Filippo Fiorelli’s first days with Visma-Lease a Bike were far from ordinary. Flights were cancelled, schedules changed, and a last-minute call forced him to dash from Palermo to Rome before heading to Adelaide. Amid the travel chaos, the Sicilian rider found one thing surprisingly comforting: the team’s approach to food.
The rookie quickly realized that Visma doesn’t just focus on training—it fuels its riders thoroughly. “I posted those buffet photos on Instagram because I was amazed by the meals,” Fiorelli said to BiciPro. Unlike past experiences where eating too much could cause stress about weight, here the focus is on eating enough to match the workload. “Weight used to be a problem for me. I never quit, but I would stress if I ate too much. Here, they make me eat a lot—so much that sometimes I thought I would burst.”
Fiorelli, 31, previously rode for ProTeam VF Group – Bardiani CSF – Faizanè. In 2025 he was without a win, but did snag the points jersey at the Giro d’Abruzzo. He turned pro in 2020 and has come close a few times to winning a Giro stage. But he says riding for the Dutch team is totally different than the Italian ones he’s been on.
Every rider follows a tailored plan on the FoodCoach app, he says. At training camps, scales are provided to weigh portions precisely, ensuring each athlete gets exactly what their body needs. “Even on rest days, there’s always something to eat. They just tell you: ‘Don’t worry, eat what’s on the app,’” he explains. “It feels like Christmas lunch every day—and I haven’t gained a gram.”
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Under coach Espen Aareskjold, Fiorelli is adapting to the combination of demanding rides and carefully structured nutrition. On intense sessions, he sometimes consumes 500 grams of cooked rice in a single morning—a quantity he admits would have seemed impossible before joining Visma. “I have grams and everything I need. At home, a small extra salad would make my weight spike. Here, I can eat, train, and perform without limits.”
For the Sicilian newcomer, the difference is remarkable. At Visma, meals are as important as miles on the bike. The team’s precise approach allows him to train, recover, and enjoy food without worry—a luxury for a rider who previously had to watch every bite.
Plus, Italians are known to have…strong opinions about food. It’s nice to see that Fiorelli seems to enjoy what’s…
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