Enervit launches lactate-carbohydrate drink at the Tour de France after two years of testing with the UAE team. This product competes with ExoLactate gels first reported by Velo.
Updated July 16, 2026, 1:25 pm
Tadej Pogačar drinks a powerful new fuel at the 2026 Tour de France.
UAE team Emirates-XRG confirmed on Thursday it has been testing the lactate-carbohydrate drink, produced by team partner Enervit, since 2024, when Pogacar won the third of his four yellow jerseys.
The groundbreaking product has already been finalized and launched, and Pogačar is drinking it as he strives for a fifth Tour title.
News on Thursday comes out hot against the background VeloRecent reports that ExoLactate gels are being tested by one team at the Tour de France.
Velo We can confirm that ExoLactate is a competing product of Enervit lactate fuel used by Pogačar and Emirates-XRG from the UAE.
The founder of ExoLactate, Aitor Viribay, spoke about this. Velo on Thursday that his laboratory-to-field lactate research group had not contributed to the development of Pogačar’s lactate drink.
However, Viribay was unable to comment on whether the UAE had bought Emirates-XRG exclusive rights to its ExoLactate gels due to confidentiality agreements.
Lactate: the third way to obtain energy
Why does any of this matter?
Because, contrary to popular belief, lactate is not a combustion product, but a powerful source of endurance fuel.
It increases metabolic efficiency and opens up a third pathway for energy, in addition to glucose and fructose, key carbohydrates.
Lactate refueling expands the energy available to athletes beyond even a high-carbohydrate nutritional strategy.
It’s important to note that lactate is also a “signaling molecule” that makes carbohydrate metabolism more efficient by controlling the rate at which fat and sugar are burned at varying exercise intensities.
The science behind lactate as an energy source is based on decades of research. However, it remains unclear how much of an impact he can have in the Tour de France peloton.
Pogačar’s promotion to GOAT status from 2024 is due to the start of his team’s testing of Enervit lactate drinks, but of course cannot be associated with the new fuel.
Lactate fueling flares up at 2026 Tour de France
Pogačar and the UAE Emirates have been working on prototypes of a lactate-carbohydrate drink since 2024. (Photo: Fizza/UAE Emirates XRG)
UAE Emirates-XRG and Enervit said on Thursday that both companies have tapped leading lactate professor George Brooks to lead a two-year lactate project.
The University of California researcher has been advancing the understanding of lactate for more than 40 years.
The result of Brooks and Enervit’s work is the newly released “C2:1PRO Lactate Gel Mix,” a powder that mixes with water to deliver a whopping 90 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of lactate.
UAE national team nutritionist Gorka Prieto – the man who works directly with Pogačar – said the finished product was the result of constant trial, error and tweaking.
Racers and team staff provided feedback on batches of prototypes throughout the two-year development process.
“Our philosophy is to continually evaluate innovations that have a strong scientific basis and real potential to improve rider performance,” Prieto said Thursday.
“This project with Enervit has been carefully developed over a number of years, combining laboratory research with extensive training and racing testing,” said Prieto.
“Nutrition is one of the key performance factors in Grand Tours and we are pleased to contribute to the development of a product that has been refined to suit real world racing conditions.”
Filling with lactate That endurance nutrition is a hot topic right now.
At this early stage it is difficult to say how effective it will be. It may be as important as the “carbohydrate revolution”, or it may be nothing.
But whoever now has access to lactate products, including Pogačar, has a first mover advantage.
Velo will follow up this breaking news with a more in-depth explanation of lactate over time. Stay tuned.