Fueling for Tor des Géants: a winning strategy by Noor VAN DER VEEN
Tor des Géants is not just a race, it’s an adventure through the wild heart of the Italian Alps. With 330 kilometers and 26,000 meters of elevation gain, it’s a race that humbles you, no matter how strong you are. Before this year’s race, Nutribay-athlete Noor van der Veen knew that the key to performing well would be a good fueling plan. Here she shares her winning strategy.
1. A mix of sports fuel and ‘real food’
For long-distance mountain races like Tor des Géants, many people focus too much on real (often fatty) food, saying gels just don’t cut it at this distance. While that is true, in my experience fast sports fuel like gels is still a very important piece of the puzzle if you want to perform your best. I think of slow, real food as the basis your body would need anyway to stay alive for the time it takes to run the race. But since you’re not just trying to stay alive, your body needs a lot more and, most importantly, quick and steady access to carbs. That’s why I still rely heavily on gels during races like Tor des Géants. And in big amounts too: I try to eat two gels per hour on average over the course of the race. I love the big gel packets of the Precision Fuel & Hydration PF90 – basically three gels in one – as they meet the huge demands of the body without me having to open gel after gel. I’m also a big fan of the Santa Madre jelly bars. Easy to eat, great-tasting and containing 37g of carbs each.
My personal ‘real food’ favorite this time was overnight oats, made with oats, chia seeds, soy milk, maple syrup and a spoonful of peanut butter. I packed them into soft pouches meant for baby food so I could eat them on the go, even while climbing. They gave me a mix of slow carbs, fats and something that actually felt like food. We also packed sandwiches, focaccia cut into bite-sized pieces, and pancakes with honey and jam. At the checkpoints, I liked to have salty soup with orzo.
2. What to eat when: plan according to the terrain
When I say I try to eat two gels per hour on average, that does not mean that I eat two gels every hour. It depends on the terrain. Tor des Géants basically only goes steeply up or steeply down. You rarely stay at altitude for long. I built my fueling plan around that race-specific fact. On the uphills, where my heart rate and breathing are higher, I don’t like chewing at all, so I focus only on fast, easy fuel like gels. It’s hard to swallow anything solid when you’re climbing 1,000 vertical meters or more.
Once I reached the col and started descending, I’d let my heart rate drop for a few minutes and then switch to eating slower foods, like a pancake or a sandwich. Those descents are long, sometimes an hour or more, and that’s perfect eating time. Real foods can take me 10 or 15 minutes or more to finish, but during long descents you have all the time you need without losing much speed. During these descents I tried to make the most of my eating time and low heart rate and sometimes even add something extra, like another gel or a Precision Fuel & Hydration PF30 chew.
3. Adapt when necessary, keep making conscious decisions
No matter how great your plan is, stomach issues are common and almost to be expected in these kinds of races. You’re pushing hard, running through the night, dealing with altitude, heat, cold and sometimes stress, and all of these factors have a huge effect on the digestive system. That’s why I believe a plan is only half the story. The other half is staying aware and making conscious decisions.
During the first night, quite early in the race, I started to feel nauseous. Instead of forcing food down or panicking, I decided to pause my fueling for a while to let my body settle down. That short break made all the difference. Once my stomach calmed, I picked up the plan again and continued normally. It’s a small mental shift, but it’s crucial for me to keep going: you’re not ‘failing the plan’ but adapting to your body’s needs. Making those decisions consciously prevents you from sliding into the downward spiral of underfueling and fatigue that ends so many races.
4. Recover on the way
A big part of my success at this year’s Tor des Géants came from the 14 recovery shakes I drank on the way. I had one shake at every point where I saw my crew. Each shake contained carbs and protein to help limit muscle breakdown and replenish energy and water at the same time. If you’re interested in adding this to your race fueling strategy, make sure you experiment with brands that feel light, taste good and that you can easily get down even when you’re deep into the race.
In French
Fueling for Tor des Géants: a winning strategy
Tor des Géants is not just a race, it’s an adventure through the wild heart of the Italian Alps. With its 330 kilometers and 26,000 meters of elevation gain, it’s an event that humbles you, no matter how strong you are. Before this year’s race, Nutribay-athlete Noor van der Veen knew that the key to performing well would be a good fueling plan. Here she shares her winning strategy.
1. A mix of sports nutrition and “real food”
For very long-distance mountain races like Tor des Géants, many runners focus too much on “real food” (often fatty), saying that gels aren’t enough for such a long duration. This is partly true, but in my experience, fast energy sources like gels remain an essential piece of the puzzle if you want to perform at your best.
I consider solid, slower-digesting foods the necessary foundation for the body to simply keep going for the duration of the race. But since the goal isn’t just to “survive,” you need much more — especially a regular and rapid supply of carbohydrates. That’s why I still rely heavily on gels in races like Tor des Géants. And in large quantities: I try to consume two per hour on average.
I love the large Precision Fuel & Hydration PF90 gels — the equivalent of three gels in one — because they meet the body’s huge demands without me having to open one gel after another. I’m also a big fan of the Santa Madre jelly bars: easy to eat, delicious and containing 37g of carbs each.
As for “real food,” my favorite this year was overnight oats made with rolled oats, chia seeds, soy milk, maple syrup and a spoonful of peanut butter. I packed them into soft baby-food pouches so I could eat them while walking, even on the climbs. They gave me a mix of slow carbs, fats and the feeling of eating “something real.” We also prepared sandwiches, focaccia cut into pieces, and pancakes with honey or jam. At the aid stations, I liked to have salty soup with orzo.
2. Fuel according to the terrain
When I say that I eat two gels per hour on average, that doesn’t mean I have two every hour. It all depends on the terrain. Tor des Géants constantly alternates between steep climbs and long descents — you rarely remain at a constant altitude for long. So I built my fueling plan around this specific feature.
On the climbs, when my heart rate and breathing speed up, I hate chewing anything. I focus exclusively on fast, easy-to-digest fuel such as gels. It’s difficult to swallow solid food when climbing 1,000 meters of elevation gain!
Once I reached the col and began descending, my heart rate dropped a little and I switched to slower foods such as a pancake or a sandwich. These descents often last an hour or more — perfect for eating at a relaxed pace. Solid foods sometimes take me 10 to 15 minutes to finish, but on these long sections I have the time without losing speed. I also try to take advantage of this time to add an extra gel or a Precision Fuel & Hydration PF30 chew.
3. Adapt and listen to your body
No matter how good your plan is, digestive issues are common and almost unavoidable in this type of event. You push your body to the limit, run at night, and deal with altitude, heat, cold and sometimes stress — all of this has a huge effect on digestion.
That’s why, in my opinion, a plan is only half the story. The other half is awareness and the ability to make informed decisions.
During the first night, fairly early in the race, I started to feel nauseous. Instead of forcing myself to eat or panicking, I chose to take a break from fueling while my body settled down. That short break changed everything: once my stomach had calmed, I was able to resume my plan normally. This small shift in mindset is crucial for me: it’s not about “failing to follow the plan,” but about adapting the plan to the body’s needs. This conscious approach prevents you from falling into the spiral of underfueling and fatigue that brings so many races to an end.
4. Recover along the way
A large part of my success at this year’s Tor des Géants came from the 14 recovery shakes I drank during the race. I had one at every point where I saw my support crew.
Each shake contained carbohydrates and protein to help limit muscle breakdown while replenishing energy and water. If you want to incorporate this into your strategy, try different brands in training to find ones that feel light, are easy to digest and taste good, even when you’re deep into the race.