Assuming Bradley Wiggins survives today's final mountain stage of the Tour de France without mishap, we'll almost certainly be celebrating Britain's first ever winner of the race come Sunday. It would be a huge achievement, and one that even the wildest optimist wouldn't have predicted just 18 months ago. If he wins, it won't just be due to the efforts of the eight team mates who began the race alongside him in Liege. A full supporting staff will also have played their role, and will have dealt with some mind-boggling numbers – can you picture what 3,000 bidons look like? Here, thanks to Team Sky sponsor IG Makets, are two infographics detailing the team's 2012 race in numbers.
12 thoughts on “Infographics highlight Team Sky’s Tour de France in numbers”
45 bikes, 176 wheels and 3000
45 bikes, 176 wheels and 3000 bottles? How do they fit it all into the trucks?
So that’s over 300 bottles
So that’s over 300 bottles per rider then, or about 14 bottles per rider per day? Crikey.
I’ve always wondered is someone coming along behind the race picking up all the rubbish? Obviously fans collect some empty bottles but what about the rest?
Mentioned on Eurosport
Mentioned on Eurosport yesterday that there is a broom wagon to pick up rubbish left by riders.
5 bikes each sounds a lot. Flat, mountain & TT I suppose. Rest day / rollers pre TT maybe. Is the other a pub bike?
Blackhound wrote:Mentioned on
More like 3 x Road bike (1 being ridden, 1 on each of the 2 cars each team has), then 2 x TT bike, 1 for the ride, 1 as spare on the car.
There is a clean up team i
There is a clean up team i think the day after, made up of volunteers, most bottles are picked up by spectators though – you often see riders throwing bottles to them anyway.
The Jaguar Team Car runs on
The Jaguar Team Car runs on Gatorade?
Must cost even more to run than the usual diesel version…
Bhachgen wrote:The Jaguar
We definitely need a like button
I think I heard one of the
I think I heard one of the commentators say the bottles are biodegradeable too.
Sky, like most (all?) teams
Sky, like most (all?) teams at this level use biodegradable bottles.
In the roadbook, it’s pointed out to riders that there are bins at the start and end of the feedzone for them to throw rubbish such as bidons and wrappers.
Outside that zone, they’re supposed to stash rubbish in their pockets. Rrrrrrrrright.
Many riders will make a point of saving an empty bidon until they’re passing a bunch of schoolkids.
If you’re heading into the end of a sprint stage and passing through open countryside, it’s pretty much throw it and never mind where it lands though.
BTW if you want to see a real sweeping operation in action, stick around the route of the London Marathon after most runners have passed. I used to live in Greenwich with one of the water stations nearby and it was amazing how quickly they cleaning crew came through and dealt with everything – thousands of empty bottles, other litter, even temporary road markings. Gone in the twinkling of an eye.
Kesikerov was shown pocketing
Kesikerov was shown pocketing his gel wrappers on the last descent
Don’t gel wrappers make a
Don’t gel wrappers make a sticky mess. I always pocket mine when I use them unless there is a handy bin but they make a bloomin mess. Refillable mini bottles or tubes would be much better. Possibly. I try to carry a placky bag in a pocket to bin em in but lack the dexterity of pro riders. Or 8 year old kids for that matter. But then there really is no reason for me not to stop for 2 minutes to take care of business, I’m not trying t win a race. I think that having followed racing for so long it’s just sort of programed in that I try to do everything on the move. Except toilet breaks and putting on/taking off gillet/jacket. I have studied the technique but it looks like a recipe for a macadam sarnie to me. 😀 :”(
bikeandy61 wrote:Don’t gel
I’ve got a Lezyne snack pouch which sits on the top tube attached to the stem. I’m thinking that rather than store food there, I might keep the gels/bars in a jersey pocket and stash the used wrappers in the pouch. This way, I don’t need pro-levels of no-handlebar riding skill to put the wrappers away without covering my phone/keys/rain jacket/other food with sticky goo!