The Shimano camp
Photo: © Chris Davidson

The Chris Davidson diary

Chris Davidson is a former mechanic for Bontrager Racing Service, now in the service of Shimano Multi-Service.

Chris' diary entries will show you what life is like inside the pits and an insight into the mind of a mechanic.

Index to all entries

On the road with T-Mobile

June 6 - D-Day: 10 hours till Philly

It has been a while since I have been able to sit down and get some computer time. We finished the last stage in Montreal at ~8:30 in the evening on Wednesday, then had to go to a mandatory dinner for al the riders (they withhold prizemoney if you skip the dinner). Bottom line is that it was midnight before we got back to the base camp in Montreal and after 2:00am before I closed the door on the truck. Next morning - three hours later - the alarm went off and I started the eight hour drive to Philadelphia.

Thursday in Philadelphia, my boss Ken Whelpdale (T-Mobile head mechanic) arrived. Ken has been in Europe most of 2004 with the team, the recently finished Tour de l'Aude schedule made it impossible for him to get back to Denver with enough time to get the truck to Montreal. Hence, the opportunity for me to come in and do this trip.

The athletes flew from Montreal to Philadelphia in the afternoon. So as soon as I got to the hotel, it was time to get the bikes out so some riders could go for a late afternoon spin. I also wanted to get everything clean before Ken arrived.

Most of the men's teams - Colavita, Health Net, Webcor, Sierra Nevada, Jelly Belly - are staying at the Best Western hotel, not the race hotel. This choice is governed by the proximity to the course and fact the parking lot is ideal for the mechanics. The hotel is also walking distance from Starbucks, Whole Foods and a couple of bars. So athletes, directors and mechanics are all happy.

Vince Gee (US Postal mechanic) called a 'Union meeting' (staff of race teams) at the Tavern on Green on Friday night. This is a great tradition for the staff members of all the race teams to get together and have a few drinks and blow off some steam. Most of the damage created by this meeting was easily repaired by the next morning.

Saturday rained all day. My day was consumed by washing and tuning bikes for race day. Some riders went out for a road ride in the rain (Dede Barry , Lynn Gaggioli). Others chose to ride trainers in the undercover parking. Mari Holden was not feeling 100 percent, so she rode her trainer in her room. I was waiting all day for the rain to stop... but it just never did. It has never rained on race day in Philadelphia in 20 years. We hope that holds true this year.

In the early evening I headed over to the race hotel, the Wyndom, and the lobby was awash with Euro pros. The CSC guys were all sporting matching tan blazers, while waiting as a group to head to dinner. It turns out that I run into the mechanic for Genesis Scuba and he had some cracked carbon handlebars on a couple of his riders' bikes. A quick trip back to our hotel and I was able to get him a couple of pairs of our spare supply. You hate to have to change major components on the night before a big race.

Sunday is D-Day; you can hear the race announcer from our parking spot at the hotel. I wait at the truck for the riders to come down and get their bikes and ride the course. The caravan car had to be over on the course very early, so after the last rider leaves for the course I walk over to our cabana. Lots of pre-race tension as the minutes tick by. The men and the women actually race for the same prize list per mile of racing - the men just do many more miles. The women's race would be longer, but the men would catch the women about two hours into the race, hence the 100km distance for the women.

The race did not go as we have hoped. Both Lara and Dede crashed, Dede needing a bike change. In the end, the sprinters took the day and Petra showed that she is the fastest women period. Nurnberger had a good trip here to North America these past two weeks (Petra took the sprinter's jersey in Montreal, Judith won overall in Montreal, and then Petra wins in Philly).

All the riders and the two directors headed to the airport Sunday afternoon. I watched the end of the men's race on TV in the hotel lobby just before starting the drive back to Denver. Next up, 1700 miles of driving in three days, Denver-bound.

I will wrap up the trip with an update from the road. Until then, thanks for reading.

CD

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