The Tour Down Under’s ring-in mechanics

Cameron – Ag2r-La Mondiale:

“I’m a musician with the symphony orchestra here in Adelaide on principle trombone. I got into this through being a cyclists and working with a few bike shops. About 10 years ago an emergency opportunity came up and they needed an extra mechanic for the UniSA team and I just stepped in at the last minute. From there I got a recommendation to work for other teams in later years – Ag2R, Crédit Agricole, Saunier-Duval. It’s a great diversion from my regular job. Every year they ask for me and I speak to the directors. Every year I get more responsibilities. I now do the training routes for the team and schedules for riders the week before the race.
I’m a collector and restorer of bikes. Mostly steel frame bikes, fixed gear track bikes, and Australian built ladies bikes.“

Michele - Astana:

“I’m originally from Italy but I’ve lived here most of my life. I used to be the manager of the UniSA team for their first five years. We won it in 2004 with Patrick Jonker. My last year as a team manager was in 2005 when the TDU became a ProTour event and that team became a national team and they wanted their own staff.

After that I took a couple years off and then came back helping out other teams. Steven Nash and myself own a business down the road called Corsa Cycle Centre. This is my third time helping Astana. I know these guys quite well. I’ve also worked with Saeco, Telecom…and other teams. They get to know you. Sometimes team mechanics change teams and then then they ask for you to help with that team.

I started cycling when I was 13. Then I went back to Italy in the 90’s and raced there, but had back problems so I gave it away, and that’s how I got into managing teams. I run the Lightsview team which is in the NRS (National Road Series). I also work with SRAM neutral support. I did the Nationals, I’m doing Cadel’s race and the Sun Tour coming up. I’ve done about 17 Sun Tours - 10 as a team manager, and seven as neutral spares. “

Ben - Tinkoff-Saxo:

“This is my fourth year being a mechanic for Tinkoff-Saxo. I worked with Brad McGee before when he was working with Saxo and he got me a couple gigs overseas and then at the Herald Sun Tour and the Tour Down Under. He’s no longer with the team but I’ve still kept the relationship and continue to work with these guys at the Tour Down Under.

I do a little freelance work with NSWIS and paracycling. At the moment I’m going back to be a psychology student, so that’ll be my 9-5 for the next four years. But I’ll still be able to do this during summer holidays.”

Jaed - Etixx - Quickstep:

“I was involved in Bike Society in Adelaide [a local bike shop] and a friend of mine had been working with this team from the start. At the beginning of the TDU a lot of the teams relied on volunteers and many of those relationships have stayed through until now. Last year my mate couldn’t do it and I was asked to do this.

The last three years I’ve been studying - I got a masters degree in public health. I had a psychology degree before that. I’m now looking at studying medicine. I got to the final stage of selection this year but didn’t get selected, so I’ll try again next year.

As a young kid I used to race in the SASI squad. Stuey O’Grady and I came through the program together. I didn’t have the success that I wanted to so I left the sport for a while and then came back about 10 years ago. Got back into riding and spent 12 years working in the media on radio. I reported on the TDU about eight times.

Mechanics has been something I’ve always been interested in. Even as a kid my coaches taught me how to build wheels and stuff. I worked as a bike mechanic when I quit cycling. I’ve always fixed my friend’s bikes. “

Nick - FDJ:

“I live here in Adelaide and have been working with different French teams since the second year of the TDU. FDJ was the first team I worked with. Always through guys who know guys.

A couple years ago there was less call for people like me because teams went crazy with the whole Lance factor, because they were sending all their people over here. Now the teams are cutting back a bit because it’s easier to hire people like me. I mostly wash the bikes and little bits and pieces like that. I work for a pacemaker company the rest of the year. I’m the territory manager…It’s far removed from this work, that’s for sure.

Mechanics I’ve known for 10 or 20 years were my connection into this gig.”

Chris - IAM:

“First off I had a job with HTC and that was through Leigh Howard being a friend. I worked with the team in Europe and that was my first ever taste of working as a team mechanic. It was a different lifestyle than I was used to but it was good.

Working at Tour Down Under is a bit of fun. It’s a cruisy event to work at. I got involved with IAM by a guy named Tom Patton who is a full-time soigneur for IAM and is from Geelong, where I live. He asked me if I wanted to do it this year. It’s all about who you know and if you have a good reputation.

For the other 11 and a half months of the year I work with Baum Cycles just outside of Geelong.”

Mitchell: Wiggle-Honda

“I used to work for Shimano at their office on the phones for customer support. The last three years has been all about progressing towards getting on a team as a mechanic. This came up with Rochelle Gilmore to help with Wiggle Honda. I got a random phone call from her after I did some demo bike work for some other stuff. My first job with her was at the Shimano Supercrit and then she asked me to come down for the summer series - The Bay Crits, Nationals, this and Cadel’s Race.

Now I’m working my way to get over to Europe. That’s my end goal. “

Gavin Adkins

This article is tops! Great to see some of the people that make it all happen.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  These types of stories are often the most interesting. It’s just a matter of coming up with a format to be able to tell them that’s sometimes the challenge. Hopefully this works.
  - Paul
    
    Articles like this are why I visit Cycling Tips - much more interesting than just race results. Thanks!
- Ralph
  
  Agreed, and it’s great at the TdU how you can watch them work. So fast and efficient.. and interesting to watch techniques (e.g. lots of compressed air cleaning)
Guessed

What a great article, helping amateur and recreational riders With this post to event. Great stuff.
Guessed

What a great article. Helping Amateur and recreational cyclists connect with this world tour event. Great stuff.
Michele

This article shows clearly why CT is the best Cycling website around. Great stuff!

BTW - I wonder whether Specialized anticipated lots of photos to be taken of their bikes from the angle used in the Header image?

Don’t think I’ve seen a name decal on the underneath of a top tube before.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Astana’s paintjob was one of the most intricate and beautiful of the whole bunch. The hidden details are what made it so extraordinary.
  - Tricky Dicky
    
    Would be great to hear from these guys some of their loves, pet hates and tips for those of us who just pretend to be hard of hearing when the BB starts creaking ….
    - http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
      
      It’s alway the rear skewer!
Ben Pilot

Wade! Its TEAM LIGHTSVIEW ;) #youknowthis
- Paul Atho
  
  Yeah I noticed that. For a moment I was pumped that Lightspeed were making an Australian debut.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  It’s been far too long since I’ve done an NRS race to know! I just listened to the recording again and swear Michele said Team Lightspeed…or something in-between. Anyway, corrected!
  - Ben Pilot
    
    All is forgiven ;) catch you for a brew sometime soon!!!
Kendb001

I very much enjoyed the article!
Simon

The beard wins on colour coordination alone.
- Allez Rouleur
  
  I was just thinking that Mitchell ain’t gonna make it to Europe with his flip flops and swim trunks. Even the PRO tour mechanics are well dressed.
Allez Rouleur

Very cool. All of these dudes seem like good guys who got a nice friend-of-friend benefit. Great little article, thanks for putting it together!

Beginning of the year so all the framesets and gear is new. Are these guys doing full work or just washing and tune-ups? While I can fix most issues with my bike, that’s a far cry for tuning up a PROs bike, mainly since I don’t want an angry sprinter coming after me if his shifter malfunctions!
- FDJ Nick
  
  Mostly the team mechanics assume responsibility for the bikes and, therefore, take charge of ensuring they are in perfect working order for each stage. They do tend to give more responsibility on the tools as their confidence in you grows, but, as you said, who wants an angry sprinter coming at them if you mess up anyway?!
  It is an awesome gig; the days can be long (we were pulling down and building up bikes late into the night of the sprint crash) but it is also great to see the other side of the workings of pro cycling, and you get to meet and make friends with some pretty cool people.
  - Russ
    
    What happens to the team bikes after the tour? Over the years I have seen a few bikes used in the TDU in the hands of private owners. A mate of mine has a Lapierre used in the 2008 tour. Are all the bikes packed up and shipped back to Europe or are some sold to bike shops ?
    - FDJ Nick
      
      Usually they are sold after the season ends, back in Europe. Occasionally they will bring training or spare bikes over and offload them. This year all of FDJ’s bikes were new so none of them were sold. I know a couple of other teams sold off bikes at the TDU this year, and these are almost always private sales, not to shops.

The Tour Down Under’s ring-in mechanics

by Wade Wallace