bottle of water and as a small caffeine boost to increase his perceived energy levels
- He stopped once more with 60km (37 miles) to go where he climbed into his team’s drinks cooler in an attempt to cool himself again and here he was given two further 500ml (16oz) bottles of energy drink mix (80g carb each) and another 1.5L (48oz) pack of plain water
- Jan did not drink any of his final pack and instead chose to pass it off to another rider to lose the added weight. Overall, this hydration strategy meant Jan drank an average of ~735ml (26oz) of fluid per hour across the race, replacing a good enough proportion of his high losses to allow for his performance in the heat, with no reported hydration-related issues
- Jan may have benefitted from having more fluid available to him in the first 135km (84 miles), but in this long gravel ride extra weight could have a greater impact on his performance, so he did well to tread the line and meet his needs
- Similarly with sodium, the PH 500 and PH 1000 interspersed throughout his intake meant Jan took on a relative sodium concentration of ~562mg per litre (mg/32oz), which just under his sweat sodium concentration of 839mg/L. Considering he was diluting his sodium intake with large volumes of plain water, Jan could have used solely PH 1000 to increase the concentration slightly in these hot conditions
Fueling
Quick Carb Calculator Recommendation
30g
carb 30 mins before
60-90g
carb per hour during
- With the race beginning just before 6am, Jan had an early start to eat a carb-rich breakfast along with a few cups of coffee at 4:15am on race morning. This gave his stored glycogen a final top up ahead of a long day of riding and burning through his carbohydrate stores
- Jan took on an impressive average of ~122g of carbohydrate per hour over the 11-hour race. This was made up of PF 90 Gels, PF 30 Gels, a couple of PF 30 Caffeine Gels, some PF 30 Chews, other energy bars and drinks including Red Bull and Coca Cola
- This high carb intake is above the general recommendation of 90g/h but we’re seeing more and more elite athletes being able to sustain higher levels with links to greater ergogenic effects
- His fueling kept his energy levels up for most of the race, with Jan putting his occasional dips in energy down to overheating. He reported his GI comfort to be adequate throughout, but it was no surprise after this level of carb that Jan felt a ‘little fed up with sugary stuff’ by the end of the race
- Jan also used small-to-moderate doses of caffeine spread throughout his intake in the form of gels and drinks in an attempt to delay his onset of fatigue and increase his perceived energy levels
Conclusions
- Although being relatively new to gravel, Jan enjoyed an excellent race and implemented a solid fuel and hydration strategy to average ~122g/h carb and ~735ml (24oz) fluid on his way to a solid 14th spot despite tough, hot conditions
- Jan mentioned how the race was a ‘mental game’ and despite wanting to come inside the top-ten, he was ‘very satisfied’ with the outcome and his performance
Key info
Jan Bakelants
Male
Sweat sodium concentration
839mg/L
Sweat sodium classification
Moderate
* determined by our Sweat Test
Result
Position
14th
Overall Time
10:47:59
Event information
Sport
Cycling
Discipline
Gravel
Event
Unbound Gravel 200 miler
Location
Kansas, USA
Date
3rd June, 2023
Total Distance
330.3km / 205.2mi
Total Elevation
3,084m / 10,118ft
Race conditions
Weather Conditions
Hot and Humid
Precipitation
Rain
Min Temp
19°C / 66°F
Max Temp
29°C / 84°F
Avg Temp
25°C / 77°F
Humidity
75%
Athlete feedback
Race Satisfaction
8/10
Energy levels
6/10
I felt good and powerful at the beginning but paid for this later on mainly due to the heat
Toilet stops
Yes
I peed once at mile 10
GI comfort
7/10
I felt a little nauseous towards the end but never had any major GI discomfort
Cramping
Twinges but not full-on cramps
Jan's full stats
Carbohydrate (g) | Sodium (mg) | Fluid (ml) | Caffeine (mg) | Relative sodium concentration (mg/L) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||||
Total intake | 1,320 | 4,458 | 7,930 | 394 | 562 |
Per hour | 122 | 413 | 735 | 37 |
Data Confidence
1
2
3
4
5
There is some confidence in the quantities and brands of products consumed but the data may lack specifics (e.g. volumes specific flavours). A high number of estimations have been made and the room for error is moderate-high. There may also be the possibility that some intake has been grossly over- or under-estimated.