Fast Food--Spuds Fuel Tour de France Cyclists
Along with carb-laden bars , fortified drinks, bite-sized French sandwiches with meat, cheese and butter, racers on the move in stages of the Tour munch on potatoes, sometimes baked, sometimes boiled. This year the Tour began in an obscure peninsula in the Vendee region, Ile Noirmoutier, known for its special "new" potatoes, the Bonnottes. Cultivation of this variety dates back to the 1920's and was always done by hand. In recent years production of La Bonnotte has been revitalized, especially as Bonnotte pairs beautifully with the local oysters. It is entirely possible, therefore, that yesterday's racers were mindlessly stuffing themselves with carbs from rarified potatoes prized by gourmandes.
Athletes who need 6000-7000 calories per day eat cooked potatoes the way more sedentary types eat apples. At the feeding stages, team helpers hand long bags of supplies to their racers, trying to connect as cyclists flash by at 30-50 miles per hour. You can see the cyclists stashing supplies in their kangaroo pouches, tossing wrappers and bottles to the winds as they scarf or slurp something down. Fast food for the athletes, slow cleanup, for someone.
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