The Traka 200

Ben’s ride at the Traka wasn’t just a test of endurance, it was a test of real-time decision-making. With high-intensity climbing and pacey flat sections early on in the race, the energy expenditure was brutal from the get go. Despite a strong pre-race plan, by the halfway feed zone Ben reported feeling flat, evidence that even a well-planned nutrition strategy can’t solve overpacing due to race dynamics. But instead of crumbling, Ben showed experience. Rather than sticking to his planned 45-minute fueling windows, he reacted and shifted to every 20 minutes, realising this is what his body needed. This intuition (and high carb intake as a result) is most definitely testament to a combination of training the gut, knowing his limits, and trusting that more aggressive carbohydrate intakes are not only tolerable, but highly beneficial when applied well. In an event where energy management is everything, that pivot likely kept him in contention, and research is providing emerging evidence that there may be a need for more individualised fueling plans.

When races stretch well over six hours, hydration must be as much of a priority as carb intake. Ben’s approach was simple but smart: get most of his fluid and sodium intake from high-carb bottles, reducing faff and making every sip count for his body’s needs and importantly, keep his hands on the handlebars for as long as possible. His intake would’ve accounted for enough of his sweat sodium and fluid losses to avoid any debilitating effects or symptoms of dehydration that could otherwise derail his performance. It helps that after receiving a Sweat Test from the team in the week leading up to the race, Ben understood that his sweat sodium losses are on the lower side, so he could afford to be less aggressive in his sodium replacement strategy. In warmer conditions, there isn’t just a risk of underdrinking. Some athletes go the other way, trying to over-compensate, but suffer from frequent urination or other more severe consequences of overdrinking (e.g. (hyponatremia) as a result. Ben’s intake was well judged, with no signs of bloating or GI distress that might’ve ruined the back half, and was sufficient to ensure the high intake of carb he consumed could be absorbed easily from his gut.

Caffeine was the quiet contributor to Ben’s performance. With 300mg taken in across three PF 30 Caffeine Gels, he stayed well within the performance-enhancing sweet spot. Not front-loading it all at once, but spacing it out, likely giving him a consistent boost when the brain fog and fatigue started to set in. In a race where the line between hanging on and blowing up is paper-thin, those marginal gains in focus, reaction time, and motivation add up. The fact that he could adapt his carb strategy mid-race, keep sipping consistently, and still have enough fight to finish just outside the top 20 is a testament to that balance. Caffeine didn’t win him the race, but it probably helped keep him pushing through when things got tough.