Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) reported burning approximately 10,000 kilocalories in a single training day at the team's altitude camp in Sierra Nevada, Spain, after the region's heaviest snowfall in a decade left roads impassable and forced sessions indoors.
The total comprised roughly 6,500 active calories from training and a 3,500-calorie resting metabolic rate, elevated by the 2,300-metre altitude, according to figures Abrahamsen shared on TV 2's Sykkelpodden podcast.
"I had a session the other day where I burned about 6,500 calories, and then I measured the resting metabolism at about 3,500 up here," Abrahamsen said. "In total, that's 10,000 calories. Then you have to put in a lot of food."
The interview followed a social media post last week in which Abrahamsen shared his daily training and eating regime, showing a total calorie count of 9,200.
On the specific Tuesday in question, Abrahamsen completed between six and 6.5 hours of indoor cycling, split into two sessions on stationary rollers. Under normal conditions, riders at the camp descend to Granada at around 700–800 metres for high-intensity work. The snowstorm removed that option, keeping the squad at 2,300 metres for every session.
"It's harder here at 2,300 metres than at 700–800 metres, which we normally do," he said.
To match the expenditure, Abrahamsen consumed 1,800 grams of carbohydrates within 24 hours. At his reported body weight of approximately 80kg, that equates to roughly 22.5 grams per kilogram of body mass, placing him well above the 10–12 g/kg range typically associated with aggressive carbohydrate-loading protocols – substantially more than the nutrition plans suitable for an amateur rider.
The Uno-X squad, which includes the Halland Johannessen twins, Torstein Træen, Andreas Leknessund and 17-year-old Kristian Haugetun, opted to remain at altitude despite the conditions. After three weeks at camp, the group had managed only four or five outdoor rides.
"There aren't many other teams that would have stayed up here in the snowstorm," Abrahamsen said. "But we are used to cycling on the rollers."
Abrahamsen, who transitioned from a 60kg climber to an 80kg Classics specialist, is targeting Omloop Het Nieuwsblad as his season opener later this month, with the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix among his primary spring objectives.
Cover image credit: Billy Ceusters
