Various TDF questions

[roguedog]

In watching the tour, thought of a bunch of questions that you all might know.

1. Jerseys - Does the tour committee have the jerseys ready for the winners or is the teams that have them ready since they already have the team logo on them?

2. History - What's the history and significance behind all the stuffed animals for each jersey?

3. Bonuses - Do stage winners, jersey holders, any classification winners get some sort of bonus? Or how's that all work when you see days like today (stage 11) where it's entirely a full team effort to get a sprinter across the line?

Hey looks like I'll post this one in the right area of the forum now that I've closed the video window and my the letters I type don't show up one at a time as I type 'em. :banana: :confused: :cool:

[phcollard]

1. Jerseys - Does the tour committee have the jerseys ready for the winners or is the teams that have them ready since they already have the team logo on them?

I was told that the manufacturer of the Team jerseys prints and ships them overnight. That works fine for euro brands but not so well otherwise. That's why yesterday you saw Voeckler still in his dark green bibs. They're made in Canada and they couldn't manufacture a yellow one in time :cool:

3. Bonuses - Do stage winners, jersey holders, any classification winners get some sort of bonus? Or how's that all work when you see days like today (stage 11) where it's entirely a full team effort to get a sprinter across the line?

Yes there are a lot of financial bonuses for sprints, jerseys holders, stage winners, kom points, final yellow jersey. They are usually split and given to every team rider and mechanics. Everybody gets its part except the team leader who usually passes. That's understandable when you make $3 million a year just for being the leader of Saxo Bank :D

[Idris Icabod]

1. There is a guy in a van that irons on the team logos as they become known ready for the presentation

2. The lion is the symbol of Credit Lyonaise, a French bank that is the major sponsor

3. Cash bonuses for stage wins, points winners etc. They publish what each teams wins overall cash wise at the end of the tour. Traditionally prizes are split equally between teh teams. Lance Armstrong never took his cut becasue lets face it he doesn't need the money. Not sure if this is common amongst all winners.

[phcollard]

Just found this for you. I believe the figures are still valid.

http://www.roadcycling.co.nz/TourdeFrance/tour-de-france-demystified-part-2.html

[cromo900]

Thanks for the link - learned something new regarding salaries (part 3 at the site). I wonder how teams divide prize money? Surely Cav doesn't pocket the all 8,000 (or whatever it is now) for each stage win.

[harlond]

Lance Armstrong never took his cut becasue lets face it he doesn't need the money. Not sure if this is common amongst all winners.I believe it has been the custom for a long time. I think it came up when LA was winning because the French taxing authorities sought to treat him differently than prior winners, but I'm not sure about that.

[majorpat]

I believe it has been the custom for a long time. I think it came up when LA was winning because the French taxing authorities sought to treat him differently than prior winners, but I'm not sure about that.


True, most overall winners split the prize among the team. Encourages extra effort, I would think.

[Mark McM]

1. Jerseys - Does the tour committee have the jerseys ready for the winners or is the teams that have them ready since they already have the team logo on them?

There are actually two versions of the leader jerseys - presentation jerseys (used for podium ceremonies), and team jerseys (that the riders actually ride in).

As mentioned earlier, the presentation jerseys are quickly created on the spot, between the finish of the race and the podium presentation, and are created by applying iron-on transfers of team logos onto a "blank" leader jersey. These jerseys are typically only used for the podium presentation.

During the actual stages, the riders typically wear a different jersey. These rider jerseys are typically pre-made by the team before the race even begins, in the sizes/types/styles as would be necessary for riders on the team who have a good chance of leading one of the race categories. These jerseys are professionally designed specifically for the team, with all the appropriate team sponsor logos and trademarks.

Having the leader kit pre-made by the team before the race also explains how the GC, Points and Mountains jersey holders are able to wear the appropriate yellow, green or polka-dot skinsuits for TTs, even though the race organizers only give out leader jerseys and not skinsuits.

2. History - What's the history and significance behind all the stuffed animals for each jersey?:

Like it was said before, the stuffed animals are advertising trademarks for the race sponsors. This is similar to the tradition of Indy 500 winners drinking milk on the awards podium - for many years, the Indy 500 was sponsored by a large dairy producer, who asked that their product be highlighted on the winners podium (thus the drinking of the milk). This became such a fixture, that the tradition continued even after the dairy company stopped sponsoring the race.

[Grant McLean]

As mentioned earlier, the presentation jerseys are quickly created on the spot, between the finish of the race and the podium presentation, and are created by applying iron-on transfers of team logos onto a "blank" leader jersey. These jerseys are typically only used for the podium presentation.


The presentation jerseys zip up the back, that should be the tipoff.

-g

[vqdriver]

another question i've always had was how the neutral support cars provide spare bikes regardless of the pedal system.

[Hardlyrob]

I'm with vqdriver - never understood how that could possibly work.
Rob

[EDS]

another question i've always had was how the neutral support cars provide spare bikes regardless of the pedal system.

Toe clips.

[jbrainin]

Toe clips (they're in there, somewhere):

[jlwdm]

...Lance Armstrong never took his cut becasue lets face it he doesn't need the money. Not sure if this is common amongst all winners.


This tradition started long before Lance Armstrong.

Jeff

[BdaGhisallo]

There are actually two versions of the leader jerseys - presentation jerseys (used for podium ceremonies), and team jerseys (that the riders actually ride in).

As mentioned earlier, the presentation jerseys are quickly created on the spot, between the finish of the race and the podium presentation, and are created by applying iron-on transfers of team logos onto a "blank" leader jersey. These jerseys are typically only used for the podium presentation.

During the actual stages, the riders typically wear a different jersey. These rider jerseys are typically pre-made by the team before the race even begins, in the sizes/types/styles as would be necessary for riders on the team who have a good chance of leading one of the race categories. These jerseys are professionally designed specifically for the team, with all the appropriate team sponsor logos and trademarks.

Having the leader kit pre-made by the team before the race also explains how the GC, Points and Mountains jersey holders are able to wear the appropriate yellow, green or polka-dot skinsuits for TTs, even though the race organizers only give out leader jerseys and not skinsuits.



I don't know if this is true. The Tour caravan has within it a huge truck that is stacked with TdF leader jerseys, vests and skinsuits in all sizes possible. The logos for the teams are screened on depending on which rider/team needs them. As for skinsuits, have you ever noticed how basic they are and how the chamois in them rarely matches those used by the riders in their regular team skinsuits? If the teams made them themselves, why wouldn't they use the same chamois that the rider uses every other day of the year?

Also, what are the chances of the kit manufacturers all being able to exactly match the color of the maillot jaune? Pretty slim. All you have to do is look to last year when Petacchi was in the green jersey. The green color on the greened version of his team bib shorts was very different than the color of the points jersey he was wearing. If Santini, Lampre's kit maker, was making both they surely could get the same color on both?

All the leaders jerseys are provided by the organization and are all produced by the company that signs the deal to make the jersey, or the company they pay to make them on their behalf. For the last decade it's been Nike and I believe that Giordana were sub-contracted to manufacture them. Starting next year, the french company Le Coq Sportif will take over the provision of the jerseys. The provided them up to 1988 after which Castelli took over in 1989 until Nike came along in the late 90s.

[BdaGhisallo]

Found a link on VN from 2009 explaining the jersey setup:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/08/road/test-2_22


Here's the pertinent part;

Answer from Castelli: The leaders jerseys are produced by the sponsor of the leaders jerseys: Nike for the Tour de France. The jersey as delivered to the race organizers has a white space where the rider’s team’s logo will appear. The team’s clothing sponsor supplies heat transfers (sublimation papers) to the team who delivers them to the race organizer.

At the finish of the race, the race organizer has a heat press where they can transfer the team’s logos onto the podium jersey in about three minutes after the finish of the race. Many times the jersey is still hot for the podium presentation. At some smaller races the organizer doesn’t have a heat press, and we supply stickers for these races.

The matching shorts and kits are made be the team’s clothing sponsor prior to the race. We take a look at the team roster and figure out which riders have a shot at the various classifications and then make up shorts and sometimes gloves and shoe covers to match. We don’t actually plan it per rider, but per size of shorts.

At the Tour, for example, we made polka dot shorts in size S that would have covered Sastre, Cuesta or Marchante. But we didn’t make them in size L for Hushovd, Lancaster and Roulston. But we did make the green shorts in L for those guys, and also M for Haussler, but not S for the climbers. We make three pairs per size per color. These pieces are delivered to the team prior to the race and stay in the truck through the race. Typically they’re kept out-of-sight until needed because most cyclists are superstitious.
-Steve Smith, 
International Marketing Manager, 
Castelli

[roguedog]

Another question...

Do these guys have different bikes for different days (e.g. climbing bike vs low land bike) or do they just swap out cassettes and wheels?

[EDS]

Another question...

Do these guys have different bikes for different days (e.g. climbing bike vs low land bike) or do they just swap out cassettes and wheels?

Sometimes, but not so much these days as the bikes are as light as they can be to begin with.

[bikser]

Bicycling just had an online article regarding the jersey's and the guy who does them.

http://www.bicycling.com/tour-de-france/tour-features/man-many-colors

[vqdriver]

another question, who picks up all those water bottles? i figure fans will take the roadside ones, but i can't imagine the Pyrenees and Alps littered with those things

[phcollard]

another question, who picks up all those water bottles? i figure fans will take the roadside ones, but i can't imagine the Pyrenees and Alps littered with those things

Fans fight to get a water bottle - I've done it :bike:

I know riders are asked to throw their water bottles where there's public. It's great for the fans. Of course it isn't always possible.

But there's something new this year (or was it from last year): you have maybe noticed some panels alongside the road that say "zone de collecte". It's basically a waste drop zone where riders must drop their bottles, musettes, food packaging, etc. I believe their even can get a penalty (fee) for not using the waste zone.

I would be more concerned about what the public disposes of though. The publicity caravan is HUGE and gives away a lot of sh... that most often ends up as garbage on the side of the road.

[John M]

Heck with the back-zip presentation jersey. The hugs/kisses from the podium girls are the true prize....

[rustychisel]

another question, who picks up all those water bottles? i figure fans will take the roadside ones, but i can't imagine the Pyrenees and Alps littered with those things

It's part of why you have to go and see and experience it for yourself. Standing at the side of the road trying to be nonchalantly cool as the caravan comes through (takes about an hour to pass) with people throwing cr4p out (samples of cured meats, cheap hats, all sorts of sponsors tat) and then you get to fight with fat Belgian momma's for things in the ditch. I notice this year someone has been handing out plastic umbrellas. It helps to have a younger child or 2 as bait, they attract a shower of cheap sweets. Then when the riders eventually come through you look for the jettisoned bidon, etc... there's a reason for the relatively huge swell in crowd numbers just after the feeding zones, souvenir hunters.

Down here at the TDF I got hit in the back of the head by a Hincapie bidon as I was turning to watch the front of the field. The guy next to me swooped on it as I spun around but handed it over when I pointed out it was my head which was hit.

Anyway, France... somewhere on the route at the side of the road: the crowds, the caravan, helicopters, gendarmes, the whole damn vibe of the thing gets you going... then 'whoosh', gone in 30 seconds.

[phcollard]

Anyway, France... somewhere on the route at the side of the road: the crowds, the caravan, helicopters, gendarmes, the whole damn vibe of the thing gets you going... then 'whoosh', gone in 30 seconds.

Exactly :) And not to forget the roads are closed something like 3 or 4 hours before the riders arrive. So that's a lot of waiting for the whoosh. Hopefully you can have a beer (don't forget the cooler), take a little ride or even fire up the barbecue :D

[Tim]

As far as I know, The various jerseys are made by the Italian Company MOA. They are given all the logos etc beforehand, and, as needed, they can make overnight any of the kits that the riders need. This company makes also makes some of the team strip- HTC for example. It's part of the larger company Nalini.
Yellow bikes etc. are painted by the bike companies- usually overnight. Tommy V's yellow Colnago was done by the Italian factory overnight and driven overnight to the race by one of the Colnago employees. This is why bike mechanics try to sleep during the day, because often they're working until very late at night. Tommy's bike was completely assembled overnight so he could have a yellow bike the next day.
Bottles, mussettes etc. are claimed as prizes by the millions of fans along the route. I've been there and, 30 mins. after the race goes by, the routes are completely cleaned of all the stuff the riders throw. You have to be aggressive to get anything at all!
The caravan gives tons of stuff- same thing- it's all taken fast and nothing is left behind.

[mgm777]

How about yellow bikes for the leader? Do the teams, who think they have a legitamate GC contender, have a yellow bike in ready reserve, just in case?

[firerescuefin]

How about yellow bikes for the leader? Do the teams, who think they have a legitamate GC contender, have a yellow bike in ready reserve, just in case?

Regarding Voeckler, Colnago turned a bike out for him from prod/paint/delivery in 18 hours after he took yellow.

Below isn't the article that I was looking for, but gives you the idea:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/bikes-and-tech/tour-pro-bike-thomas-voeckler%E2%80%99s-colnago-c59_184904

[mgm777]

Thanks Geoff.