What is the diet of the Tour de France riders?

When following the exploits of your favorite cycling racers, you may have already asked yourself: what is the diet of a professional cycling racer? In fact, if you're a cyclist yourself, maybe you've already had the urge to try the same products they do? Today, we reveal what is the diet followed by the riders of the Tour de France.

What breakfast do the Tour de France riders eat?

The breakfast is an important meal for Tour de France riders because it allows them to store glycogen in the muscles in preparation for the stage. It is taken a few hours before the start of the race and is usually composed of:

• Carbohydrates (whole grain cereals, whole grain bread with jam or honey);

• Protein (yogurt, cottage cheese, plant milk, white ham, omelet, etc.);

• Vitamins/minerals (pressed fruit juice, compote, fruit, dried fruit, etc.);

• Beverage (tea or coffee);

• Sometimes pasta or brown rice.

What do Tour de France riders eat during the race?

During the race, riders must eat to maintain a high level of performance and not get hungry. To do this, they consume:

• Cereal bars;

• Energy gels;

• Some compotes or fruit pieces;

• Salty snacks (cake, pie, etc.).

What snack for the Tour de France riders?

As soon as the finish line is crossed, cyclists take a snack to recharge the body with glycogen and replenish muscle fibers. It consists of several components:

• Salty carbonated water;

• Sweetened beverage (unlimited for 90 minutes);

• Fruit compote;

• Rice, pasta, potatoes, polenta, semolina, etc.

• Protein (white ham, turkey, etc.);

• Protein and mineral-enriched shaker.

What dinner for the Tour de France riders?

The bulk of the calories used during the day having been compensated for by the snack, the dinner is primarily used to prepare for the next day's stage and therefore to build up reserves for it. It is essentially composed of:

• Carbohydrates (pasta and brown rice in quantity);

• Vitamins and minerals (cooked vegetables but not raw vegetables);

• Protein (white meat, fish, etc.);

• Pleasure dessert (but not fatty to aid digestion).

Now that you know what the Tour de France riders' diet is, how about finding out what energy drinks are favored on the Tour de France?