From Setbacks to Success: Toms Skujiņš Strade Bianche Triumph

In a remarkable display of resilience and determination, Hexis athlete Toms Skujiņš of Lidl-Trek surged through setbacks to claim a prestigious second-place finish at the Strade Bianche. Battling through adversity over the gruelling 215 km course, Toms' unwavering resolve and tactical brilliance left everyone speechless, and earned him a well-deserved spot on the podium.

Defying The Odds

Toms rode an aggressive race throughout, attempting to forge clear in the opening hour of action, before modifying his tactics once it was clear the peloton saw him as a major threat.

However, the Lidl-Trek rider’s race looked in serious jeopardy when he and teammate Quinn Simmons both crashed on the critical gravel sector of Monte Sante Marie with around 80km to go. Despite this setback, and encountering two punctures, Skujins refused to concede defeat, demonstrating remarkable resilience as he fought his way back into contention, even changing bikes to mount a second chase after his initial pursuit. 

"I flatted twice already before I crashed and after I crashed my gears were jammed with mud. It was a hard moment, and luckily we had a bit of road after Santa Marie so I changed my bike. It was a battle, not just physically but also mentally"

The Turning Point

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) had already put in a race-winning attack up the Monte Sante Marie climb and with the chance of victory gone, Toms focused on racing for the podium. The turning point of his race came At 25km to go, he seized the moment and attacked to chase Van Gils (Lotto-Dstny). Once the Belgian had been caught, they rode together until the final climb in Siena, where Toms made his decisive effort to go alone to the finish to claim second.

In Piazza del Campo, Toms could enjoy a podium finish of absolute prestige.

"It’s one of the most beautiful podiums that you could have with the finish in this square in Siena. It’s a very special race, you always know it’s going to be crazy and you just have to keep fighting. Today was definitely one of those days"

Fuelling Success

Behind this extraordinary performance lies a crucial factor that often goes unnoticed - the meticulous planning and execution of nutrition. Toms utilised Hexis’ cutting-edge technology to elevate his fuelling strategy. Hexis took the guesswork out of the equation, offering tailored recommendations to ensure Toms fuelled his body optimally before the race.

Behind this extraordinary performance lies a crucial factor that often goes unnoticed - the meticulous planning and execution of nutrition. Toms is fully supported by the Lidl-Trek nutrition group for his needs, in and off the race, and utilize Hexis’ cutting-edge technology to elevate his fuelling strategy. Starting from the planning created by Lidl-Trek nutritionists to approach and to race Strade Bianche, Hexis took the guesswork out of the equation, offering tailored recommendations to ensure Toms fuelled his body optimally.

Hexis' personalised planning played a pivotal role to put in action the nutrition strategy set by Lid-Trek specialists, ensuring Toms’ glycogen stores were perfectly prepared for the sustained pace of the peloton. During the race, Hexis continued to be his ally, guiding him to consume a precise 110g/hr of carbs from Enervit gels, sports food, and carbohydrate mix bottles. In a sport where every fraction of a second matters, Hexis is an invaluable companion in the pursuit of cycling excellence.

There's many things that need to happen for a successful race from the training before, tactics in the race, equipment and of course nutritional strategy. Luckily with Hexis its easy to take care of the nutrition part and not have to worry about running low on energy at the end of a hard day. Using the app has really opened my eyes even more on how important the right fuelling is and how much there is to gain from it

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The Response

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Chapeau Toms Skujiņš

Fuel your Success

This amazing feat by Toms would not have been possible without the right fuelling strategy. Under-fuelled, he wouldn’t have conquered the gruelling ascent of Monte Sante Marie; over-fuelled, he risked being outpaced as he approached the finish line at Siena. Experience the nutrition system trusted by Toms and elevate your performance.

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