Behind the scenes at the UAE Team Emirates makeshift service course

(Image credit: Will Jones)

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to the winter training camp of UAE Team Emirates, ostensibly for the launch of the new Colnago V4Rs and to write a first ride review of it, having bombed around the hills behind the Costa Blanca being constantly overtaken by WorldTour pros. The team also put on a media day, where journalists could ask riders about their ambitions for the upcoming season, how they were settling in at the new team.

I decided not to stick around during the rider interviews, and instead, as the sun dipped below the horizon, I wandered up the road a few hundred metres to the entrance of an underground car park that the team had taken over to create a makeshift service course. Here I was lucky enough to shoot Pogačar's bike for the upcoming season, but while I was there I also took some snaps of the service course itself and chatted to Pogačar's mechanic, Boštjan Kavčnik, about the new team bikes, what they're like to work on, and who are the picky riders in the bunch.

A bank of countless Colnagos leant against a wall — With each bike costing north of €15,000 there's a lot of cash leant against a wall here (Image credit: Will Jones)

A toolbox full of orange tools with rider names stuck on — The mechanic's toolkits indicate which riders' bikes they're assigned to (Image credit: Will Jones)

WJ: Hi Boštjan, if you could introduce yourself please that'd be great.

BK: Hi, I'm Boštjan Kavčnik, mechanic at UAE.

WJ: And are you Pogačar's personal mechanic, or do you work with the other riders as well?

BK: All of the mechanics work for him [and all the other riders]. I am coming from Slovenia, from Pogačar's first team, and I did all the bikes for his team when he first started. He asked me if I'd go with him to UAE.

WJ: An easy choice?

BK: Ha, yes. I then had a talk with my wife first to find a solution and now I am here for my second year.

Several black and red MET helmets on a table — It's not only bikes, but all the rider equipment too (Image credit: Will Jones)

Tadej is not complicated. He is an easy man to work with.

WJ: Last year obviously you had Campagnolo for the groupset and wheels, so has there been a lot of challenges swapping to new parts; has there been anything particularly difficult?

BK: Of course. We have all new handlebars, wheelsets, and all of the equipment is now Shimano. It's just the saddle and frameset is the same really, but the V4Rs. We will see how it is tomorrow: We have two rides with the riders and the new equipment, but for now, it's good. It's looking good.

WJ: Do you like it more?

BK: For now, when it's working, it's good for the mechanics.

WJ: Is anything easier about the bike, considering the new fork design?

BK: It is easier now to build the bikes. Shimano doesn't have cables at the shifters and for us, this is easier. The brakes are normal though compared to Campagnolo.

Five Colnagos leant against a wall — The mechanics have had a busy time setting the new bikes up for the team (Image credit: Will Jones)

We change [the headsets] after two months of racing.

WJ: The new bike presentation made a big deal about the CeramicSpeed headset longevity. How often are you changing the headsets?

BK: We need one hour to change the headsets. We do have CeramicSpeed on call though. They say "If you have a problem just call us" but that's just for the bearings. We change after two months of racing. We have a lot of work with [setting the new bikes up], but now it's over.

WJ: You've been busy?

BK: We have thirteen riders, all riders have three bikes, plus two TT bikes and other bikes at home. A lot of work!

WJ: So who is the pickiest rider then?

BK: Off-record only!

WJ: I won't tell anyone... Well, we will. They're all perfect?

BK: With some riders, we have always problems with saddle angle and saddle height, but Tadej is not complicated. He is an easy man to work with.

A Colnago time trial bike without its front wheel on the floor — While it was almost all V4Rs road bikes, the occasional TT bike could be seen (Image credit: Will Jones)

WJ: What's your favourite thing about the new bike to work on then?

BK: The favourite is the new colour. Tadej tells us the bike is faster after the corner. After the corner is when he pushes the pedals and it's faster coming out. For me, it's the colour.

WJ: So you can get grease on it and nobody will see?

BK: Ha! No, I don't know. We change the power meter also. Last year we had a lot of problems with the computers. Now we have to see the new computers [Wahoo Elemnt] and how they work.

A Campagnolo Super-Record crankset on a black road bike — Some older bikes were still on show, sporting last season's componentry (Image credit: Will Jones)

Two mechanics discuss something over a toolbox — I'm almost certain they're discussing tyre pressure (Image credit: Will Jones)

AN SRM power meter on Matteo Trentin's bike — SRM power meters: The best, according to the mechanics. This was spotted on Trentin's old bike. (Image credit: Will Jones)

A red and black MET helmet with a "YATES" label on it — New riders to the team, like Adam Yates, have their new kit assigned here too (Image credit: Will Jones)

A dead bike frame on a pile of tyres — This frame, Mikkel Bjerg's from last season, had sadly suffered a punctured downtube in transit (Image credit: Will Jones)

Two Colnagos against a wall at a distance — Two completed bikes ready for the riders the next day (Image credit: Will Jones)

A plastic bag full of lanyards — Wahoo safety lanyards, ready to be installed when the computers arrive at the service course (Image credit: Will Jones)

A set of shallow ENVE wheels against a cardboard box — New wheels from ENVE, deeper ones and shallower options, being set up (Image credit: Will Jones)

The black Colnago of Davide Formolo — Each bike is assigned to a rider. Each rider has three bikes and two TT bikes. Over a whole squad, that's a lot of bikes (Image credit: Will Jones)

Mechanics load the team car with bikes in the red glow of taillights. — Some bikes get loaded onto the team car for the morning session (Image credit: Will Jones)

Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.