Eggs, meat, cereals, pasta, rice, dairy products, shakes, energy bars... These are some of the ingredients that make up the daily diet of a professional cyclist during a major stage race like the Tour de France. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. What sets this diet apart from that of any other fan or amateur athlete is the quantity of these dishes consumed during competition. During each stage, riders burn between 250 and 400 kilocalories per hour while pedaling, which adds up to an average of 2,000 kilocalories without getting off the bike.
However, this figure falls short when it comes to calculating the total amount they eat throughout the day. Including breakfast, dinner, and meals during the stage, a professional cyclist consumes on average about 6,000 kilocalories each day of the Tour de France. On mountain stages, where the energy demand is higher, they can exceed 8,000 kilocalories. According to the menu prepared by each team's doctors and nutritionists, approximately 60 percent of the nutrients should be carbohydrates. So much food constantly churning in the stomach makes stomach ailments a common occurrence in the peloton.
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And what happens if you follow the same diet without getting on the bike? A Norwegian journalist put it to the test by sitting down to eat 8,290 kilocalories in one day.
You can see the result in this video: