Obviously, what we need to take is different if we leave for a day, five days, or three weeks. For each race, we make a list of the equipment required, and this list depends on the race profile and duration. “This is the most exciting time of the year. "The closer we get to the start of the Tour de France, the more the pressure becomes intense,” said Thomas Kousgaard, a mechanic who has just arrived back from Denmark.
In recent weeks, the tension has gone up a notch at the Service Course.
There are almost 200 bikes stored here, as the team’s riders use about 15 bikes per year, each. It’s like a secret treasure room for cyclists, akin to Ali Baba’s cave. In the storerooms of the Service Course, there are bike racks, tyres, parts, accessories, clothing, bags and tools. But they also talk cycling, logistics, technique, equipment and nutrition.
With 14 nationalities in the team, the staff at the Service Course, in Deinze, talk English. “Between each race, the team comes back here to rest and recharge, and the cars and trucks get stocked and supplied with the necessary equipment for the next race.” Deinze is truly the heart of the team,” said Peter Verbeken, a former professional cyclist and now manager of the Team Sky Service Course. It also focuses on the daily life of the team, both for race preparation and during the races. It is a central geographical point that connects all the races in the European calendar. The sky here is as grey as in the north of England, but Deinze is a strategic location. While the official team headquarters is located in the corridors of the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, it is in Belgium that the operational management is based throughout the year.
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