Photo gallery: Mechanics prepare for the TD Bank Philadelphia International
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The Team Type 1 bus is dwarfed by the Philadelphia skyline.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Amore e Vita team has colorful Hudz on the Dynateks.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Yuri Metlushenko's Dynatek bike (Amore e Vita)(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Felt-Holowesko Partners team bikes are ready to go.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
And there's Alex Howes in person - the last one back from the pre-ride.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Felt of Alex Howes, the reigning U23 champion.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Felt-Holowesko-Garmin team was the most organized.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Amore & Vita soigneur ices down some bottles.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
A prototype Argon 18 at the Spidertech team truck.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
A heaping pile of Reynolds wheels in various states of dress.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Francesco Chicchi's infamous "Sheriff" Cannodale.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Liquigas mechanic inspects the Mavic wheels.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Cannondale brought out a few spares for Liquigas just in case.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Peter Sagan, winner of the young rider's jersey and two stages of Tour of California is a big favourite.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Lucas Euser's Spidertech team Argon 18(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Spidertech team had the bikes nearly all washed and ready to go.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Kenda p/b Geargrinder team was tucked away in a corner away from the other teams. DS Frankie Andreu supervises.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The race marshall's motorcycle awaits the race.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
BMC's John Murphy is interviewed in the hotel lobby.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Mavic neutral support is here, but their work starts tomorrow.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
A load of Team Bissell's Pinarello Dogma's.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Bissell team mechanic Ben Oliver preps Andy Jacques-Maynes Pinarello Dogma.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
HTC-Columbia favours a deep dish rear carbon wheel.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
A bit of a derailleur hanger adjustment for one of the HTC-Columbia bikes.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The team trucks are double parked on the city street.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
HTC-Columbia's van and bikes.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
HTC-Columbia has its line of Scotts ready to roll.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Kelly Benefit Strategies team has a line of Orbea Orcas awaiting riders.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
The Fly V truck is packed full of gear, some still untouched after Tour of California.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Fly V Australia's mechanics had no time to lounge around.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Teams are lined up along a side street to get ready for the Philadelphia International.(Image credit: Daniel Simms)
Philadelphia is a town that loves its sports: the NHL Philadelphia Flyers are currently fighting in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the baseball team the Phillies has been in the World Series two years running and won in 2008, and the Eagles have been in the Super Bowl. It's no coincidence that this city is also the heart and soul of American bike racing.
The TD Philadelphia International Championship has been arguably the biggest spectator draw in North American cycling since the race began 26 years ago. Drawing close to a million spectators along the course, it is the Big Show for most domestic teams.
The race also draws top professional squads for men and women to the event, with most teams congregating at the race hotel on the day prior to the event.
For the team mechanics, it's a mad scramble to wash and maintain dozens of bikes and wheel sets and fine tune the machines for the grueling 250km race.
With the weather predicting an 80% chance of rain, the choice of equipment for the race, which features one screaming fast descent from the Manayunk wall with several fast turns, will be critical.
Cyclingnews spotted several teams lined up along a side street with the contents of the trucks spewed out onto the pavement in various forms of organization. It's a system only the mechanic can keep up with, so we'll let the photos do the talking.
Enjoy the gallery here.
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