Real Food Pro Cycling Teams Actually Carry

Professional cyclists increasingly rely on real food rather than gels and bars during races. Team nutritionists prepare portable, energy-dense foods that provide carbohydrates while being easier on the stomach than ultra-processed alternatives.

The Shift to Real Food

Pro teams discovered that many riders tolerate real food better during long stages. While gels deliver quick energy, eating 8-10 gels in a 5-hour race becomes unpalatable. Real food provides variety and satisfaction that helps riders maintain calorie intake.

Modern sports nutrition research shows the gut can absorb up to 90g of carbohydrates per hour from mixed sources. Combining rice, fruit, and honey hits multiple carbohydrate transporters, allowing greater fuel delivery than gels alone.

Rice Cakes: The Pro Peloton Staple

Almost every WorldTour team includes rice cakes in musettes. Teams prepare them with sushi rice, coconut oil, honey, and salt. Some add Nutella, jam, or savory ingredients like parmesan and bacon.

Rice cakes provide 40-50g carbs per serving in an easily digestible form. They don’t melt, crush, or leak like many processed bars. Wrapped in foil, they stay fresh for 6+ hours in jersey pockets during hot races.

Panini and Sandwiches

Italian teams brought panini culture to professional cycling. Small sandwiches on white bread with ham, cheese, or Nutella provide carbs with just enough protein and fat for satisfaction. Teams cut them into bite-size squares for easy eating while riding.

During grand tours, riders consume 3-4 small panini per stage. The combination of carbs and a bit of fat provides sustained energy without the blood sugar spikes and crashes from pure sugar.

Dates and Dried Fruit

Medjool dates appear in almost every team car. Three dates deliver 60g of natural sugars, potassium, and fiber. They’re indestructible in pockets and provide quick energy when riders need it.

Dried mango, apricots, and figs offer variety while delivering concentrated carbohydrates. Teams remove pits from dates to prevent riders from accidentally biting them during hard efforts.

Boiled Potatoes

Small boiled potatoes with salt are traditional cycling fuel still used by many teams. They provide easily digestible starch and replace sodium lost through sweat. Some riders prefer them to sweet foods during ultra-long stages.

Team cars carry containers of boiled potatoes dipped in sugar or salt depending on rider preference. The starch digests quickly while the simple preparation minimizes GI distress.

Energy Bars Still Have a Place

Pros haven’t abandoned commercial nutrition entirely. They use bars and gels strategically – gels during race-winning attacks when solid food won’t digest, bars during neutral sections. Mixing real food with commercial products provides flexibility.

Teams work with nutrition sponsors to develop custom bars with specific carb profiles. These aren’t available to consumers but show the continued evolution of sports nutrition products.

What This Means for Amateur Riders

You don’t need professional team chefs to benefit from real food nutrition. Homemade rice cakes, peanut butter sandwiches, and dried fruit often work better than relying solely on gels. Experiment during training to find what your stomach tolerates best.