ProMechanics

Xihaihen to Guide Country
Knee-yao-do to Hue-du-ah See-en)
Now that’s a Cima Copa!!

The race bible gives all information regarding each stage, including but not limited to the information on the climbs. But none of the climbs/mountains have names in this race. Or [...]

Bird Island to Xihaizhen
(Bird Island to Knee-yao-dao)
The local pool hall? Warped and weathered!

My first day in the team car. And what a treat to see the race happening. Nice to be car # 1. But who knows how long that will last with [...]

Quinhai Lake to Bird Island
(Ching-hi Lake to Bird Island)
Opium?
Another day as hotel mechanic. And we are now in the (sort of) city of Bird Island. Bird Island is basically an Island that is thick with bird inhabitants. But it is not really an Island but rather a peninsula that extends from the [...]

Xining to Quinhai Lake
(See-ning to Ching-hi Lake)
Currency nickname: Yao Ming
Jeanick and I decide to split car/hotel duties. He would start the first two stages in the car and I would do hotel duties. Then switch for two days and back and forth for the 9 days/stages. For me, hotel guy for the [...]

Getting there.
The Team:
Director — Eki
Soigneurs (ass rubbers) — Kurt Van Roosbroeck and Vincent Monserez
Mechanics — Jeanick Verstrate and I
Team Doctor — Peter Lagru
Translator — Sharon or by her Chinese name which is Shizhe — A Xining local (Phonetically: Shuh-jew-ahh)
I originally got my flight schedule and saw that I was to fly into Peking [...]

Valoire to Annecy
Pizza time!!
Today is the last stage of the Dauphine. And we finish in the beautiful city of Annecy France. How cool is that. A small city by a small lake in this small valley surrounded by big beautiful mountains. But unfortunately we will not be enjoying the view long. As [...]

Gap to Valoire
The GPS — An Etch-a-Sketch toy
Yesterday was a wonderful effort by Egoi. I’m just guessing that today in the team meeting that Egoi would get a chance to relax today. And he would not have to be in the breakaway today. I’d guess that Johan would give others the orders [...]

Nyons to Digne-les-Bains
THANK YOU Egoi!!
Yesterday Eki drove the second car and I got my well deserved reprise. And rightfully “rested” in my “office” in the back seat. But today the Johan/Eki team were together again in the first car. So, again, I am to test my ability to be 100% aware and [...]

Hauterives to Le Mont Ventoux
Are we still in the race?
Today was the epic finish up Le Mont Ventoux as the final climb. A hill top finish to shred the field into bits and pieces. I’ve ridden to about half way up this and used a 39×25 and suffered my ass off. I’ve never [...]

Anneryron to Anneryron TT
Don’t they know teams are coming with a big vehicle?
Johan, Eki, Chris and 4 riders went early to the TT to do some recon of the course. After they did a lap of the TT, they returned to the hotel to have lunch. Chris waited there with the TT bikes [...]