Cyclists are hungry as a bear! Or are they?

I\’ve read about pro bicycle racing; and by all accounts, those riders burn thousands of calories. I\’ve also read about how difficult it can be for the riders consume the calories that they need.

That\’s especially true during a stage race, such as the Tour de France. It reaches the point where the riders practically have to force-feed themselves if they don\’t want to bonk.

That sounds hard to believe, doesn\’t it? Hard riding makes anybody as hungry as a bear, doesn\’t it? Even as hungry as a Spring bear! And isn\’t a rider ready to devour anything in sight at any point during a day-long ride?

Not so. When I have to buck a headwind at 12-13 mph for two hours, eating while riding gets progressively harder; and my stomach starts crying Uncle long before the end. How much harder it must be for pro Tour riders, who are riding far faster than that; for at least twice as many hours; and doing it day after day for several weeks. Add to that the mountainous stages of a big race, and the need for serious calories becomes obvious.

It\’s frustrating — and ironic — that long riding, which requires a steady supply of fuel, diminishes the desire to eat. There seems to be nothing we can do but grin and bear it — and practice eating while riding.