What Tour de France Cyclists Eat in a Day

The 2025 Tour de France kicked off on July 5, and if you’re watching this year’s cyclists power through riding around 100 miles a day, you’re probably curious what they eat to stay fueled throughout the more than 2,000-mile race. Us, too. Luckily, during last year’s Tour de France, one team’s chef opened up his kitchen, sharing the details on what Tour de France athletes eat in a day.

In a YouTube video posted by EF Pro Cycling, chef Owen Brady welcomed cameras into his kitchen for a peek at his menu for just one day of feeding the elite athletes. Unsurprisingly, it’s a lot of food, and we’re pretty impressed with Brady’s ability to meet the nutritional needs of the distance cyclists.

First up is breakfast, which starts with not one, but two varieties of rice: white rice and rice pudding. Then, there’s sourdough pancakes, made from dough that started the fermenting process the night before.

“I’ll make pancake mix, which is just some mashed brown bananas, a little bit of [baking] soda just to help stabilize it and a bit of cinnamon,” Brady explains in the video as he adds ingredients into the fermented sourdough batter.

But that’s just the beginning—there’s plenty more coming down the pike.

“And then, a mixture of berries and maybe some other fruit like mangoes or watermelon. And then oats as well: I will cook some oats in water and then just finish it with some [oat milk] at the end. And smoothies with whatever fruit I have in the fridge—peaches, mangoes, melons, strawberries. And then coffee, bread and all the condiments.”

Also on deck for a pre-Tour de France breakfast? Made-to-order omelets and double shots from a fancy-looking espresso machine.

Next, the riders head to the day’s race route. Here, nutrition is all about hydration and energy, so the riders rely on energy gels, bottled water and electrolyte drinks, mostly consumed while pedaling on the bike.

When they’ve completed the day’s miles, a meal is waiting for them in Brady’s portable food truck. 

“Post-race we have a selection,” Brady explains. “I do a 13-egg omelet frittata, slice that into eight so they’ve each got a one-and-a-half or two-egg slice. This is chicken from last night, I just batch-cook a bit extra and slice it up and put it in Tupperware. I’ve got some rice … and I’ll put that into the Tupperware with a bit of chicken on top. And then, I always make two cakes: this is the chocolate chip banana bread and that is the pumpkin ricotta, and then there are some little banana muffins so the guys have a little sweet treat.”

When they’ve digested their chicken and rice bowls, omelets and slices of cake, the cyclists are ready for dinner. On this day, it’s a flavorful steak meal prepared by Brady. 

“We’ve got some nice grilled zucchini—yellow and green. I’m going to cook off some peppers and some mushrooms and they’re going to go great with steak,” the chef says. “I’m going to make a peppercorn sauce with some peppercorns, some shallots, some [oat milk], a little bit of mustard and a little bit of Madeira wine just to deglaze it.”

And worry not, there’s also dessert. “We have a classic English dessert,” Brady adds. “This is apple and blackberry pie.”

Sure, the menu for these athletes seems like a lot, but it’s pretty normal for endurance athletes to fuel up on energy-supporting foods like carbohydrates, proteins and sugars before competing. High amounts of carbs can help fuel long rides, protein helps with post-ride recovery and muscle repair, and sugary desserts aren’t just yummy—they can also provide energy for working muscles and boost both performance and recovery. Still, eating so much at every meal is tiring, even when the food is delicious. 

“The riders are trying to eat three or four thousand calories every day,” Brady explains. “That is quite taxing on the system, so I’m noticing that as the race goes on, they’re kind of less bothered about the food, but it’s really their priority at the moment—to get fuel in as early as possible in the day and then digest it and get to bed.”

Want to eat like a Tour de France cyclist? Try smoothies, which contain lots of nutrients and can boost your digestive health. Fresh fruit is also a great option, since it’s hydrating and full of vitamins. You could also reach for a protein-packed rotisserie chicken or even try a healthy rice pudding recipe.

If it’s a tasty-but-healthy dessert you’re after, take a stab at making our High-Protein Lemon-Blueberry Cake or a gut-healthy dessert like Banana-Bran Muffins. Whatever you do, just plan to go a bit lighter on the calorie intake—unless you’re planning to cycle several miles that day.