Your Kid's Favorite Krispie Snack Took over the Tour de France
Professional cyclists at the Tour de France are increasingly using Rice Krispie treats as a preferred alternative to traditional sports nutrition gels. Nutritionists cite their high carbohydrate content and ease of consumption as reasons for their popularity among elite teams.
Why it matters
This trend illustrates a shift in sports science toward accessible, whole-food alternatives in high-performance endurance athletics.
So you thought the high-carbohydrate Tour de France is powered by highly researched, scientifically formulated sport nutrition?
You’re right – but only to a certain point.
One humble snack is bucking the trend, and it’s krispie.
Home-made takes on Rice Krispie Treats [ Krispies Squares for us in the UK – ed ] have become a stubborn outlier in a precision-dialed race fueled by super-strength gels and drinks.
Sticky cubes of puffed rice and marshmallow are being wrapped in foil and slipped into the jersey pockets of superstar riders all across the Tour de France peloton.
UAE Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe – the superteams of Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel – are among more than a dozen squads whose racers are getting their teeth into the humble treat.
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