Filippo Fiorelli is amazed at Visma | Lease a Bike. Although the 31-year-old Italian is now used to the yellow-black kit that has always impressed him greatly, he is still surprised by the food at his new team. "I eat until I burst, it's absurd," he tells Bici.pro.
In the interview with the Italian media outlet, Fiorelli explains that he has always struggled with his weight. "In the past, I would gain weight just by eating one extra lettuce leaf. My weight has often been a problem throughout my career. I never considered quitting because of it, but I just couldn’t get it under control. That really ate at me. Not because I couldn’t eat certain things or dessert, but because of the quantities. If I ate a little too much, I would gain weight."
"Here, they let me eat a huge amount," he continues. "During training camp, I thought several times that I wouldn’t be able to finish my plate, it seemed that much. Everyone here has their own diet, personalized through the FoodCoach app. At the buffet, there are always two scales so riders can weigh the recommended portions. I really do eat until I burst, seriously."
'Every day feels like a Christmas dinner'
"I talked about it with Giovanni and Paolo (Visconti and Alberati, Fiorelli's friends), and I said I like to eat, but this is really over the top. At training camp, we had five chefs and we never ate from the hotel buffet. It feels like a Christmas dinner every day."
Yet Fiorelli does not gain weight. According to the Italian, it’s because the body first has to get used to eating large amounts. So Fiorelli is currently fully engaged in ‘learning to eat’. "I also talked with Affini about it and he told me that sometimes they give him so many calories that he can barely get it down."
By the way, Fiorelli’s official debut in the Visma | Lease a Bike jersey is coming soon. The Italian has now traveled to Australia, where he will race the Tour Down Under. There, he will lead out the sprint for Matthew Brennan.
