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Workshop Tips by Andy Verrall: Notes to Myself for the Team Car · 10/09/09
With some of you traveling with us in the car next week during the ToB you will see many things going on behind the scenes, so for this top tip I thought I would give you some idea of how I prepare the team car for a race.
- The most important thing is to have the spare wheels in the car ready to drop straight into the bike which I do by ‘gapping’ them. Using the drop out from a broken frame, the QR skewers are set to the correct width and tension for both front and rear wheels to allow the wheel to sit in the dropouts, then the QR skewer can be tightened without the need to wind or unwind.This is the secret to a fast wheel change.
- I carry a spare chain that I have cut to length and use a ‘quick fit’ snap joining connector. That way I can thread the chain through and join it in under a minute
- On the seat beside me I carry two rear and one front wheel. They are stacked in a triangle with the rear on the top, the front behind the driver’s seat then the other rear against the seat. You get far more rear punctures so this needs to be reached first. In a crash you carry both front and rear stacking and in this way you can grab both easily.
- In my pocket I have a multi-tool with 4, 5 and 6mm Allen keys on it. Again, in a crash you cannot take your tool box with you. Usually most of the damage is moved bars, stem, brake levers or saddle.
- Every morning I check that the radios are working. We have two: one is ‘Radio Tour’ used by the race to give us information and this is constantly in use.The other is to enable John to talk to the riders with information that he may have heard on Radio Tour etc or so the riders can talk to each other and John, asking or giving information.
- We carry a spare bike for each rider on the roof rack. This rack carries four bikes with wheels and three with the front removed. I keep a list to hand in the car of the placings on the rack of each rider’s bike to save time in the event one is needed. The bikes need to be placed on the rack based on the rider’s position in the General Classement of the race, so the leader goes on the left at the front making it the quickest to reach, with your lower placed riders going in the middle without a front wheel (taking a slightly longer time to change but not so critical if they are not up in the GC standings).
- I make sure I have the race manual to hand and mark off the sprint and KOM points, along with any other hazards that John may need to be told along the route. It’s also important to watch on TV or look in the paper each morning for the weather forecast, paying attention to the wind direction for the day. This is marked into my race manual as you do not want to get caught out by a change of direction along the route which puts your riders at risk of splits in the peloton. In the Tour this year you saw how Astana used this information and Rabbobank was also very good at using the wind.
- I have to hand the result sheets and a rider list with GC placings/timings. A notebook with spare pens to write down information from the radio giving riders in a break etc is never far away.
- Every night the car is filled-up with fuel. This is never done en route to or returning from the race with riders in the car as they need to be rested, fed, rubbed and sleeping, not stuck in a petrol forecourt. The car itself is washed to look spot on with the inside hoovered out every night. A supply of energy bars & gels is kept topped up along with some basic spare parts like tubes, tyres and chains. There is also a spare helmet in case one is damaged in a crash of forgotten by a rider. The riders each put a ‘wet bag’ in the car which contains a cape, gillet, cap, gloves, overshoes and sometimes spare shoes. Making sure each rider has put their bag in the car is incredibly important.
- The masseurs provide a cooler box full of drinks for the riders during the stage and this has to be placed in the boot so it can be reached easily. The masseurs also put some food and drink in the car for any guests and for John and myself.
- I try to stay calm, relax and even sleep a little in the car, but I always keep an ear out for the radio or John as you never know what may happen next!
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