Women's Tour: The reality of life on the road

  • Anglia
Taking a break: Mel is rarely seen without her headphones before a race Credit: ITV News Anglia

Team Matrix Fitness are based in Belgium, but they travel all over the world to race.

The whole team are used to living out of a suitcase and settling in to their home from home - the team camper van.

The team can spend hours inside the camper, counting down to a race. They have to keep off their legs, to save as much energy as possible. That means all the riders have developed their own unique ways of getting into the zone. Laura feels sick before the start.

Pre-race preparation: Laura focuses on the race Credit: ITV News Anglia

Mel just likes to get lost in her music on the run up to the race.

Getting in the zone: Mel likes to listen to her music before the race Credit: ITV News Anglia

With hours to kill, there's always time for a tweet or two. Elinor and Lucy keep their followers up to date with the highs and lows of life on the road.

After the race, the team have dinner at the hotel together. This usually means a menu of chicken, pasta and tomato sauce. The riders burn about 2,000 calories a day, so their diet is crucial.

Dinner time: Chicken, pasta and tomato sauce on the menu...again Credit: ITV News Anglia

If the team ever get bored of pasta, Laura always has a couple of special ingredients in her bag...