There is a wide consensus that fueling your workouts makes training easier as it provides your body with much needed energy to complete the workout at hand.
TrainerRoad mentioned this plenty of times on the podcast, and once went into a really deep dive on the question of fueling. That said, Chad also mentioned quite some times that fueling isn’t absolutely necessary. Your body has enough glycogen stores to fuel even a 1-1.5h long harder ride, depending on your level of fitness, and Chad once mentioned he was able to complete 4 hour easy rides on nothing but water.
Also, working out fasted or in depleted state provides some benefits regarding better fat oxidation and enhancing your body’s ability to use fat as fuel (instead of carbs).
To add my n=1 experience: I started working out fasted quite some time ago and I’m able to complete 1.5-2 hour intense sessions (Stromlo+7, Antelope+5) on nothing but black coffee and water, and managed to do a 4 hour Z2 ride. I have no extra cravings during the day and no weight problems (quite contrary, I’m probably underweight).
That said, it’s up you to decide which option you’ll pick. It’s more “natural” to properly fuel your workouts, but you have to decide for yourself with regards to your fitness goals and your weight goals.
EDIT: To add one more thing: if you’re going to race you’re probably going to fuel pre-race and during the race. Not fueling properly can inhibit your body’s ability to utilize carbs as fuel, so that would be a minus. Fueling your workouts is therefore a great way to practice your nutrition plan and really nail it down, which always gives you an advantage in races, especially longer ones.