Maastricht bakery supplies custom bread to Tour de France cyclists and KRC Genk

Maastricht's Bisschopsmolen bakery is experiencing a surge in demand, supplying custom-made bread and pastries to elite sports teams like KRC Genk and the Visma Lease a Bike cycling squad. Baker Frank Van Eerd attributes the success to a return to fundamental bread-making principles, focusing on the quality of grains and preparation methods.

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We are simply going back to the essence: baking bread.

"We are simply going back to the essence: baking bread," Van Eerd stated. He explains that the bakery tailors its products to the specific demands of athletes. For instance, during mountain stages of the Tour de France, riders require white bread for quick carbohydrate absorption, while others might need fiber-rich options. This individualized approach extends to smaller rice tarts and cherry juice, a known recovery drink.

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Look for example at the Tour de France. For mountain stages, we provide a lot of white bread. A lot of fiber hinders the absorption of carbohydrates, while they need to be absorbed quickly.

Van Eerd views the current trends in sports nutrition as overly complex, likening it to "rocket science." He believes that a return to natural foods like bread and pasta, without added "strange substances," is crucial for optimal performance. The bakery's philosophy centers on providing athletes with easily digestible, high-quality nutrition, ensuring they have the energy needed to compete at the highest level.

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If you look at the current nutrition in cycling, we have gone a bit too far. Also how it is monitored. That's why we want to go back to normal nutrition and see how things like bread or pasta can help. We also don't add any strange substances to our bread. We are not allowed to.