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.
