It takes a lot to feed athletes and the Garmin-Chipotle racers, competing in this year’s Tour de France, are no exception. If the average person is supposed to do all they need to do on a 2000 calorie a day diet, imagine what a cyclist needs…this year’s Tour de France riders need between 7000 to 7500 calories for some parts of the race. At other times, when they will cycle through mountains, they could burn through 9000 calories.

And that is just food, let’s not even begin to talk about water. The riders had the help of a competent staff to prepare rations for them. They didn’t get regular water. The Garmin-Chipotle team drank water that was specially prepared with a carefully-measured amount of a sports drink with electrolytes.

If you are a cyclist, you probably do not employ a staff to prepare you to get ready to ride, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to prepare. Get some water, get a good meal and get a Garmin to help you keep tabs on your rides.

A GPS device like the Garmin Edge 605 Cycling Fitness Training Navigator GPS comes loaded with everything you need to make the most out of your ride. Get cycle computer data and mapping detail, all from one compact, easy-to-use device.

The Edge 605 automatically measure important stats like your speed, distance, time and the number of calories you burn. You can store these stats to analyze them and prepare for future rides. The Edge 605 also lets you share your stats with other members of Garmin’s online training community. If you are a member of a cycling club and the other members get a join, you can share stats with each other and with other a worldwide network of cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.