Il Tour of Italy has started, a moment that riders, technicians and operators in the sector, but also enthusiasts have been waiting for year after year. But a stage race is also a big circus that moves, not easy to manage and with so many forces at play, especially if you leave from Hungary and return from Sicily after four days. Organization, planning, and the variables that inevitably come into play, some predictable, some that arise suddenly.we went from Massimo Rava, Shimano Service team leader and we asked him how the work at the 2022 Giro is managed.
Did the departure from Hungary complicate the management of Shimano's neutral service for this edition of the 2022 Giro?
Make the Neutral Technical Assistance Service it's complicated in normal situations and during a race like the Tour of Italy everything is amplified. The service that Shimano provides to the races is just the last piece of a long, complicated organizational process that is active all year round. Departure abroad further increases the variables at play and everything concerning organizational aspects.
Will another Shimano office be involved, or will everything remain the responsibility of the Italian branch that collaborates with RCS?
Everything is managed by the Italian TeamWe are well-prepared and structured to face long journeys, even abroad and in countries where logistics are much more than a variable. Furthermore, a non-secondary factor is safety and we are also trained from that point of view. Le RCS racing and consequently Shimano's Neutral Support are also arriving in the Arabian Peninsula. And then it is good to remember that Shimano and its Neutral Technical Assistance Service made their debut with the start of the Giro d'Italia in Jerusalem. It was 2018 and it was a fascinating and challenging test.
How was the transfer of men, materials, and equipment to and from Hungary managed, considering that the departure will be from Sicily?
The service must be the same, with very high standards of quality and efficiency. For us, Hungary is like Italy. To minimize variables and difficulties double the material and much more staff were planned, compared to normal standards. A support van with bicycles, other spare parts and two operators left for Budapest on May 2. His return to Milan was planned after the return of the Giro d'Italia to Italy. For the Hungarian stages, 3 flagships were prepared, car we found in Hungary, complete and ready to use. To these were added the 5 Italian flagships, the we will find it directly in Sicily. Of these, 3 are to be considered immediately operational, 1 is the reserve and 1 is dedicated to the Giro-E.
In total, how many vehicles and people will be involved during the 2022 Giro d'Italia?
Eight cars and three vans, plus a motorbike. A about twenty people, including drivers, mechanics and photographers, in addition to the staff dedicated to the various activations and initiatives we have during the Giro.
Is there a turnover of staff during the three weeks of the Giro, or does the staff remain the same for the entire duration of the race?
First of all it is necessary to consider that for us the Tour of Italy it is 26/28 days long, so not just the three weeks of running itself, a truly extensive period of time. It's inevitable that there will be some staff turnover.
When did you start planning the logistics of the 2022 Giro?
We started planning in February, means that we have put the guidelines down on paper. This means that many of the action ideas had already been discussed previously. As I was saying earlier, it is necessary to evaluate all possible problems, tackle them head-on and create action plansWe must be prepared for all eventualities and leaving well in advance is essential. Quoting another for example, I'll take the flagships in Sicily. The cars have been on the island since the Giro di Sicilia. This means that the short stage race was a springboard for us too. Nothing is left to chance and planning is essential.
What could be the most complicated variable to manage?
The biggest problem, when many people are involved, It's precisely the possibility of having to deal with possible defections, and they can even happen at the last minute. For this reason we always keep two people who I wouldn't call reserves but resources already with their suitcases packed. Secondly, the problems related to mechanical means, not very predictable, but we know that they happen.
When interventions are carried out, is a sort of logbook and/or diary kept?
Each intervention is marked and there is a sort of memory with all the details, which rider and from which team. Any feedback, evaluations, and a review of the intervention performed. All data is transmitted to Shimano's Italian headquarters and consequently also to the European headquarters.
At the end of the Tour, is an inventory taken?
Absolutely yes, and not just to keep a physical record of the material. All parts must always be in top working order, clean and ready for the next race.
