Whenever I am on-site at a stage race, I try to get in the team car at least once. It's a chance to gather behind-the-scenes photos and video. On Wednesday, I asked BMC Racing Team Directeur Sportif John Lelangue about getting in the car sometime during the remainder of the race. He immediately said, "tomorrow." So Thursday morning, I was climbing into the car for a 193-kilometer race with seven categorized climbs.The caravan is a moving city on wheels. Speeds are high at times and the terrain of the course naturally makes things dangerous. Check out the shot at right of the photographer on the back of the motorcycle. We were clocking 62 mph at the time.
Every director has his own style. I asked John if there was anything I should or should not do. "Just don't open your door," he said. I'm guessing he has seen my running with George Hincapie's bike in Canada. That was fine by me. Less stress.
You can see many of the videos I shot on YouTube and I've included the most popular one below (photo at right). Suffice it to say it was a good day for photos and video. But not so great for the riders. The racing was fast and the aggressive plan John laid out was executed perfectly but didn't lead to any results, unfortunately.A couple notes:
- All this black clothing we have from lululemon reminds me of my days of working for Rock Racing.
- Team Sky has the most vehicles of any team: a motorcoach, large equipment bus, small camper, equipment van and five team cars. We have a camper, small bus, van and three team cars.
Jeff Louder gets help from the BMC Racing Team car.
A closer look at John Lelangue's dashboard setup.
A good crowd turned out in this little town.
Commissaire working out of his car.
The red helmet signifies that this is a motorcycle referee.
View of mechanic Nick Vandecauter and me.
Steve Morabito, chasing back after a "nature break."
Another view of more riders chasing back after their stop.
The BMC Racing Team was car No. 10 in the caravan.
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