A bike race lasts only a few hours. For the staff, however, the day begins well before the start and ends well after the finish. During Stage 17 of the Vuelta, we followed those who work behind the scenes at riders. It was a day filled with preparations, the race itself, recovery, and—already—preparations for the next day.
Alcalá de Guadaíra, on the outskirts of Seville —It’s barely 6 a.m., and the hotel is still asleep. Well, almost. Just a few meters from the guest rooms, the food truck is already up and running. Coffee is brewing, and the first dishes are being prepared. Thierry Moyne, the team’s chef, is already hard at work. “ I head down to the food truck at 6 a.m. and start preparing breakfast and some of the dishes for the day.”
On the menu this morning: the team’s breakfast classics, including crepes, pancakes, and waffles. The menu rotates every three days, with additional options like rice pudding, bread, cereal, jam, honey, and omelets. Among these options, Léo Bisiaux has his favorites:“Honestly, everything tastes good when Thierry’s around,”he smiles. “But in the morning, for me, it’s always rice pudding with berries. It’s perfect.”
Breakfast is all about timing. In a few hours, Léo and his teammates will be at the start of the stage. In the meantime, every member of the staff has already begun their own time trial.
9 a.m. – Everything must be ready
As the hotel comes to life, activity picks up. Preparations are in full swing ahead of the trip to the race. For the riders, these are the final moments before hitting the road. For the staff, it’s time for final checks and a long day ahead.
On the mechanical side, however, most of the work had already been done the day before. Laurent Denonfoux, the team’s mechanic, explains that any changes to the setup, chainrings, or wheels are planned in advance.
" In the morning, we keep our to-do list as short as possible. So it's really just inflating the tires and checking that the batteries are fully charged. We also adjust the brakes a little to set the pressure if needed. "
A final check, then the spare bikes are loaded onto the roof rack. Everything is ready: off to the starting line.
1:28 p.m. – Start of the race
Once the race begins in Dos Hermanas, the pace changes. The “ riders ” are now focused on their race toward Seville, while the staff enters a different phase of their day.
From their cars, the sports directors follow every move of the race, relay information, and adjust their instructions based on how the stage unfolds.
The support staff also have their own plan of action. They must position themselves in the right spot to provide refreshments, anticipate the needs of the “ riders ,” and remain available in case of the unexpected. A race is also decided by this behind-the-scenes organization, where every action must be carried out at just the right moment.
While the peloton covers kilometer after kilometer under the Andalusian sun, another part of the staff is already thinking about the next stage: the return of the riders, their recovery, dinner, and everything that needs to be prepared for the next day.
3:00 p.m. – Already thinking about tomorrow
For Thierry, returning to the hotel marks the start of a new phase. “I start preparing dinner around 3 p.m., and if I have time, I also prepare the next day’s post-race snacks. The goal is really to get a head start as soon as possible.”
Once again, the day is never planned solely with the present in mind: while we’re preparing dinner, we’re already planning part of the next day.
Then comes the service. And once everyone has finished eating, the work continues for a little while longer. “You have to clean up once they’ve finished serving themselves at the buffet, wait until they’ve truly finished eating, and then clear everything away, tidy up, and salvage whatever can be salvaged to feed the staff the next day.”
After the Finish – Another Race Begins
As soon as they cross the finish line, the support staff spring into action. The six team “ riders ” still in the race are given water and taken to the bus parking lot to begin the first stages of their recovery.
This year, the team has cold baths set up right inside the vans. The “ riders ” spend between five and eight minutes in them, thanks to a meticulously planned schedule that allows the physical therapists to perform multiple riders.
“Generally, we manage to do three to four riders,” explains Claudine Lespinasse, the team’s physical therapist. But not all the “ riders ” are fans of cold baths. And some even have their own way of approaching them. “There are some who don’t even take the time to undress,” Claudine says with a smile, referring to Léo Bisiaux . “He walks right in, lifts the lid. And with the lid practically on his head, it doesn’t seem to bother him at all! ”
Once back at the hotel, the staff’s work continues. The physical therapists move right into recovery massages and, when necessary, various other treatments: mobilization, stretching, compression, cold therapy, and pressotherapy.
For the mechanics, the day is far from over, too. The bikes that accompanied the “ riders ” must now be restored to working order. “We have one person who’s always in charge of washing—that is, degreasing and cleaning the bikes. After that, we give them a quick blast with an air gun to blow off the water. And then we do a thorough inspection, ” explains Laurent.
Every bike is thoroughly inspected. And, depending on the profile of the next stage, certain adjustments may still be made. “Depending on the next day’s stage, [we make] changes to the chainring setup. We check the braking system, all fasteners, and the condition of the tires. A complete check to ensure everything is in top shape for the next day.”
Later this evening – Start over tomorrow
Little by little, the hotel is returning to its usual calm. For the riders, the day is drawing to a close. For some of the staff, there’s still work to be done: tidying up, preparing, checking, and planning ahead.
On a long- tour, the day never truly ends. It flows into the next one. In Alcalá de Guadaíra, the hotel falls asleep once more. Tomorrow morning, it will be time to start all over again. Change hotels. And the coffee will be brewing once more before sunrise.
