CurraNZ maximising recovery in pro cyclists on the Tour de France

Team UNO-X’s brilliant Tour de France: How CurraNZ is providing the gains for their performance and recovery on the European Tour

The legendary Tour de France, the hardest and most prestigious race in professional cycling, has always been an exceptional test of endurance, strategy and peak performance that attracts the best riders in the world.

For the last two years, CurraNZ has been helping European riders in the heat of battle. Here, we reveal for the first time how Team UNO-X Mobility, the emerging pro team of Norwegian and Danish riders, has seized upon the supplement for the European pro tour.

James Moran, the team’s Head of Nutrition and a registered dietitian, shares how CurraNZ forms part of their nutritional strategy during intense racing phases and altitude training camps.

The Role of CurraNZ in Team UNO-X’s Success

James Moran (left) explains, “CurraNZ New Zealand Blackcurrant extract is a food-derived polyphenol that we supplement with as part of our nutritional strategy during intense racing phases and altitude training camps.

“During the Tour de France, our riders are under a huge amount of physical stress, undertaking 3,492 km of racing across 21 days with additional challenges from the heat and altitude. Nutrition plays a fundamental role in supporting the performance and recovery of our riders.

“We have been using CurraNZ for a number of years as a ‘cherry (or blackcurrant!)’ on top to optimise the health and recovery of our riders in these critical periods.”

The Tour de France presents one of the most gruelling athletic challenges in the world, with cyclists facing extreme physical demands. Each stage requires not only peak physical performance but also rapid recovery to be ready for the next day's race. This is where CurraNZ comes into play.

The Science Behind CurraNZ

Moran outlines the main reasons for incorporating New Zealand Blackcurrant extract into the team’s regimen:

• Reduced Muscle Damage and Soreness: The extract helps reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and soreness, allowing riders to maintain high performance levels day after day.
• Increased Muscle Glycogen Resynthesis: Emerging evidence suggests that NZBC helps increase muscle glycogen resynthesis post-stage, a critical factor for recovery and performance in subsequent stages.
• Gut Barrier Integrity: Protecting gut barrier integrity and minimizing gastrointestinal permeability, especially in the heat, is crucial. NZBC has shown potential benefits in this area, supporting overall gut health.
• Optimizing Antioxidant Status: Particularly during moderate altitude training camps, maintaining optimal antioxidant status is essential. NZBC provides significant antioxidant support, helping combat oxidative stress.

A Holistic Approach to Nutrition

“We work in a food-first environment with our performance chefs at the core,” says Moran. However, he acknowledges the added benefits of nutritional supplements like high-potency fruit polyphenols.

“The use of nutritional supplements can help support our riders as we look to maximize their recovery each day with less than 24 hours between finishing one stage and starting the next.

“CurraNZ has become part of Team UNO-X’s performance nutrition toolbox. The riders have really embraced the use of New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract, taking confidence in the scientific evidence and Informed Sport status that come with CurraNZ.”