Maarten Tjallingii goes back to the Blanco team car during the stage (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Maarten Tjallingii (Blanco) after the morning ride. He and his teammates would face an interval session in the afternoon.(Image credit: Barry Ryan)
Maarten Tjallingii (Blanco) during the time trial(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Maarten Tjallingii (Blanco) leads the escape on Stage 7 at the 2013 Giro(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Riding a grand tour without eating meat is not unheard of, but Maarten Tjallingii is definitely one of the few who choose a vegetarian diet whilst combating the rigours of the Giro d'Italia.
He's one of the easiest to cook for, according to the Blanco team's chef Jesper Boom who says that the 35-year-old generally just asks that Boom leaves out the meat component in the team's normal dishes and that he'll happily add a little pasta or rice to his meal.
Protein bars are also off the snack list for five-year Rabobank, now Blanco veteren but there's a reason behind his decision to steer clear of certain foods.
"If protein doesn't work for you, leave it out," says the Dutchman. Discover why Tjallingii lives a vegetarian lifestyle in the video below.
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