Two-wheel diet

Local bike mechanic Vince Gee works for the RadioShack team this year with Lance Armstrong. He previously wrenched for U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel. I asked him what pro cyclists eat.

“In the cycling world, it’s kind of simple and old-school: chicken and pasta or pasta and chicken. Because of the volume of calories that endurance athletes go through, they go for a volume of carbohydrates with some protein as well. They even have pasta for breakfast, which isn’t modern thinking in my mind.

“Because their food is sometimes boring, the soigneurs might make a treat for them. My friend makes these great little jam bars. Paninis are extremely popular, too, with Nutella and banana or cream cheese and ham.

“There’s been a little trend toward sports gels, because they’re easier to digest and don’t require any chewing. Sometimes you have to eat when you’re going 40 miles an hour.”