What Do Pro Cyclists Eat During The Tour De France?

Any Grand Tour is a massive assault on your body and the Giro d’Italia is no different. Fail to eat or fuel up properly and your performance will suffer. So just what are the pros doing to make sure they get enough food and energy onboard for three weeks of full gas racing? Conor caught up with Tim Podlogar, World Tour nutritionist at Bora Hansgrohe, to find out!
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[@gcn]

What is your favourite riding snack? Let us know 👇

[@robbchastain3036]

Something frosty like a Slurpee, cold and refreshing and just the best on a hot day, sugar and sunshine and fun on the road ahead, just like back in the day on my Sting-Ray. :)

[@888johnmac]

bacon & fried egg rolls

[@CrapKerouac]

EPO

[@charlesdufour9276]

I usually have two items on hand. Dates for maintaining my energy through the ride, and something like a triple chocolate brownie or a Nanaimo Bar for when I feel my energy level decrease and I need a quick burst of sugar.

[@sarangsreechakra]

Peanut bar

[@evanskosgei6091]

I'm a nutritionist in Eldoret Kenya the home of long distance athletes. It is the same nutrition for the marathoners as cyclists albeit with slight differences here and there. Interesting fact- most of the elite athletes eat the normal food, very minimal supplements. Fear of doping also a factor to consider.

[@michaelmccann617]

All cyclists dope, as previously proven. They don't fear doping they only fear getting caught

[@ZENmud]

I can tell what Greg Lemond, Bernard Hinault, J-F Bernard, Steve Bauer (and the rest of the 1987 Red Zinger team) ate, the night before the Vail Hill Climb TT; I suggested it. They ordered 16 plates of "Angel hair pasta with chicken & shrimp" ~ 5kg of buttered pasta(!), 8 baguettes, 5 gallon salad (garden salade tomatoes, etc) ~ and 8 bottles each, of red & white wine. 😂🎉🎉😂 They kicked ass after enjoying our restaurant ~ in the TT, they finished something near 1, 2, 4, 7, 11 (etc)... I was stoked...

[@richardanderson5812]

The most informative video on nutrition I have every seen, thanks Tom and GCN

[@ffskierdune6226]

I am sure there is some informative value, even if not racing the Giro.

[@larsthorwald3338]

I'm sure this is valuable information if I ever find myself racing the Giro.

[@johnwestwell2241]

Which is why the video is entitled, “What do Pro Cyclists Eat During the Giro d’Italia”.

[@robflel]

Would love to see a real-time blood glucose data if consuming this amount of carbs while riding.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

I would as well. However, the UCI has prohibited this during events. Sounds like another task for Hank or Ollie.

[@durianriders]

Get a CGM and you will see hard riding spikes BS a lot. Fasting insulin is what really matters though if you want to get as ripped as I am.

[@kingprone7846]

its meaningless probably as the hormones react too quick

[@richardmiddleton7770]

High blood glucose is only an issue if it isn't needed/used. During intense exercise glucose in the blood gets used directly by the muscles without insulin.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

@Richard Middleton Can you provide a researched paper to back up that statement? I've been researching insulin resistance and everything I find says quite the opposite. High blood sugar, even under intense exercise, can be a medical emergency and, if chronic, can damage just about every organ in the body.

[@StephenMarkTurner]

Great interview and advice. Thanks.

[@Mamilian]

Would it be possible to comment on the use of bicarb when combined with caffeine? I haven't been able to find much research around this, but what I have seen indicates that the performance gains from bicarb aren't additive to caffeine. So if you use caffeine, there aren't gains on the table from bicarb.

[@vedhed7969]

Great guy and great vid.

[@jonathanrobinson2628]

Your comment about struggling to eat enough struck a chord Connor. I'm a centimetre shorter than you but about 13kg heavier and doing longer rides gives me a blank cheque for calorie consumption. I'm not sure if everyone realises how much effort is required to get 90-100kg plus up hills.

[@CarlosGreenos]

Really good info especially about using gels just before the race to stop blood sugar spikes. I thought eating oats was the best for long rides but rice is better. I definitely won’t be using kittens on the bike 😀

[@sinclairmclaren8295]

Be good for you to do something for riders doing sportives. Wha5 do they need to eat for a 100km ride? How do they work it out? What do they eat? When do they eat.

[@iansellers1251]

Rice pudding a good option for breakfast then?

[@Niala8419]

A big tin of it.

[@carstenjensen6654]

And good for recovery too

[@OmmerSyssel]

Don't forget the beer, aim for half a liter! 🍻

[@juanemilio2172]

i think i will change my oat cake for some normal bread.. oat is nice but a lot of fiber isn't

[@hugobrown2516]

connor great piece! what watch you wearing?

[@Mamilian]

Looks like a Forerunner 965.

[@phil_d]

Very interesting. But, I do wonder what the longevity of someone's stomach/bowels are smashing so much sugar.

[@durianriders]

Sugar is absorbed the easiest. Meat causes digestive cancers. Read the studies.

[@nicktheodorou3474]

There have been several studies of the risk to professional cyclist for type 2 diabetes. The outcome was that professional cyclist have a reduced risk for all cause mortality and type 2 diabetes even with the amount of sugar they consume.

[@fb1880]

No beer ? 😂😂

[@IamAeroDynamic]

the tom dumoulin reference lol

[@bionicgeff]

Did him dirty wit the banana pic

[@RobertRobert-uc7fi]

epo rules

[@hugobrown2516]

what do cyclists have to do if they have to go to toilet during race?

[@Tuffjobs]

When did “super” become a prerequisite of every emphasiser? To me it’s the sign of a vacuous half-wit. Carbs are important. They may even be very important, but there’s nothing “super” about good old sugars.

[@Vismux69]

carbs ? :D

[@brucegelman5582]

They drink freshly oxygenated blood.

[@richinderbyshire4779]

Bananas. Home made flapjack. 70% choc.

[@ehuremovic526]

What about them? None are simple carbohydrates like the doctor in this video is talking about.

[@hanneskannes5953]

Primo: Spaghetti Carbonara Secundo: Saltimbocca con Ichnusa Dolce: Tiramisu Espresso

[@larter_larter]

The fact that Conor, a recent professional cyclist, learns so many new things about nutrition on and off the bike in this video says a lot about how quickly the sport has developed and further professionalised in recent years. The power of research! Curious to see what the future brings.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Really useful information. I tried to make use of it in my last event and managed to get in 120g/hr (just on the edge of starting to feel sick). I had power throughout the whole 4hrs despite a hot start with a lot of closing gaps. And the best, I did not fall into the big hole after the event or the day after. It just works.

[@durianriders]

Just use table sugar. It’s what my WT riders use. No gut issue or dental errosion because it’s ph neutral.

[@zero5uk]

​​@@durianriders this is what my bro eats for all day rides. He literally guzzles down 1kg granulated/table sugar (w/ milk). Takes him 10-15mins to eat but gives him about 10hrs fuel. He also rechews any yogurty curds that come up again due to the milk consumption. Despite naturally lean physique his gut is monstrous 😅

[@dickieblench5001]

​@@zero5uk 1KG in one go! Holy shit

[@zero5uk]

@@dickieblench5001 😅 he nicknames me 'microgut' because I can't eat all my fuel in one go. He goes by 'gigagut'. As DR mentions, he also pours it down from the bag, to minimize contact with his teeth (used to eat multiple bags of apples and fked his enamel).

[@wsbygt]

It´s not that it works than the fact it´s incredible hard to average over 100g/h on the bike.

[@durianriders]

Nice vid gang! Backs up what I’ve been preaching the last 15 years here in KZbin❤🎉 Next thing Tim needs to deep dive into is adaptative thermogenesis. The main reason I stay 5% body fat year round is I NEVER do CICO. I just listen to my bodies carb cravings and keto fat intake as low as possible.

[@MontekChandhoke]

Why is durianrider always right?

[@tomnewham1269]

@@MontekChandhoke he is not.

[@thediabeticcyclist4936]

@@tomnewham1269 well this time he is. Everything Tom said is what DR has been saying for years 😂

[@philadams9254]

@@tomnewham1269 DR literally coaches world tour riders on what they should be eating. He and Tim are on the same page for a reason - sugar always gets results

[@donwinston]

@@tomnewham1269 DR is out to lunch about calories. He is right about the stupidity of low carb diet morons.

[@kaydanmusic4391]

How are we mere mortals supposed to carry so much on our weekend rides?!

[@gcn]

Bar bag? 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJzap6GiiZurbbM

[@kaydanmusic4391]

@@gcn Good call!! What would Ollie say about the aero impact of a bar bag??

[@robbchastain3036]

Big ol' rear panniers on a gravel bike. :)

[@HeibesHealth]

I’m thinking an IV drip is in the future as they up the amount of carbs per hour. 😂

[@gcn]

​@@kaydanmusic4391 He tested that recently in the wind tunnel! 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZXdlJucpr17p7M

[@stevestewart-sturges2159]

When I was racing in the 80's, we were getting hand ups of panini full of cream cheese and jam, maybe figs and dates, or homemade rice cakes with raisins. Drinks were water and that last hour can of coke to bring it home. Later on, Powerbars were hugely popular, but they made me ill, then we discovered CytoMax, it literally brought you back from the dead..

[@vinusundarv1648]

What is cytomax?

[@xmarcika]

For me one of the mos valuable information. As I'm struggling a lot with the nutrition when I'm cycling a lot. Thanks a lot!

[@iconhotel182]

Good Q&A with a lot of ground covered. Great job

[@Ali_Kurt]

This was a great episode just before the grand fondo season for us amateurs, I learned a lot from him, thanks!

[@ismetomerovic2617]

Meal after stage: 300ml of fresh blood

[@grogangreen]

Food eh? Stand down WADA we have finally figured it out.

[@TylerKTanaka]

One of the best nutrition videos I have ever watched 👏 Kudos to this gentleman and Connor, this was an excellent conversation, filled with valuable knowledge. The expert provided useful information in a very simple and easy to understand way that we can all put to good use. Well done! 🙌

[@markgunn6680]

Did this guy mention 'carbohydrate'? 😂

[@raybarber9837]

I've seen Tim Podlogar's name pop up on Strava segments. Good climber.

[@HaiNguyen-bl9cn]

I would love to be the team dentist! There will be no shortage of work :)

[@durianriders]

That’s why use table sugar as it’s PH neutral.

[@hernanhernandez3861]

Very helpful. Switching to rice instead of oats in the morning. Arguably tastes better....

[@matthewj9652]

I handle 100-150 grams of oats in the morning with Bananna and Fruit… if you can handle the digestion tiredness for 30-45 minutes then it’s quite beneficial. Remember this nutritionist is referring to racing..

[@jimhays2772]

This is food DOpiNg! Pro cyclist should be required to eat like the rest of us. Pop tarts or fruit loops in the morning then a big Mac, corn dog ( or chili dog) then pizza or BBQ meats and potato chips for dinner.

[@dpacc88]

BREAKING NEWS: Cyclists eat carbs!

[@jarredmcknight6111]

B camera operator needs a stern talking to. Poor bloke having throff in his mouth on his GCN debut. You have to tell him about that. I bet he’s mortified!

[@TomTomLo1]

I still have no idea what this looks like - would have been good to lay it all out on a table to show us...

[@j-k-j]

Hopefully plenty of pizza, pasta al dente, red wine and gelato. I promise that I will ! 😋

[@andrewhayes1339]

As always incredibly informative & have enjoyed the 2 episodes with Tim. Well done GCN 👍

[@simondavis697]

A great insight, many thanks for sharing.

[@glennicol1361]

I like to eat dates before and or after a ride.

[@Mohamett02]

I would be very interested in a professional insight in how much to drink during a race. What are the average Numbers a professional aims to

[@vincentkrause7097]

500ml-1000ml per hour depending in the weather sonstiges even 1,5l per hour during 40°C stages in France

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

​@Vincent Krause I agree. You need to be as close as physically possible to keep up with water AND electrolyte losses. Not only sodium, but potassium and magnesium as well.

[@brasso9393]

Judging from Tim’s helmet strap tan, he probably rides more than Conor 😃

[@Mububban23]

yeah that's a guy who logs some serous hours.....or did one midday ride without sunscreen 😀

[@McGregis]

He is great hill climber. He is talking from experience.

[@nejcgjurameke3037]

15h per week on strava

[@brasso9393]

@@nejcgjurameke3037 😅

[@zero5uk]

I know this content is for the everyday layman but having a PhD expert on would really be nice to hear more scientific detail. Such as he comments about Fructose but doesn't discern that it's only processed in the liver hence why it's so good for glycogen top-ups. Whereas as Glucose is processed by every cell in the body.

[@csabaszinyei]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructolysis go ahaed

[@McGregis]

Dont worry they just didnt ask him. He knows everything about fructose and glucose. 😂

[@Kahunamonkey]

He basically says: On hard tours, the riders ingest 120g Carbs per hour or even more. Up to their “desire”. From what I’ve learned, this makes “no sense” because of the limited capacity of glucose transporters and the possible gut problems with high fructose ingestion. I know the gut can be trained but you can’t just “build” enzymes and transporters as you wish… at least that’s what I thought is true.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

He has said in the past that you can train the body to accept up to 120 grams/hour but this takes several months to accomplish.

[@durianriders]

Try it before you deny it. Use table sugar as its ph neutral. Eat like me for ripped abs and perfect digestion.

[@carstenjensen6654]

Where do you eat table sugar? On the bike or at home?

[@rileynicholson2322]

They mix glucos and fructose because they use different transporters, it's detail in another video with the same person. There is definitely some long term flexibility in the amount of enzymes and transporters in your digestive system. These people train their bodies for months in preparation for races like this.

[@brian8861]

​@@carstenjensen6654both, put sugar in your water bottle

[@ffskierdune6226]

One of the side effects that is never talked about in consuming bicarbonate is that it causes calcium to leach from the bones. 10-15 years ago this was standard practice at the pro levels and the net result was, some weight loss and the number of broken bones significantly increased. Team Sky experimented with exogenous ketone esters. A scientist from Cambridge produced them for the team. Froome's strategy once he was fat adapted would cycle in and out of ketosis. For example, during the Tour, he would have a high-fat meal at breakfast depending on the stage and if the stage headed up he would consume gels that would act as rocket fuel for an extended time. He had metabolic flexibility.

[@Niala8419]

Ketones 💀🤣

[@HolisticHealthEducation]

Please ask the gentleman to elaborate on the dis / advantages of a fasted zone 2 riding? Specifically with reference to intermittent fasting and burning fat?

[@vincentkrause7097]

Dangerous because fasted state training burns your bodys protein stores because there are no Carb reources to burn

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

For a high intensity event, being fat trained will NOT give you the ability to handle the requirements. However, it will help for the average ride for a person with high body fat. Remember, most riders are at the limit of low body fat.

[@troycollett8540]

The higher the intensity the more the body needs carbs for fuel Zone 2 is a low intensity ride so you generally don’t need to slam down massive amounts of carbs as you only need enough to keep the body ticking over Intervals are like trying to fuel a top fuel dragster

[@durianriders]

Fasting = cortisol spikes = fat storage long term. Look how fat all the intermittent fasting riders got from 2 years ago lol

[@alfonz7863]

I can't understand how you can eat so much and not #2 during a 4-hour race.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

I’m suprised no one goes for the chocolate milk and banana for the end of the race.

[@Mavrik-60]

Hmmm for some reason I'm hungry I hear the refrigerator Calling me. See ya keepemcoming

[@philadams9254]

24:58 ❤ Absolutely

[@ChrisCapoccia]

Amazing story. Just when I thought I'd heard all the craziness, you add in the bit about your avulsion fracture from the pedal malfunction like whipped cream with a cherry on top!

[@towhee7472]

ok, no vegetables before big efforts. strange realisation.

[@telkm4r]

Very insightful, thanks for the variety of topics!

[@janinecarlos1718]

Such an interesting interview. I learned so much. Thank you.

[@glurpak]

Every time he was saying carbonhydrates , i was drinking a tekila shot. Now Giro is my head

[@BMWWolf]

Don’t forget about EPO

[@ethangodridge6833]

Nothing new but thanks for having Tim on the channel recently. Big fan of his and Aitor Viribay's work. Carbs FTW!

[@alinapopescu872]

I eat like the normal human being that I am.

[@Tommy-ISHAVEU]

Brilliant! Very insightful!

[@richardking7058]

Carbs carbs carbs carbs carbs ❤️

[@kivriel2660]

Very interesting! Thanks.

[@newoldsteel]

That thumbnail 😂

[@HolisticHealthEducation]

S(he) who eats, wins. 🥇

[@reforged3588]

This video is a pure gold

[@whatwelearned]

Podlogar! Our prices have never been lower!

[@jomalebakalu7366]

Warum sagt ihm keiner das er Sprechkäse hat

[@yeyeTF2]

great interview

[@McDonaldPhotography]

Great interview

[@hornet224]

This super high diet of carbs and sugar is only meant for racing bike riders. If normal people ate this diet they would gain massive weight and develop long-term high insulin resistance and saturate cells with glucose.

[@kubackjeee]

You have no idea what u talking about mate. You clearly don't know that during exercise carbs don't even cause insulin spikes. the diet he talks about is very good. High carb DURING ride and whole food off the bike.

[@bertmortier7678]

Nice interview, well done ^^

[@ffskierdune6226]

This video is what highly trained, best-in-the-world endurance athletes do. It is not meant to be copied. Their response to food is completely different than the rest of us. Think of the pros as an F1 race car. Most of the pro peloton has an ectomorphic body. Very lean and have difficulty gaining muscle or losing weight.

[@mnbv5555cxz]

excellent content!

[@tomrichards1826]

Interesting about the porridge oats 🤔

[@Unwavering137]

The fiber is high, but I have loaded up on it before many rides. It's interesting that white rice and milk is preferred by the nutritionists for less fiber and being easier for your body to break down.

[@dafsd4831]

I know he is the expert, but he seems dehydrated a bit.

[@stevemawer848]

Did you watch him peeing? 🙂

[@dafsd4831]

@@stevemawer848 no the skin and lips ha ha

[@ItachiGT]

Carb up

[@durianriders]

*carb the F up ❤

[@MontekChandhoke]

Wow! Turns out the durian rider was right…..again!

[@10ktube]

Are these guys at the point that it'd be beneficial to wake up halfway through the night to eat carbs and then go back to sleep? Just so they don't go a full 8-10 hours of no foods, thus causing a fast? I'd hate not sleeping for a full night if I was in the middle of a grand tour, but curious if it'd help performance, so you aren't always catching up from the second you wake up.

[@gcn]

Interesting question! Sleep is a super important part of recovery we hope ( for the riders sake) this doesn't become a thing 👀

[@we1rd92]

Sleep is more important imo. Just thinking why they don't give them straight carb infusions instead of eating so much.

[@viniciuscamposnutri]

If you eat adequate amounts of carbs the day before, that's fine. A high-carb meal before bed also improves glycogen stores. And last but not least, sleep quality matters.

[@jirihutecka9020]

@@we1rd92 You can't use infusions. Antidoping rules.

[@we1rd92]

@@jirihutecka9020 thx that makes sense, i didnt know that

[@oliverc1293]

If I get up the morning after a long ride and eat 220g carbs in the first three hours of the day then there is absolutely no way that I'll be getting on the bike for another long ride at midday! Total carb coma.

[@durianriders]

Use table sugar. Oats are too fatty.

[@the_real_cansin]

Nutrition is essential but I don’t think it is the most important factor for athletes. I believe that the most important thing is motivation and will for success. I believe that emotions are stronger than the food you eat when you climb alp d’huez. If I would be a team manager probably I would not hire any nutritionist and probably hire some ex tour winners to motivate riders 😂🤣

[@rileynicholson2322]

You're acting like it's just alp d'huez, but that's not how pro cycling works most of the time. It doesn't matter how motivated you are if your whole body is shot from failing to fuel in the weeks leading up to the climb or you have to stop mid ride to go to the toilet. Any ex tour winners you hire will probably recommend a nutritionist.

[@derekkirkland7016]

You are wrong.

[@richardedward123]

I think we need a video about pee color and hydration. We don't hear enough about that, in my opinion. Another excellent video, GCN. Thank you!

[@stevemawer848]

It's quite simple, IMO, if you're peeing "water" you're well hydrated while the yellower it gets the more dehydrated you are.

[@BroccLeeAV]

As DurianRider always said... Carb the fuck up! PlanetPower!

[@Bellerophon17]

Well this was great. Conor asked all the right questions and Tim gave really thorough and useful explanations. And I look forward to the Jesse Coyle breakdown on it!

[@kubackjeee]

Bro on offence but who is Jesse to breakdown what a real pro is saying? Tbh no one. Podlogar is a pro and listen to him. Only thing Jesse can do is to agree with him and learn. But from what I remember he has similar approach to carbs

[@BLuRZzHDGaming]

Literally durianriders advice

[@celeofficial5395]

DURIANRIDER where u at buddy?

[@durianriders]

🎉 The sugar water is on me!

[@celeofficial5395]

@@durianriders yeaaaa we wait for the videoreview!

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Curious to know if any team allows riders to use more of a fat based diet avoiding simple sugars. When I was doing athletics, I switched to a high protein, high fat diet with smaller amounts of simple carbs and lots of complex carbs. It took a few months to make this diet work, been once my body adjusted it was like I had switched to a super fuel. My energy levels were more constant and I could go longer without refueling. My sports were middle distance track, soccer and competitive weight lifting. Now that I am much older and just ridding a bike, I have fallen into a high carb diet, which I feel is not healthy in the long run. Many ultra-runners, 50 to 250 miles non stop, use the fat based diet with great success. Are there any pro cyclist looking at this?

[@inz_uzi]

The high fat low carb diet can work for the ultra distance athletes if they stay at low intensity all the time. The pro riders can't do that because the intensity is too high and without carbs they would bonk miserably.

[@devinmorrison7131]

Nobody can do 400 watts for 30 minutes plus on fat, beta oxidation is way too slow. Big watts = big carbs.

[@billmccaffrey1977]

@@devinmorrison7131 Can you provide a link to the studies that back your opinions. The only study that I am aware of was based on a two week diet switch done by Stephen Seiler, which was not long enough for the body to adapt. I'm looking for a true study.

[@devinmorrison7131]

@@billmccaffrey1977 The study is called "The Tour De France" and any local cat P1/2 race, ask anyone if they are fueling with bacon and eggs.....

[@durianriders]

@@devinmorrison7131 😂❤

[@marksIItimewarps]

I don't eat during long rides. No stopping either. The longest I've done this is 80 miles with almost 9000' of climbing on a 40 lbs bike on a fasted state. Lately, I've also been doing this in a partial "dry -fasted" state. Meaning under-hydrated with riding temperatures reaching 110 F. I always bounce back 90% recovered when I hit my hydration quota during the day after the ride. I should be called the "El Tardigrado", not because I look like one!🤣🤣

[@richardmiddleton7770]

This is what is missing from these conversations. Many pros do these fasted rides during the off season.

[@marksIItimewarps]

​@@richardmiddleton7770 Carb / sugar turbocharged rides are only beneficial with supported rides. Sugar is "diuretic". Carbs will make you retain water. Both things will increase hydration requirements and that can be be a huge problem on unsupported rides, even worse on remote routes where you will be unable to refill your water supply for a few hundred miles. Energy-dense nutrition during endurance activity may also increase risk of colon cancer. Depleted rides doesn't really put you in a disadvantaged position if your body is quite well adapted to it.

[@marksIItimewarps]

Not eating also hugely simplifies ride preparation. You can get underway in much less time which means more sleep if you're planning to leave early in the morning.

[@endokrin7897]

Thank you for your service.

[@garypowell9006]

Where is Simon? GCN without Simon is like Fox without Tucker.

[@wsbygt]

It´s so hard to average over 80g per hour without stomach pain.

[@grandpashreddypants]

Really great interview. Excellent subject matter expert!