What do pro cyclists eat before a race? Your fueling guide

November 16, 2025 •

4 min read

Professional cyclists can consume up to 8,000 calories per day during a Grand Tour, with a significant portion dedicated to pre-race fueling. A carefully planned diet is crucial for performance, which is why what do pro cyclists eat before a race is a science tailored to every athlete.

Quick Summary

Professional cyclists meticulously manage their pre-race nutrition, focusing on carb-loading days in advance and consuming low-fiber, high-carbohydrate meals to maximize glycogen stores for peak performance.

Key Points

Start Early: Pro cyclists begin carb-loading 1-3 days before an endurance race to maximize muscle and liver glycogen stores.
Go Low Fiber: The night before and on race morning, they reduce fiber and fat intake to improve digestion and prevent stomach discomfort during the race.
Prioritize Carbs: Meals and snacks are overwhelmingly carbohydrate-focused, using easily digestible sources like white rice, pasta, and oats.
Strategize Timing: Breakfast is timed 2-4 hours before the race to allow for proper digestion, followed by a smaller, fast-carb snack just before the start.
Personalize Your Plan: Every pro cyclist experiments during training to find the exact fueling strategy that works for their body, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Stay Hydrated: Consistent hydration is key, with a focus on electrolyte-enhanced drinks to replace salts lost through sweat, especially in hot conditions.

The Core Philosophy: A Strategic Approach to Fueling

Professional cycling nutrition is a multi-day strategy designed to maximize the body's glycogen stores. It's far more complex than just a big meal the night before. Cyclists work with team nutritionists to tailor their plans to the specific demands of the upcoming race, considering its length, intensity, and terrain. The primary goal is to ensure a full tank of easily accessible energy without causing gastrointestinal distress, which can hamper performance. This means a strategic reduction in fiber and fat in the 48 hours leading up to the event.

The Days Leading Up to the Race: Strategic Carb-Loading

For endurance events longer than 90 minutes, such as a major stage race, cyclists engage in a carb-loading phase typically lasting 24 to 72 hours. This involves significantly increasing carbohydrate intake while simultaneously reducing training volume, a process known as 'tapering'.

Pro cyclists aim for a high daily carbohydrate intake, sometimes up to 8-12 grams per kilogram of body weight, depending on the race duration. To achieve this, they prioritize easily digestible carbohydrate sources such as:

White rice and white pasta (low-fiber options)
Oatmeal or rice pudding
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Fruits like bananas and berries
Energy bars and drinks

At the same time, they decrease the intake of fats and protein to ensure the majority of their calories come from carbohydrates.

The Night Before: Priming the Engine

Dinner the night before a race is focused on topping off glycogen stores without weighing the cyclist down. It’s a meal that is high in carbohydrates but low in fat and fiber to prevent any digestive issues on race day.

Classic Pasta: White pasta with a simple tomato-based sauce, rather than a heavy, high-fat cream sauce.
Rice with Lean Protein: Grilled chicken or fish with a generous portion of white rice.
Baked Potatoes: Served with light, easy-to-digest toppings.

Hydration is also a major focus, ensuring the cyclist is well-hydrated before bedtime.

Race Morning Breakfast: The Final Fueling

Breakfast is consumed 2 to 4 hours before the race start, giving the body ample time to digest. This meal continues the low-fiber, high-carb theme and often includes some protein.

Porridge: A staple for many pros, often topped with bananas, honey, and dried fruit for extra carbs.
Rice: Steamed rice is a popular and easily digestible option.
Eggs: Poached or scrambled eggs can provide lean protein, though some avoid them depending on personal tolerance.
Coffee: A strong coffee often serves as a final boost and ritual, but only for those accustomed to it, as it can have diuretic effects.

Comparison: Night Before vs. Race Morning Meals


Feature	Night Before Dinner	Race Morning Breakfast
Primary Goal	Maximize glycogen stores for the next day's effort.	Top up liver and muscle glycogen for immediate race fuel.
Carb Focus	Complex, slow-releasing carbs (pasta, rice).	Mix of easily digestible carbs (oats, rice) with simple sugars (honey, fruit).
Fiber Content	Low, to avoid digestive issues during the race.	Very low, for rapid digestion and absorption.
Fat Content	Very low.	Very low.
Protein Inclusion	Moderate portion of lean protein.	Small portion of lean protein (e.g., eggs, yogurt).
Example	Turkey mince with white pasta and tomato sauce.	Oatmeal with honey and a banana.

The Final Top-Up: Pre-Race Snacks and Hydration

In the hour or so leading up to the race start, pro cyclists will have a small, final snack to provide a quick energy boost. This is often an energy bar, a rice cake, or a gel. A caffeine gel can be used for an extra kick before the start.

Hydration is a constant priority, not just a last-minute thought. Cyclists sip water and electrolyte drinks throughout the pre-race period. Team nutritionists monitor hydration levels, sometimes using urine analysis, to ensure optimal fluid balance. The goal is to start the race fully hydrated, especially important in hot weather. A good baseline is to aim for around 500ml of fluid an hour before the start, possibly with added electrolytes.

Personalization and Gut Training

One of the most important takeaways from a pro's approach is that it is highly individualized. What works for one cyclist may cause stomach issues for another. This is why they use training rides to experiment with different fueling strategies, a process known as 'gut training'. This practice helps their digestive system adapt to processing large amounts of carbohydrates during intense exercise, reducing the risk of mid-race problems. As detailed by SIROKO, elite cyclists often get their individual fueling needs precisely calculated by team nutritionists to match the demands of each stage.

Conclusion

Ultimately, what do pro cyclists eat before a race is not a single meal but a highly sophisticated, multi-day fueling strategy. It moves from strategic carb-loading with complex carbohydrates in the days prior, to a low-fiber, high-carb dinner the night before, and a final, easily digestible breakfast and snack on race day. The entire process is underpinned by meticulous planning, personalization, and consistent hydration. By understanding this deliberate and scientific approach, amateur cyclists can refine their own pre-race nutrition to unlock better performance and endurance.

To learn more about the complete grand tour fueling strategy, including during and after races, visit this resource: https://www.siroko.com/blog/c/what-do-pro-cyclists-eat-during-grand-tours/.

Frequently Asked Questions

Professional cyclists eat a low-fiber diet in the 24-48 hours before a race to minimize the risk of gastrointestinal issues, bloating, or stomach discomfort that can be caused by slower-digesting high-fiber foods.

Carb-loading is a nutritional strategy used by endurance athletes to intentionally increase carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to a race. This maximizes the body's glycogen stores, providing a readily available fuel source for sustained, high-intensity efforts and delaying fatigue.

The night before a race, a cyclist should eat a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-fiber dinner. Examples include white pasta with a simple tomato sauce, or rice with lean protein like chicken or fish.

A typical breakfast, eaten 2-4 hours before the start, often consists of easily digestible carbohydrates such as oatmeal, rice, or pancakes, often with fruit and a bit of honey for extra energy.

Yes, many pros have a small, easily digestible snack in the final hour before the race, such as an energy bar, a rice cake, or a gel, to ensure their energy levels are fully topped up.

Hydration is extremely important. Pro cyclists focus on consistent fluid intake, including water and electrolyte drinks, starting days before the race to prevent dehydration and muscle cramps, which can severely impact performance.

A cyclist can drink coffee before a race if they are accustomed to it, as it can boost performance. However, it's advised against trying it for the first time on race day due to its diuretic properties and the risk of stomach upset.