Why team 'cars' and not vans??

[oldpotatoe]

In the pro races..always wagons..why not a small van? Seems more versatile, holds more, you could throw a wrench back there to fix something..just curious.

[merckx]

Descend the Alps in a van at 110kph while ensconced within a peloton and report back

[e-RICHIE]

There's a reg that limits the vehicle height, so that riders looking back (or forward) have a line of sight.

ps

arrange disorder

;);):p
;);):)
:cool:;):cool:

[benb]

Much harder to get the bikes off the roof of a tall van?

Vans not that common in the European market?

Harder to handle on twisty roads at race speeds? This is no joke at pro speeds... drive a car in a race just once and it'll really open your eyes just how fast cyclists go through twisty sections of road and downhill.

Vans seem totally different over there AFAICT... smaller, so maybe not as successful because if they're smaller they don't have as many advantages over cars?

[Germany_chris]

Much harder to get the bikes off the roof of a tall van?

Vans not that common in the European market?

Harder to handle on twisty roads at race speeds? This is no joke at pro speeds... drive a car in a race just once and it'll really open your eyes just how fast cyclists go through twisty sections of road and downhill.

Vans seem totally different over there AFAICT... smaller, so maybe not as successful because if they're smaller they don't have as many advantages over cars?

Vans are more common here than in the states

[Blue Jays]

I just want that sweet Campagnolo van to attend distant weekend group rides in style.
The comments above about handling at speed, agility, and visibility all make sense.

[FriarQuade]

There's a reg that limits the vehicle height, so that riders looking back (or forward) have a line of sight.



This, vans are against the rules due to height. However it's not uncommon for the officals to waive that rule, should say Lexus sponsor the race and provide SUV's to all the race officials and teams that fly in. This has happened at the big US races for years. So it's not a hard fast rule. It's also easier to see through an SUV when on a bike than to look over a wagon. So I'm not sure it's a rule that really makes a lot of sense at this point. But UCI.....

[benb]

Vans are more common here than in the states

Hard to say what a van even is at this point.

Is a Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter thing a van? Those are almost more common in the states now than the old school Chevy/Ford full size van or the VW vanagon type of van.

What about mini-vans?

Europe has tons of little tiny things Europeans might call vans but Americans might say it was an SUV.

There are all kinds of weird SUVish things somewhere in the in middle now too.

Both the vans in the OP are stylin though.

[kmac]

last year i was lucky enough to be in one of the team dimension data cars on tourmalet day. in hindsight i'm really really really (really) happy it was not a van.

[Velocipede]

In the pro races..always wagons..why not a small van? Seems more versatile, holds more, you could throw a wrench back there to fix something..just curious.

Why not this version? Lots of visibility. The mechanic could be comfy for when he's needed. Plenty of room for parts and spare wheels and bikes. And people could see thru it easily.

The one step further version of the Campy van above with the bubble roof.

[William]

Why not this version? Lots of visibility. The mechanic could be comfy for when he's needed. Plenty of room for parts and spare wheels and bikes. And people could see thru it easily.

The one step further version of the Campy van above with the bubble roof.

That's reserved for the ordained race officials!!:)






W.

[Germany_chris]

Hard to say what a van even is at this point.

Is a Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter thing a van? Those are almost more common in the states now than the old school Chevy/Ford full size van or the VW vanagon type of van.

What about mini-vans?

Europe has tons of little tiny things Europeans might call vans but Americans might say it was an SUV.

There are all kinds of weird SUVish things somewhere in the in middle now too.

Both the vans in the OP are stylin though.






We have American minivans, VW transporters, MB Vito's and Vaneo's, various Fiat minivans

[FlashUNC]

They seem to do alright with cars.

That's, what, 10 bikes on the Jumbo Visma roof?

https://cdn-cyclingtips.pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Tour-de-France-team-bike-racks-23.jpg

[William]

They seem to do alright with cars.

That's, what, 10 bikes on the Jumbo Visma roof?




...and mounted with a SeaSucker vacuum cups or equiv knock-offs. That should help eleviate any concerns one might have about using a SeaSucker rack.






W.

[batman1425]

...and mounted with a SeaSucker vacuum cups or equiv knock-offs. That should help eleviate any concerns one might have about using a SeaSucker racks

As long as they don't go through too extreme of a temperature gradient... The vac. isn't perfect and I've seen them get lose from big temperature swings - mostly when installing cold and shifting to warm.

[tylercheung]

Descend the Alps in a van at 110kph while ensconced within a peloton and report back

No problem!
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a23110414/japanese-dodge-van-racing-dajiban/

[tylercheung]

That's reserved for the ordained race officials!!:)






W.

"Only the pope can help Egan Bernal now!"

[William]

As long as they don't go through too extreme of a temperature gradient... The vac. isn't perfect and I've seen them get lose from big temperature swings - mostly when installing cold and shifting to warm.

I'm not going to say that can't happen, but in all the testing I did with a SeaSucker rack it never once came loose. I purposely used it through a New England winter where temp swings would go from mid 50's to well below freezing and back. I also purposely mounted it on the back window of my LC with the weight of a 62cm Schwinn Peloton hanging on it pulling down on the cups, not sitting on them as they would on the roof. I also had swings in the summer from the 50's up into the 90's and back...no issues.

In another life I used vacuum cups all the time lifting and carrying huge glass panels where limb and possibly life could be in danger if they let go. I've never had a properly applied vacuum cup just let go.

Anyway, back to Van life...:banana:







W.

[William]

"Only the pope can help Egan Bernal now!"

Only if he's wearing his Specialized Papal Mitre!:)





W.

[jimoots]

As a couple of others have said, if you’ve seen the way these guys drive their cars in the flesh, it’s clear why a van is not suited.

Usually in the caravan there is an ambulance or two - in the race I’ve seen they’ve been a “large van” style ambulance and gosh they look sketchy and are driving on the limit, not even going as fast as the rest of the caravan.

[Velocipede]

As a couple of others have said, if you’ve seen the way these guys drive their cars in the flesh, it’s clear why a van is not suited.

Usually in the caravan there is an ambulance or two - in the race I’ve seen they’ve been a “large van” style ambulance and gosh they look sketchy and are driving on the limit, not even going as fast as the rest of the caravan.

An ambulance just hit a rider the other day.

[jimoots]

An ambulance just hit a rider the other day.

You got that wrong, Bob Jungels hit an ambulance

[Hawker]

That's reserved for the ordained race officials!!:)






W.

HA!!! That is funky looking, none the less.

[jpw]

In the pro races..always wagons..why not a small van? Seems more versatile, holds more, you could throw a wrench back there to fix something..just curious.

Ineos Granadiers would love to be using the Grenadiers 4x4 in races, but it's too tall. They need to come up with a special edition 'mini' version.

Riders need to be able to see through the windows of team cars and caravan vehicles. That's why the ambulances and the French special forces vehicles are always to the rear.

[Peter P.]

In the pro races..always wagons..why not a small van?

Because the waterbed takes up too much room.

[oldpotatoe]

Descend the Alps in a van at 110kph while ensconced within a peloton and report back

Geez second post. Most small vans on sedan frame and the PELOTON isn’t descending en masses at 110kph.

But a UCI ‘soft’ reg about vehicle height...10-4...