Packing for the Tour

The Tour de France last three weeks and each team comprises nine riders and a horde of team managers, press officers, mechanics, soigneurs and others.

Rabobank's team coach

Lotions and creams, in a soigneur's box

Lampre helpers pack bikes and helmets

A selection of cogs

Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O branded Zipp's

Old school

New school

Thus, each day there is a battle on to make sure that the riders start each stage as well prepared as be planned for, riders are not sent on their way with a sandwich and a Gillett stuffed in their back pocket, rather they are the end of huge chain of planning and packing.

Now times that by 20 teams.

Take a look at our features with soigneur Andrew Hillman and Discovery mechanic Alan Butler in 2007.

Silence Lotto
Silence Lotto, the team of Cadel Evans and Robbie McEwen, will use no less than16 vehicles, including the coach, vans, kitchen, VIPs' minibus bus and the team consists of no less than 32 people, 9 riders and 23 staff.

Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O
In greater detail the Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O squad report on their website the massive amount of kit they take on the Tour - www.slipstreamsports.com/

Food
Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O soigneur Sandra NiHodnae packs this per rider, per day.

6 bars between Clif, Mojo, Nectar, Z Bar, 2 protein bars, 5 Clif gels, 4 Clif blocks, 2 cans Clif electrolyte, 0.5 can Clif recovery, 2 sachets apple cider recovery (hot tea), 1 sachet hot chocolate recovery for chocolate fix, 7 home-made basmati rice cakes, 4 fruit jellies, 1 mussette, 10 water bottles minimum, 10 ml sun lotion/start oil depending on the weather, 8 safety pins, 10 ml chamois cream, 200 g oats, 300 g rice for home-made rice cakes, 5 rice cakes, 50 g cereal, 150 ml soy milk, 8 l water, 10 g nuts, 5 eggs, 200 g meat/fish, 3 yogurts, 3 expresso coffee, 10 ml olive oil, 4 pieces of fruit, 1 tablespoon of honey, Quarter baguette, 4 pages newspaper each long descent or/and wet day to pack in shoes., 0.5 caps laundry detergent 1 large bath towel for shower in bus, 20 ml shower gel, 0.5 cups massage cream, 0.25 rolls of plastic tape to attach earplugs from race radio to their ears so it doesn’t fall out.

Plus 7 large coolers to carry a minimum 50 bottles each, 40 kg of ic. Every day half a roll of aluminum foil us used and half a pack of cleaning and baby wipes. It’s no surprise that they fill 6 100-litre rubbish bags daily.

Clothing
Each rider has at least 35 items of cycling clothing that includes jerseys both long and short sleeve, bib shorts, leggings, knee warmers, arm warmers, socks, gloves, speed suit, helmet, rain jackets, wind vests and wind jacket.

Transport
To move around there is 1 team bus, 1 van, 1 Sprinter, 1 super truck, 5 estate cars and a camper that will be at the two time trials. The vehicles use on average about at least 25 liters of fuel and travel about 200 km daily.

Mechanic
Team mechanic Kris reports that the team will have 42 Felt bikes and the following bits of kit to look after.

- Zipp Wheels (193)
27 rear Powertap 202’s, 22 front 202’s, 6 rear Powertap 303’s, 10 front 303’s, 40 rear Powertap 404’s, 26 front 404’s, 12 rear Powertap 808’s, 17 front 808’s, 2 rear Powertap 1080’s, 10 front 1080’s, 21 Powertap Disc wheels.

- Shimano
10 complete 2008 Shimano Dura Ace group sets, 2 extra pair of huge cranks 177.5 & 180 mm, 12 pairs of Shimano Dura Ace Pedals, 50 Shimano Cleats Red & Yellow, 2 pair of Shimano Bar-End shifters, , 35 Shimano Dura Ace Chains, Enough cables for 3 laps of France.

- Oval Concepts
20 handlebars, aluminum& carbon, all sorts of shapes and sizes, 30 stems, 14 seatposts, 12 TT aero extensions, all shapes, 3 TT carbon base bars.

- Fizik
28 saddles, 40 rolls of white bar tape, 20 rolls of black bar tape, Several Fizik bits and pieces like bar gel kits and non slip saddle sticker thingys.

- Vittoria
80 Corsa CX tubular tires, 15 crono tubular tires, 16 cans of the good ol’ sticky glue