Team LottoNL-Jumbo has made a new move in the nutritional field by recruiting Asker Jeukendrup and Nancy van der Burg. Under supervision of the famous Jeukendrup, sports nutrition expert Van der Burg will coach the riders individually concerning their daily nutrition. Welcoming both experts suits the innovative character of Team LottoNL-Jumbo.

With intensive individual guidance in particular, the team thinks it’s possible to make more progress in this field. This very subject is the expertise of Van der Burg, while Jeukendrup is one of the world’s leading experts in the nutritional field. One of his duties within the team will be supervising some of the team’s leaders.

“On this level, it’s about gaining those last few percents. This could make the difference between winning or losing. By asking questions like ‘where can we innovate’ and ‘what can improve’, we increase the chance of success”, Jeukendrup says about modern sports nutrition for top athletes.

“Training and nutrition have to be integrated completely”, Jeukendrup continues. “It makes the training more effective and the rider more adaptive. By the same token, a training is less effective when you make nutritional mistakes. That’s why it’s essential to set goals together with the rider, trainer, soigneur and the sports nutritionist. We will develop a system for this. Team LottoNL-Jumbo is at the forefront in this field. We don’t want to be reactive, but leading.” 

It means the application of modern, scientific insights. Van der Burg is responsible for the implementation of the system. “Nutrition is on the move in both scientific and social fields”, Van der Burg says. “We will start with a coaching trajectory aimed at the specific needs of each individual rider. We will be conservative when we have to and innovative when possible.”

As a member of the so-called Kennisteam Sports & Exercise Nutrion, Nancy van der Burg taught at the Hogeschool Arnhem-Nijmegen. She also is the former sports nutritionist of Topsport Gelderland. As a cyclist of Parkhotel Valkenburg, Van der Burg is building her own cycling career.

Besides being one of the world’s leading sports nutritionists, Professor Asker Jeukendrup also is an exercise physiologist who spent most of his career as a professor at the University of Birmingham (sports sciences). The Dutchman is also Performance Manager Nutrition for the Dutch Olympic team. In addition to his academic career, dr. Jeukendrup worked with various Olympic and world champions, Tour de France cyclists, Champions League football teams and other elite athletes.