Inside 9,000 calorie-per-day diet of a Tour de France star with tomato ketchup rationed and champagne for winning

176 riders, 3,320 kilometers, 21 stages, three weeks, and an incredible 18 million calories burned in total.

That’s what it will take to finish the Tour de France next year, which is one of the most difficult iterations of the most renowned cycling races in recent history.

Next year’s route begins in Lille and includes two time trials, six summit finishes, and a victorious return to Paris for the lightning-fast finale along the Champs-lys és.

Simple, eh?

Every stage requires riders to burn about 5,000 calories, so fueling and recovering is no small task.

What exactly do they eat, then, to keep their energy levels and explosiveness high? Victor Campenaerts, the winner of this year’s Tour’s Stage 18, was interviewed by SunSport to learn more.

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BREAKFAST

Carbohydrates abound.

Team nutritionists will weigh each and every ounce of food to make sure the right quantity of carbs are consumed, and each rider in the Le Tour will have their own personalized nutrition plan.

Victor, who will compete in the 2025 season with Visma-Lease a Bike, informs SunSport that he would consume a large amount of oatmeal three hours prior to the stage, along with fifty grams of agave syrup, dried fruit, and a banana.

He avoids lactose because it has a strong effect on the stomach and instead uses oat milk, almond milk, or rice milk.

Almost many riders start their mornings with a strong cup of coffee, which is one of the only legal performance-enhancing substances. Research has shown that it can improve endurance efforts and provide a rapid energy boost.

After that, Victor’s carefully thought-out diet plan concentrates on getting ready for the marathon.

He stated: “I have a little bite two hours before the race and then an hour before the race, and that’s always energy chews.”

According to Victor, these sports nutrition chews taste exactly like candy and include about 30g of carbohydrates per serving.

It’s time to start having fun.

MIDWAY RACE

The primary fuel you burn while exercise is carbohydrate, and if you don’t fuel your body correctly, it can have disastrous consequences for a single day of exercise, let alone three weeks.

Victor consumes his first energy gel of the day at kilometer zero, which marks the formal start of the race.

To sustain peak performance, he needs 140–150g of carbohydrates EVERY HOUR. Riders achieve this goal by consuming a combination of sports beverages from Precision Fuel and Hydration, isotonic sports drinks, energy gels, and energy chews.

Here is what Victor drank after winning Stage 18 of this year’s Tour:

• 2.7 litres of carbohydrate and electrolyte drink mix
• 1 litre of carbohydrate only drink mix
• 4x energy gels, each containing 30g of carbs
• 2x caffeine gels
• 3x energy chews
• 500ml plain water

Since riders frequently have trouble chewing and swallowing meals when racing, the peloton has shifted away from more conventional energy bars, bananas, and other actual foods in recent years.

AFTER THE RACE

As soon as Victor crosses the finish line, recovery starts.

After crossing the finish line, almost every rider will receive a recovery shake of some kind. On the team bus, they will then be served plain rice.

With an easy-to-eat combination of carbohydrates and proteins, chicken and rice are frequently the go-to lunches for the different teams at Le Tour.

Since tomato ketchup is high in sugar and a simple way to gain extra carbohydrates, some riders could decide to add it.

Every last drop of ketchup, however, will be metered to match each rider’s dietary regimen.

Victor will call the team nutritionist as soon as he has a massage and a brief shower to let him know what he ate on stage and immediately after the race.

He usually burns between 4,000 and 5,000 calories at each stage, though this might vary based on how long and how hard the racing is that day.

Victor doesn’t always need to overeat his evening meal because he can eat a lot during the race.

According to ProCyclingStats, he weighs only 68 kg and is 5 8; sprinters often weigh much more, while general classification riders weigh slightly less.

“I don’t have to eat massive, massive amounts at dinner,” he clarified. My girlfriend is constantly shocked by how much food I consume when she witnesses it.

I eat roughly half of what some riders eat because they may be taller and heavier than me.

A nutrient-rich, lower-calorie cuisine is served before a sprint stage, whereas carb-heavy dinners are served before a mountain stage. Evening meals are planned with the stage of the following day in mind.

The following choices were available on Team EF Education-EasyPost’s menu before to both level and hilly days of the 2022 Tour:

STAGE FLAT

• Starter – Cured meats
• Leek, onion and carrot soup
• Roasted vegetables
• Paprika sweet potatoes or Spanish paprika rice
• Mexican spiced trout

The mountain stage

• Starter – Salmon and beetroot salad
• Carrot and coriander soup
• Cucumber, lime and tomato salsa salad
• Penne arrabiata or Spanish paprika rice
• Paprika and oregano chicken
• Roasted vegetable ratatouille
• Fruit crumble

Team chefs are required to prepare their own cheat lunch if the riders are fortunate enough to have the next day off.

Burgers, tacos, and lasagna may be served for supper, but they may be made with lower-fat recipes than what the rest of us might have for a celebration meal.

Although Victor was unable to recall exactly what he had after winning Stage 18, he stated: “It’s pretty clear that I didn’t bring the scales to dinner that night when I won that stage in the Tour de France!”

We each had a glass of champagne, and I believe I had no more than two.

Additionally, you’re exhausted and don’t really want to get wasted because there are still two stages left.

Even though Victor occasionally chooses not to have a sweet treat, creme brulee is one of his personal favorites and is served every night.

The nutritionist knows exactly what’s in a cr me br l e if the chef makes one.

She is aware that some riders require dessert specifically for their mental health, and that a single portion is approximately 400 calories.

On the other hand, EF Education’s menu also featured beetroot brownies, banana bread, and flapjacks as dessert alternatives.

Although these updated menus are a far cry from the interminable pasta of bygone eras, they are still insignificant in comparison to the outrageous developments found in upscale Mayfair restaurants.

“You have to swallow your chef ego and put it into a dessert or play around at the end of a race,” said Owen Blandy, chief performance chef at EF Education, in an interview with the BBC.

Go crazy then, but don’t tamper with the basic components, such as proteins and carbs. The boys will be content if you give them what they desire.

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“They have only requested plain basmati rice when I have prepared risottos in the past.

They are not on vacation. Fine dining is not important to them. Literally, they are there to provide fuel.

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