Here's what Tour de France riders are eating for dinner

COUDVILLE-SUR-MER, France, July 2 — Pro cyclists are some of the fittest athletes on the planet, and eating right is critical to their performance. Take the riders in the Tour de France, who are challenged over a grueling 21-stage race mentally and physically in one of sport's hardest tests, pedaling some 2,200 miles around France over extreme terrain and in extreme temperatures.

Even eating becomes a task after a number of days because they have to eat so much, and the food has to be healthy, fresh, and tasty.

So what do the world's best bike racers eat? We got a look at America's Cannondale-Drapac team after its nine riders safely completed stage one at Utah Beach in Normandy.

Here's what they had for dinner, which was prepared by the team's very own chefs, Sean Fowler and Olga Belenko, a couple who travel to the major races with the team throughout the year:

SEE ALSO: An inside look at what America's coolest team did the day before the Tour de France

First, there is juice. It has four ingredients: beet, fennel, carrot, and cucumber. The drink is served with an appetizer, both of which are placed on the table ready to eat so that when the hungry riders show up there is zero waiting.

Personally, I don't like beets, but Olga told me it didn't have a strong beet flavor. She offered me a glass, and it tasted more like carrot, and I liked it. The riders were each poured a modest glassful to go with their appetizer ...

Then came the appetizer — salmon tartare. It also had four ingredients: salmon, avocado, cucumber, and pickle. Nothing else added. As noted in a previous article here, Olga and Sean prepare the riders' food in their mobile kitchen and bring it to the hotel dining room. The food is always fresh, purchased locally, and made according to the riders' preferences.