Life In The Saddle

" They are what they eat " says Hannah Grant—at the time Head Chef for Team Tinkoff-Saxo – one of the most successful professional cycling teams on the UCI World Tour circuit. It is a motto that I subscribe to very strongly. Food is an integral part of cycling. Food is your fuel, and your conditioning agent, as well as your recovery. Energy bars and gels can do so much, when you are on the bike; but it is what you eat the rest of the time that really makes a difference. Cycling teams realised the importance of nutrition some time back, and that is why a number of the top teams now have Michelin level chefs working for them; their role is to ensure that the nutritional intake of the riders is absolutely optimal for their performance. Hannah Grant is one of those top chefs, and just as the mechanics at Team Tinkoff-Saxo played an integral role in preparing the bikes for the riders each morning and evening, Hannah has a fundamental role in ensuring that the riders are co...

Hannah Grant has fast become one of my idol chefs. I love good simple food and I also love bike riding—riding far and riding fast. Hannah's recipes combine the two adorations perfectly: great simple food, made to be the perfect fuel for endurance sport. 'Eat Race Win' is her latest book release. ' The Grand Tour Cookbook ' was the first cycling-orientated recipe book released by Hannah Grant. I reviewed it, and it would be accurate to say that it has become an almost biblical reference whenever we are looking for tasty and wholesome dishes in our household. 'Eat. Race. Win.' is the sequel to 'The Grand Tour Cookbook'—supplying a new bank of superb recipes to try. The book is beautifully illustrated and holds some interesting and inspiring insights on both cycling and cookery. This is a cookbook worthy of being placed on your coffee table. The recipes themselves are the real talking point though... whether it is the ride-fuelling breakfasts,...