Photo gallery: inside the Lotto-Belisol mechanics truck
Lotto-Belisol have two identical trucks, driven from race to race, stage to stage, by the Belgian squad’s team of six mechanics.
Having interviewed one of the team’s mechanics, Frederik Moons, to find out what it takes to be a WorldTour mechanic (read the full feature here), we poked around the truck to see what we could find.
The truck is yet to be stickered up with Lotto-Belisol’s 2013 equipment sponsors. As well as two full-size trucks, the team also have an additional van used for smaller one-day races in Belgium
The team use aluminium Campagnolo Shamal tubulars as spare race wheels for some riders
The team’s Ridley Dean time trial bikes are stored on the right of the truck, behind the work bench, as they’re used least often
The squad use clinchers for training, while Continental Competition tubs (with the 27mm version pictured here preferred for the Classics) are normally used for racing
Andre Greipel, winner of three stages of last year’s Tour de France, uses this semi-slick Continental tubular, which is not available to purchase
Tubular wheels, ready to receive new tyres
The tools of the trade
The riders often head out for a short recovery ride to a cafe on rest days and, with no team car accompanying them, take a bidon like this in case of punctures
Lezyne gave Lotto-Belisol this custom track pump in team colours
More custom kit from Lezyne – very smart
Lotto-Belisol rider Jens Debusschere left these Bontrager RXXXL shoes in the truck in order for the team’s mechanics to switch the cleats from the white pair to the red pair
Team leader Jurgen Van den Broeck’s Ridley Helium SL, ready for another day’s training in Spain. You can take a closer look at the Belgian’s bike here
The day’s route mapped out on the dashboard of the team car
Lotto-Belisol were sharing the hotel with the French Pro Continental team Bretagne-Séché Environnement, whose KTM Revelator bikes were lined up beside their truck in the car park
