It's every cyclist's dream - too eat as much as possible… But just how much do you need to eat to get through a grand tour, such as the Vuelta, Giro, or Tour? Surely, the riders just stuff their face with as much as possible?

During races such as the Vuelta, the riders need to consume around 5000 - 6000 kcal per day to maintain energy for racing, with this figure increasing towards 9000 kcal on the very long, mountainous stages. The majority of this food needs to come from carbohydrates (CHO), which are the body's main fuel source (stored as liver and muscle glycogen). A study on Tour de France riders (Saris et al ., 1989) has shown that riders consume approximately 60% of their daily intake as carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are generally found in starchy foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes, breads, etc. Each gram of carbohydrate has an energy value approximately equal to 4kcal. As 60 % of the diet is carbohydrate, the carbohydrate energy value is 3000 - 3600 kcal per day. Cyclists in the Grand Tours need to consume ~ 10 - 12 g CHO/kg body mass per day. That's equal to 750 - 900 grams of carbohydrate per day. To get 750 grams of carbohydrate you'd have to eat: (food weights are pre-cooked values)
· 1071 grams of pasta (approximately, pasta has 70g of CHO per 100g)
· 1000 grams of rice (approximately, rice has 75g of CHO per 100g)
· 1660 grams of bread (approximately, bread has 45g of CHO per 100g)

So what does a typical day's worth of food look like for a stage race rider?
Breakfast would typically be eaten around 3 - 4 hours prior to the race and would consist of:
· Rice / pasta, with either cheese, meat, omelette, olive oil, or vegetables
· Breakfast cereals, with milk, juice, or yoghurt
· Bread-rolls, with honey, jam, or spreads
· Drinks such as coffee, tea, fruit juices, energy drinks

During the race, the riders are replenished on the go at feeding stations, and dropping back to team cars, typically consuming:
· Glucose polymer drinks (carbohydrate energy drinks)
· Energy drinks with electrolytes (e.g., sodium, chloride, potassium, etc.)
· Energy bars, gels, etc.
· Bread with jam, honey, etc.
· Sweets, cakes, etc.
· Fruit
· Water

Immediately after the race, riders need to consume 1 - 1.5 g CHO/kg body mass, which is around 100 grams of carbohydrate and maybe small amounts of protein. This is usually achieved with a combination of carbohydrate energy drinks/recovery drinks and cereals and milk. They will then continue to nibble on high-energy carbohydrates until the evening meal.

Evening meal would typically comprise:
· Salad
· Soup
· Breads
· Rice/pasta
· Meat/vegetables
· Fruit and/or dessert

To be a champion cyclist, not only do you need an exceedingly fit body, but also the ability to eat vast quantities of food. So if you want to be a champion cyclist, you better start practising eating large amounts of food!

Reference
Saris et al ., (1989). Study on food intake and energy expenditure during extreme sustained exercise: The Tour de France. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 10 (Supp.1): S26 - S31.