Video: The challenges for mechanics at the Tour Down Under

The Tour Down Under, held in Adelaide, Australia is around 16,000 kilometres from Team Sky's service course in Belgium.

The first race of the UCI WorldTour has the potential to be an expensive one for competitors and so teams generally try to keep their equipment to around the 400 kilo mark. Compare that to the 6000 kilograms of equipment that is in most team trucks in Europe and it's obvious that team are travelling light for the first race of the year.

In this video, Sky mechanic Filip Tisma talks us through what he has on hand in Adelaide to keep the team running as smoothly as possible along with the practicalities. This is his second trip to the Australian stage race and past experience has paid off. \

In 2012, he has just one groupset on hand at the race, compared to the five he usually has in Europe. Sky are also travelling with half the amount of race wheels with 29 sets on hand, for the two Pinarellos available for each rider.

Click on the video below to get the full rundown from Tisma, along with a tour of his working environment at the Tour Down Under village.

 

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

 

As a sports journalist and producer since 1997, Jane has covered Olympic and Commonwealth Games, rugby league, motorsport, cricket, surfing, triathlon, rugby union, and golf for print, radio, television and online. However her enduring passion has been cycling.

 

Jane is a former Australian Editor of Cyclingnews from 2011 to 2013 and continues to freelance within the cycling industry.