Race support at Euro Cross Races - How does it work?

The spirit of Grav-lo-cross. No but seriously, cyclocross and gravel go here!

Moderator: Moderator Team

Post Reply
BdaGhisallo
Posts: 3261
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:38 pm

by BdaGhisallo

I was just watching a dvd I have of the 2006 edition of the Loenhout GVA cross and was watching Maxime Lefevbre (spelling?) go into the pits to get a bike change and find his bike and mechanic nowhere to be found. It got me thinking about how things work.

I know there are teams as such, but it seems like they are more groups of riders wearing the same jersey and riding the same bike. It seems like the team organisation will provide the basics but that the riders, and I am thinking of the elite pros here, pretty much provide their own mechanics and individual support setup, whether the team pays for it or they fund it themselves. Am I on the right track here?

Does Nys have his own mechanic that works on his machines only and does not work for Lars Boom? I would assume there is no "team mechanic" setup as there is on the road side.

And how many bikes will these guys have in the race? At most of the elite races I see - WCup, GVA and SP - the two pit exchange areas seem to back onto each other to minimize logistical and setup challenges. Will a rider have one bike for each pit area, making three at a minimum - counting the one he is riding on, of course?

What do these guys do when they have a sh*t race and really have bad mechanicals? I saw Wellens rip the rear derrailleurs of two of his bikes at Asper-Gavere in 06, after which he seemed to be riding one of Kevin Pauwels' machines, since he is the only one who seems to use the frog leg type secondary brake levers these days. So was he able to pull rank on his Fidea teammate and commendere one of his machines?

If anyone can shed some light on this for me I would appreciate it very much.

Thanks,
Geoff

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



BORCHETTO
Shop Owner
Posts: 168
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:37 pm
Location: flanders - belgium
Contact:

by BORCHETTO

The riders do have their own mechanics. Mostly it is even family.
For most riders their fathers are amongst the people in the pitlane (e.g. Nys, Wellens, Vervecken). Most pitmechanics do this on a voluntary basis. Wellens even puts his bikes together before the season himself.

The fact that wellens broke two rear derailleurs in Gavere is not because of bad mechanics. It is a typical phenomenon in Gavere, because there is always lots of mud on the tires, and on the downside of the track there is a section with really tiny stones, and these stones tend to end up in the rear derailleur on the following uphill section. Wellens indead ran out of spare bikes and used one of Kevin Pauwels. But I think Pauwel's mechanics offered it voluntary (allthough I'm not sure).

The riders normally ride through the same pit, 2 times a lap, from another side, so in theory they could do with one spare bike. But most of them have 2 spare bikes in the same pit. Some riders even bring 4 bikes to the race, in case they break one during training.

As for Maxime Lefèbre's problem, if I remember correctly, the course was very muddy that day and lots of riders changed bikes every lap. There were not enough High pressure cleaners (or how do you call that in English? I hope you understand) or some were broke, so there was a waiting line to get the bikes cleaned. Maximes father didn't make it back to the pit in time to let his son change bikes.

BdaGhisallo
Posts: 3261
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2004 1:38 pm

by BdaGhisallo

Cheers. I didn't mean to indicate that Wellens problems were due to bad mechanics. It was really, really muddy and in those conditions, someone is going to lose a rear derr! I think Vervecken had it happen to him too, but not twice like Wellens.

As for Maxime, I got that feeling watching the race coverage. They kept showing a few pressure washers going but a huge mass of bikes waiting in line! I always figured that the mechanics each had their own washer setup, but I guess that the organisers provide them, judging by your reply. Watching race coverage in a language I don't understand - flemish - doesn't help the understanding of course. :?

Thanks,
Geoff

singlestoph
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 9:33 pm
Location: zurich, switzerland
Contact:

by singlestoph

sometimes it is like this

here in wetzikon

Image

the race course passes on both sides

washing the bikes just beside

Image

sometimes there are two pit stops
it is also not allways possible to to wash bikes without walking a few yards...

it is nor allways possible to build racecourses like this

s

Post Reply