Friday the E3 Saxo Classic from Harelbeke, today the Ghent-Wevelegem: The Northern Campaign is in full swing. And it's also in full swing for mechanics. These races are also a challenge for the technical staff. Gabriele Tosello (in the opening photo), for example, chief mechanic of theAstana-Qazaqstan, the North started before Sanremo and will end on Monday after Liège!
He is Fausto Oppici, mechanic of Soudal-Quick Step, they explain to us how they organized themselves and what choices their athletes made.
Gabriele, you guys at Astana have a warehouse in Nice. Did you start from there?
Yes, near Nice, and we left from there the Sunday after the Sanremo. Basically, those of us who did the Tirreno, after a brief stop at home, headed straight to Nice that morning in Pavia. The next morning, as mentioned, with the bikes of the riders of the Classicissima we left.
Nice, Belgium: a long trip…
From Nice to Kortrijk, where we are staying, it is 1.200 kilometers. We did them in two stages. But we were in good company, and the time passed well. Plus, we were pretty pumped. We also had the Ardennes gear with us. If not all the bikes, at least the tires and wheels.
Here, let's talk about your supplies.
For now, the bikes we have are those of those who are doing the first part. We have 11-12 athletes with us. Each has three bikes, so there are 36 on the workshop truck. Then, after Brabant, when the riders change, the bikes will also change. We've planned a transfer. These will go and the others will come in. They will be more or less the same number. It will depend on how many riders actually rotate.
What did you bring?
Seven types of covers with diameters of 28, 30 and 32 millimetres. Already in Harelbeke, considered a Petite Flandres, someone used 30 mm. The 32 mm, if any, was used only for the Roubaix. Then two types of wheels: 45 and 60 mm.
Then you changed supplier… Did you only bring two sets?
True, we passed by Corima ed Hed a VisionBut just to get a clear idea, in December we came up to do some tests with some riders, including Ballerini and Bol. Then followed further tests in the wind tunnel, in training and we did another mini inspection before the Kuurne and the Omloop.
Any other “Northern” material you have with you?
Our Customers a special handlebar tape, which is non-slip and slightly more padded. This allows us to avoid having to use double handlebar tape. And then I'd say the "mousses," those inserts that go under the tubeless tire and that we used at Harelbeke and will use at Flanders and Roubaix.
It's well known that the weather changes rapidly in those parts: do you have different lubricants?
We changed the oils. Now we rely on a Spanish company called BLU, which stands for Barcellona Lubricants. We have five types between spray and thicker: from dry to extremely wet. And I can say they get a lot of use. Three spray cans and three 100 ml bottles of oil a week. The bearings give us a lot of work, especially if it rains.
At Soudal's house…
If Tosello spoke to us about the North on the mechanics side, Oppici does more or less the same thing, but more from the athletes' point of view. It's well known that his team, Soudal-Quick Step is a real army in those parts. And even if it is no longer the battleship it once was, it still boasts top-level athletes such as Asgreen, Alaphilippe e Moscon.
Here the approach is more targeted to the sample. Furthermore, it must be considered that The headquarters of Soudal-Quick Step is near Ghent, Therefore, it's on-site. Everything is within easy reach for any eventuality. They have less need to pack a "big bag."
Fausto, how did you Belgians organize yourselves?
As for materials, everything is the same, both compared to last year and to Sanremo, for example. What's really changed are the tires, and the pressures in particular. For us too, each athlete has three bikes: the one he races with, the spare one on the first team car, and the one on the team car that makes the cuts. Another thing we do is ensure that all our masseurs, at the race refueling stops, have at least one set of wheels, in addition to their water bottles and the refueling station itself. Here in the North, the car often lags too far behind, even by 3-4 minutes during crucial sections, so we give them a set of wheels.
Regarding tires, with Specialized you focus on clinchers and tubes. Does this also apply to these races?
Mostly tubes and clinchers, even for the North. We also have a tubeless-ready tire available, but these are decisions that are up to the riders and are mostly weather-related. Among the tires we have with us, there is The Roubaix model, the most popular in these parts. It's more robust and available in both 28mm and 30mm widths.
Which one does Asgreen normally opt for?
Almost always a 28 if it's dry, but I think it holds its own in the wet too. Asgreen is a very particular guy when it comes to wheels: he chooses sets, tires and pressures right at the last minute. Especially when it comes to pressure, he often makes us recheck it right before the start.
And does it travel within the indicated standards regarding inflation?
More or less yes, anyone who goes below 0,2-0,3 bar is Alaphilippe. As for the rest, very little is changed. It's not like it used to be. From the spokes to the rim, we assemble and use the wheels as they come from the factory. Even the positions aren't touched at all.
Why?
Because between different construction methods, wheels that break less, efficiency is always good and aerodynamics count more and more. Once upon a time we talked about double tape, but we almost never use it anymore. Not only that, but if it's not cold, many athletes now ride without gloves, even on the cobblestones. And the glove itself was an added layer. Once upon a time, we changed bikes and used ones with shock absorbers. We changed forks and used suspension ones... Today, we tackle the Northern Classics with Specialized SL8, the same as Sanremo, for example…
