Consider the baguette. With its golden crust and light, fluffy, whiter-than-white crumb, it is a French national icon. The subject of passionate debate and fierce partisanship, but also omnipresent and unremarkable. A baguette is a daily ritual, not a special occasion.

Independent boulangeries are neighbourhood institutions. On countless town and village streets, an army of artisans serve up their own particular interpretation of the classic wand. A traditional baguette uses a simple set of ingredients: flour, water, salt and yeast or sourdough starter. Yet fermentation, shaping, humidity and baking create differences between bakers. And the finished product is eagerly devoured by the acolytes of the quartier.

To the French, bread is far more than carbs. Fresh bread connects people to place, craft and conviviality. Mess with our baguette? Revolutions have been started for less. In 1789, the peasants were starving because bad harvests and high taxes meant that bread became unaffordable. The baguette's cultural importance is so significant that in 2022 UNESCO inscribed the artisanal know-how and culture of the baguette on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This recognition includes the practices of buying, making and sharing bread, not simply the loaf itself.

To cyclists, bread is carbs. We need energy. But it is so much more than that. It is a time out and a reward. While the British may have their “bun run” – a club ride out for tea and cake – in France, the café or the boulangerie stop is also a hallowed ritual. A sandwich or a pastry tastes infinitely better than any sports nutrition. Bread is also a temptation. Back in the day, as the story goes, pro riders and serious racers used to hollow out the baguette and simply eat the outer crust, in the belief that it helped them stay lean.

This why we decided to create the Café x Pain capsule, featuring a print made from real bread from our local boulangerie. A hymn to bread. Strangely enough, the French don’t eat the most bread in Europe. Estimates of national bread consumption range from 34 to 55 kilos a year – but Germans eat up to 80 kilos. And national consumption is falling, especially of baguettes. However, there will always be a place for them in our heart… and our jersey pockets. In crust we trust.

Check out the Café x Pain capsule now.