{"id":2048652,"date":"2026-07-16T13:24:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2048652"},"modified":"2026-07-16T13:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:24:34","slug":"how-your-kids-favorite-krispie-snack-took-over-the-tour-de-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2048652","title":{"rendered":"How Your Kid\u2019s Favorite Krispie Snack Took over the Tour de France"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-7.jpg”]<\/p>\n

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Jim Cotton<\/span><\/div>\n

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Updated July 16, 2026 10:38AM<\/div>\n
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So you thought the high-carbohydrate Tour de France is powered by highly researched, scientifically formulated sport nutrition?<\/p>\n

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You\u2019re right \u2013 but only to a certain point.<\/p>\n

One humble snack is bucking the trend, and it\u2019s krispie.<\/p>\n

Yup.<\/p>\n

Home-made takes on Rice Krispie Treats [Krispies Squares for us in the UK \u2013 ed<\/em>] have become a stubborn outlier in a precision-dialed race fueled by super-strength gels and drinks.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

UAE Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe \u2013 the superteams of Tadej Poga\u010dar and Remco Evenepoel \u2013 are among more than a dozen squads whose racers are getting their teeth into the humble treat.<\/p>\n

\u201cKrispies bars are everywhere at the Tour now. I know of so many teams that use them,\u201d Red Bull nutritionist Will Girling told Velo<\/em>. \u201cThey\u2019re perfect for racing.\u201d<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just the Tour de France \u2013 these crunchy cubes are being raided from kiddies\u2019 lunchboxes and gorged on by skimo stars, runners, and triathletes all over the world.<\/p>\n

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U.S. Olympic runners Molly Huddle and Hobbs Kessler are among the krispies fiends of world sport.<\/p>\n

Carbs, crunch, and an escape from fueling monotony<\/h2>\n
\"Puffed
Puffed rice and marshmallow bars are the new go-to fuel alternative of the Tour de France. <\/span> (Photo: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But how have krispies bars \u2013 a basic blend of marshmallow and cereal \u2013 gained so much kudos?<\/p>\n

The sport nutrition market is at an absolute peak \u2013 the energy gel market alone was thought to be north of $640 million in 2025.<\/p>\n

The range of gels, drinks, and chews has never been greater for pro cyclists who eat more than 500 calories of carbs per hour on the bike.<\/p>\n

Santi Fernandez is a nutritionist at Team Jayco-AlUla.<\/p>\n

He explained the unique trifecta that\u2019s elevated krispies above the endless sludge of sports nutrition that fuels the Tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cKrispies are a great alternative to gels and carb bottles,\u201d Fernandez told Velo<\/em>. \u201cThey deliver almost the same amount of carbohydrate but in a different format. And the properties of the bars are ideal \u2013 they\u2019re carb-rich, but low in fiber, proteins, and fats.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we find that it\u2019s the crispiness and texture that makes the difference,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe \u2018crunch\u2019 sensation can\u2019t be found in other products our riders usually consume.\u201d<\/p>\n

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High-carb, low-fiber, maximum crunch.<\/p>\n

Kids go wild for it, and the world\u2019s best cyclists do, too.<\/p>\n

Velo<\/em> understands that more than half the teams in the Tour de France peloton are getting thir fix.<\/p>\n

Your kid\u2019s favorite snack is basically an energy gel<\/h2>\n
Vingegaard will eat the equivalent of 3-4 gels per hour on the hardest mountain stages of the Tour.<\/span> (Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

High-carbohydrate fueling has been the theme of the modern Tour.<\/p>\n

The peloton wouldn\u2019t be able to race at the record speeds symptomatic of the Poga\u010dar-era without a gut full of glucose and fructose.<\/p>\n

Eating 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour has become an essential norm since the recent \u201ccarbohydrate revolution.\u201d That\u2019s approximately 500 calories per hour, and as many as 15 high-sugar energy gels per stage.<\/p>\n

Anyone who\u2019s tried eating that many gels during one<\/em> weekend ride will know \u2013 the grossness is real.<\/p>\n

Attempting it 21 times over is a broiling gut-bomb of G.I. turmoil, flavor fatigue, and rider revolt.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why alternatives to sport nutrition have become essential.<\/p>\n

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Riders who can\u2019t stomach another<\/em> gel risk being dropped by their fully-carbed, 420-watt rivals.<\/p>\n

\u201cRiders get bored with the race fueling requirement pretty easily,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cAdding other food in addition to regular sports nutrition is important. Riders will get sick of it otherwise and not eat enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cKrispie bars have been very well accepted as part of the plan since we started using them. And we made them ourselves, so we can make infinite different flavors to keep things different.\u201d<\/p>\n

And better still, krispies snacks aren\u2019t just some inferior alternative<\/em> to sports food.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re no amuse-bouche<\/em> between gels.<\/p>\n

These cereal-and-mallow sticks basically are<\/em> sports food. They\u2019re zero fat, zero fiber, and zero protein \u2013 and of course, they\u2019re crammed with carbs.<\/p>\n

A krispie bar made using the WorldTour-approved \u201cPock-It Fuel\u201d recipe created by NSN racer Nick Schultz and his partner Lizzie Holden contains 30 grams of carbs in a 150-calorie cube.<\/p>\n

A standard energy gel provides 30-40 grams of carbs at 120-160 calories.<\/p>\n

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The numbers don\u2019t lie.<\/p>\n

Your kid\u2019s favorite afternoon snacks are basically energy gels.<\/p>\n

Krispies survived the extinction of real food from the Tour de France<\/h2>\n
\u2018Real food\u2019 and particularly rice cakes were still popular in the Team Sky-era Tour de France.<\/span> (Photo: JEFF PACHOUD \/ AFP \/ Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The sugar punch of krispies bars has given them staying power in a Tour de France peloton increasingly powered by sports nutrition.<\/p>\n

Old-school wraps, sandwiches, and rice cakes have been exiled now that carbohydrate requirements are through the roof. The snacks of the Chris Froome era contain either too much fat or protein, or the carbs are too complex and \u201cslow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staffers from Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, Visma-Lease a Bike, and Tudor Pro Cycling all told Velo<\/em> krispies bars are now the only \u201creal food\u201d to be found in their racers\u2019 pockets.<\/p>\n

Wraps or rice cakes are allowed sparingly, and only for some token variety.<\/p>\n

The homemade krispies trade<\/h2>\n
\"Tour
EF Education-EasyPost\u2019s team chef prepares a batch of krispies bars to fuel on the fastest race in the world. (Photo: Gruber Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Krispies bars have become a hot property in a Tour de France peloton that needs fuel but can\u2019t face another gel.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s just as well that they\u2019re darn simple to make.<\/p>\n

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Team chefs turn out tray-loads of sticky treats every morning while they multitask making breakfasts, recovery meals, and planning dinner.<\/p>\n

All they need is a box of cereal, some marshmallows, and a dollop of coconut oil \u2013 ingredients that can be bought in advance and stored in the back of the food truck.<\/p>\n

This humble base can then be blinged up with Biscoff, Kit Kat, Oreo, or, if someone\u2019s feeling sophisticated, cinnamon or pistachio.<\/p>\n

It seems the daily churn of fresh bars in fresh flavors has put the Tour de France into a krispies frenzy.<\/p>\n

Team chefs and riders told Velo<\/em> that the pre-stage start paddock is a busy market of krispie bar trade and barter. Every team has its special flavor, and every rival rider wants a sample.<\/p>\n

An alternative, but not a replacement<\/h2>\n
\"Pro
Krispies bars made to the \u2018Pock-It Fuel\u2019 recipe are all the rage in the Tour de France peloton.<\/span> (Photo: Courtesy Lizzie Holden \/ Pock-It Fuel)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Krispies are all the rage in modern endurance.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s no surprise that several leading sport nutrition brands have recently launched their own takes on the bars, boosted up by sugar syrups, maltodextrin, and more.<\/p>\n

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But that\u2019s not to say the recent kraze for krispies will kick energy gels out of the Tour de France.<\/p>\n

A chewy cereal bar is not going to be the first choice for riders as they suffer on Poga\u010dar\u2019s wheel in the Alps.<\/p>\n

Unwrapping a foil packet while pushing a billion watts isn\u2019t so straightforward. The choking hazard of puffed rice awaits those with the dexterity to do it.<\/p>\n

But still \u2013 there\u2019s no denying that the peloton has a new favorite carb source, and it\u2019s krisp.<\/p>\n

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Jim Cotton<\/span><\/div>\n

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Updated July 16, 2026 10:38AM<\/div>\n
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[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/your-kids-favorite-krispie-snack-has-taken-over-the-tour-de-france\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-7.jpg”] Jim Cotton Updated July 16, 2026 10:38AM So you thought the high-carbohydrate Tour de France is powered by highly researched, scientifically formulated sport nutrition? You\u2019re right \u2013 but only to a certain point. One humble snack is bucking the trend, and it\u2019s krispie. Yup. Home-made takes on Rice Krispie Treats [Krispies Squares […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,71],"class_list":["post-2048652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2048652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048652\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2048652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2048652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2048652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}