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Wrenchin' in the USA: The Chris Davidson diary 2005
Chris Davidson is a mechanic for Shimano Multi-Service doing neutral tech support at road and mountain bike races..
Chris' diary entries show us what life is like inside the pits and give an insight into the mind of a mechanic.
World Championships - Spain, September 27, 2005
Final day at World's and the post race travel
Greetings Cyclingnews readers, I join you from the USACycling U23 house in Izegem, Belgium on part of my trip home. It's been a long 48 hours, so here goes:
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Woke up for the men's race on Sunday and was assigned to the pit box at the start/finish. A rather low stress day for me, as Ken Whelpdale and Geoff Brown would have duty in the caravan car. Nice weather as we left the hotel before the sun was up. The story of the race for us was Saul Raisin [Credit Agricole]. He made his way across to the leader early in the race and stayed away until two laps to go. An amazing ride.
Late in the day when the action was heating up, all the video monitors in the team tents went black, save the German tent. Quickly the line to watch the race from the German tent was huge. Germany was next to us in the tent village, so quickly our riders were peaking around the dividers to see the action. The race organisation got the monitors fixed for the last half lap, so we could see the finish of the race coming at us.
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The finish was exciting; the Belgium tent was just two tents away and erupted with the result. Well deserved. As soon as the race was done and our riders were taken care of, I jumped into the truck for a 20 hour drive to Izegem and the US U23 house. We really did not sleep on the way, just kept the hammer down and got here at 3pm local time. Then we unpacked the truck from the Italy/Spain trip and I got to go for an hour road ride. I stayed on the bike paths and rode from Izegem through a couple of towns to Kuurne and back. Grey and overcast the whole way, must be summer in Belgium - I'd hate to think of February.
The only other person in the house with me is Tyler Farrar. He leaves for the US tomorrow on the same flight with me. He got a new bike from Codifis today to take home for training; I got a shot of it. I need some sleep, I start the 14 hours of flying early tomorrow morning - home and then Las Vegas.
I hope that the photos I took make up for the lack of text. Rest up,
Chris Davidson
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Chris Davidson
- The men’s bikes wait in the hotel lobby at 7am Sunday
- Fast Freddie’s Campy equipped Ridley
- Carbon with clear coat makes a nice finish
- Saul Raisin (Credit Agricol/USA) would spend the day off the front on his Look 585
- Veteran US pro John Leiswyn (Healthnet) rode in his final Worlds
- The two Discovery Channel riders roll on deep section Bontrager carbon wheels
- Don't confuse Jason McCartney with Pat McCarty. Both are Discovery Channel.
- Pat McCarty uses an Ultegra seatpost on his Discovery Channel rig
- The team car ready with spare bikes the morning of the race
- Geoff Brown gets some wheels ready in the back of the Discovery truck
- Man, that is a big bike! I wonder who it belongs to?
- Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas) rides a huge Bianchi
- John Lieswyn required a replacement fork the night before the race.
- Fast Freddie gets ready to ride in the US team tent
- A spare bike for Erik Zabel on the top of the German team car
- At 10am the men rolled out for a long day
- Wow, now that is a spread! USA team tent at 10:30am
- I just can't figure out who the guy in the middle is????
- A tired Saul Raisin (Credit Agricole/USA) after a day in the break
- Tyler Farrar’s new Cofidis team bike
