Feeding a professional cycling team with Justine Bailleul
In this podcast episode, I welcome Justine Bailleul, aka @naturocuisto on Instagram, head chef with a professional cycling team, who shares with us her role with the riders and her invaluable nutritional advice for amateur cyclists.
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Episode summary
In this episode of the La Sportive Outdoor podcast, we welcome Justine Bailleul, known on Instagram as @naturocuisto.
A former National 1 cyclist, a naturopath specializing in sports coaching and a passionate cook, she is now head chef for the Arkéa B&B Hotels professional team.
She looks back on her career, her role with the riders and shares valuable nutritional advice for amateur cyclists.
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From naturopathy to sports cuisine
Marked by a complicated medical history in her teens, Justine discovered naturopathy and trained in it after a detour through business studies. At the same time, she developed her passion for cooking, passed on by her father, and experimented with gluten-free and lactose-free recipes adapted to sport. Her dual skills – cooking and naturopathy – became her identity.
Her entry into the world of professional cycling was almost by chance: contacted urgently by the Arkéa B&B Hotels team for the Critérium du Dauphiné, she accepted the challenge. Despite her misgivings, she quickly found her place and has continued the adventure with the riders ever since.
The role of a chef in a World Tour team
Its mission: to provide riders with varied, healthy meals adapted to their physical effort, while integrating an anti-inflammatory dimension. It ensures that their enormous energy needs – up to 8,000 to 9,000 calories a day on mountain stages – are covered, while retaining an element of pleasure.
Working alone in the kitchen for most of the races, Justine prepares breakfast, snacks, dinner and special snacks such as rice cakes and oat cakes. The logistics are meticulous: orders placed with the hotels, dry goods sent by the race department, cooking in a food truck.
Composing menus adapted to each stage
Menus vary according to the profile of the stage. Carbohydrates dominate, the real fuel for cyclists, supplemented by lean proteins and quality lipids. Fiber is present but limited to avoid digestive problems.
Pleasure remains essential : flan, tiramisu revisited, risotto or chocolate mousse are among the most popular desserts. “Sometimes runners tell me they’ve been thinking about dessert all day,” smiles Justine.
Tips for amateur cyclists
Beyond the pros, Justine shares useful recommendations for everyone:
- Don’t skip meals on days off: the body still needs energy to function.
- Eat and hydrate during exercise: at least one water bottle per hour, supplemented with bars, compotes, dried fruit or homemade recipes such as rice and oat cakes.
- Anticipate the post-workout period: prepare a healthy snack in advance to avoid cravings and snacking.
- Adapting your diet to the menstrual cycle: before your period, your energy requirements increase. Justine recommends adding more carbohydrates and energy balls with dates, cocoa and almond purée to satisfy cravings.
“Nourishing, caring and pleasing”.
With her approach combining naturopathy and sports cooking, Justine Bailleul shows that performance is not just about training.
Food, conceived as a genuine tool for health and recovery, plays a key role. And even at the highest level, it reminds us of one obvious fact: the pleasure of eating remains indispensable.