- [Narrator] The Cobbled Classics.
(dramatic suspenseful music)
Over a century old.
Over 260 kilometers long.
Defined by the casend, the Pavé.
Beautiful, but brutal.
A test of skill, nerve, endurance,
power, resilience, tactics and equipment.
- And equipment is something you can
only have so much control over.
Unfortunately, lady luck does sometimes
still play her part.
But even when she does,
through careful planning,
you can minimize the effect she has.
Today, I am Team Sky Zone Hopper.
(upbeat EDM music)
- [Narrator] De Ronde now starts in Ainsworth,
75 kilometers northeast of the race finishing
in Oudenaarde.
However, the key parts of the race,
the Cobbles and the Climbs,
are all concentrated in one small area of Flanders.
As the crow flies,
there is less than thirty kilometers between
The Muur van Geraardsbergen,
and the Oude-Kwaremont in Kluisbergen.
In fact, the Koppenberg, Steenbeekdries, Taaienberg,
Kruiseberg, Kwaremont and Paterberg, are all in
one small area, south of Oudenaarde.
None of them more than ten kilometers from the other.
Which means that, if you plan carefully, a few teams
of helpers with local knowledge can cover all the major
sectors of the race, carrying with them, spare wheels
and bidons.
- And that **** can be the difference between a rider
winning or losing one of the cobbled monuments.
You see, because the roads are so twisty, and also
so narrow, barely a car's width in places, it means that
the convoy of team cars that sit behind the main person
gets so strung out, that If you puncture at the most
inopportune of moments, you could be waiting
two minutes or more before your team car reaches you.
And if that happens deep into the race,
doesn't matter how strong you are,
you're race is over.
- To minimize the chance of lady luck being too influential
team Sky, in addition to their normal staff, hire in
some local personnel to give them a helping hand.
This year though, they've also got me.
- Servais, before we get on to where I'm going tomorrow
for the zone-hopping, can you explain to me first
exactly what is required of me as a zone hopper.
- [Servais] Quite a lot, I'd have to say.
First you, you have to come to the start and get into
the atmosphere of Tour Flanders, and then you will jump
into one of our Ford cars.
We have a Mondeo, we have a Ranger, we have a Tourneo.
You'll get some wheels, some bottles, and yeah then
it's just the case of just to go to four, five spots
on the parcours.
Well, you have to be ready with bottles or wheels.
In races like this, riders almost never come to the car,
but they need to have some bottles, but the also sometimes
have flat tires on cobbles, or on the climbs.
- If I'm standing with the wheels and Luke Rowe comes
along with he puncture, do I just give it in the wheel
or am I-
- Yeah, so we have some mechanics on the course and they
know how to put a wheel in,
but we always say to all the zone hoppers,
if you get a wheel, just give the wheel to the rider
and he has to put it in himself.
- Right, well where we going tomorrow then?
Which Zone Hopping team am I on?
- Ahh, you are on team number seven.
You are with 'Lampy'.
- They're not in order of importance, by the way.
They're all equal of importance.
(both laughing)
- So, you go in our Tourneo to sendy class,
that's at the start of the race.
Then you go to **** at the end,
which is an important moment
because it's the first cobble section of tomorrow
and it will be lying out.
Then after that you'll go to Bergendes
It's a-
- A tarmacs climb.
- Tarmac climb so probably no flat tires.
but a good place for bottles.
And then the Copenberg.
- Yes the Copenberg.
- Yeah, yeah. We have to send someone there
and I thought, okay
- (laughing)
- No, probably Copenberg also wheels,
there's a small chance, but I think
if you are on the right spots
just after the cobbles where the riders
can grab bottle
- Just as it flattens out.
- It flattens out, and you should know where
the riders get the bottle, I think, so.
- I'm looking forward to it.
Right, thanks for your time.
- You're welcome.
- See you in the morning.
It's gonna be early. (laughs)
- And we're off.
Half an hour before the riders actually
start the race, we need to get to that first zone
Synec class 19K into the race,
before they get there, of course.
So, uh, off we go. We're with Lampy. Team 7.
(upbeat EMD Music)
Zone 1. We just need wheels at this point
because we're 19K's into the race.
The feat doesn't open until 50K's in
so the bidons can be saved for zone 2.
Oh, I get the cap?
- Yeah, of course.
- I think I'm a bit too old for a flat cap
but we'll give it a go.
Can I pull it off?
Let us know in the comments.
'No' I think is the answer.
Well, we're at Zone 1 with plenty of time
because I'm watching the race on Eurosport
and it's literally just finished the neutralize zone
and we've got the first attacks.
19K's is where we're at, so they will take
in the region of 23-24 minutes to get here.
Depending on how early the eat break goes.
[Narrator] Each zone-hopping team
consists of a mixture of Team Sky staff
and outside helpers. Ours is 4 people strong.
We've got myself, as well Marketing Executive
at Team Sky which is Emma.
We've also got our team leader, Lampy,
and his daughter Lisa.
(upbeat EDM Music)
(motorcycle engines)
(crowd cheering)
(bicycle pedaling)
(inaudible megaphone sounds)
Right. Zone 1 done. Off to the padestrat.
Should have plenty of time but,
you never know what traffic is
going to be like, apparently, so, we'll go quick.
(upbeat EDM music)
How many years have you been doing this, Lampy?
Lampy - I think about around 6 years now.
- How did you get started?
- So, I knew Peter, the guy works
in (inauduble) and his son is also
a cyclist in the past.
And he was 4 years in a team of 23 in Belgium.
So, one day, I asked him,
'Hey, if you need some help
you can always call me'.
You know the roads in Flanders,
I need somebody to guide me.
So from that day on, I went for every classic.
I also do events.
- It's really important to know the roads
- Yeah, in Flanders, it's really important
because -
- Because where they're shut you can't
use the normal routes.
- Yeah if you - now I'm driving with GPS
because I take the high roads.
But in Flanders you can't use your GPS
because otherwise you're on the race
or just off the race.
You have to really know the small roads
- Yeah, so you're saving your job (inaudible)
_ Yeah, you're never safe in your job.
- (laughs)
Have you ever had to give a wheel.
- Nope I never have to do that.
My daughter has done it in the last
(inaudible) She had to give one to (inaudible)
I've never had - lucky not to give one.
- Yeah, well hopefully we'll be lucky today.
- Yeah hopefully we stay lucky, yes.
(upbeat EDM music)
- Lunch time. So, I'm gonna spectate now
'cause fortunately we got here
just before the women's race. So we'll
get to see them come through.
And in about half an hour after that
the men's race will come through.
Here, we can stand with the wheels and the bidon.
I'll keep the sandwich to myself.
(upbeat EDM music)
As you heard in the car,
Lampy's never had to give a wheel
in 5 or 6 years of doing it.
And that is the ideal scenario
that you don't have to because of that
and bad luck. But, sort of slightly nervous
in case one of them does puncture over
post right here.
I'm just gonna give them the wheel.
We've got zone-hopping team number 1
have turned up at the same spot
'cause it's an important part of the race
and Jeff here is one of Team Sky's mechanics.
So I imagine if any of the riders
has punctured, they would probably prefer
to get a wheel from him than me.
But I'll stand hee, nevertheless.
(upbeat EDM music)
(clapping)
(car engine)
(helicopter propeller)
One of the guys was looking down
at his wheel then, but, I think he was okay.
He carried on going.
Thought I was going to have to step into action.
Just checking none of them are off the back
and then we'll nip in to the van
and go off to the baredries.
(upbeat EDM music)
Lampy's just checking it's alright to leave
the van in someone's driveway but they're not in.
We're all good, I think.
Hope we don't get clamped.
We've made it to the next zone.
We have plenty of time before the riders get here.
A big screen behind us they're
just starting the Aur de Cuaremon
for the first time. So it's going to
be around a half an hour before they get here.
This is the main part of the climb.
As you can see, it's dead straight
and it's tarmac, not cobble.
We're gonna be stood just over the top
with bidons rather than being on the climb itself.
And I'm gonna try to hand a couple
of bottles out this time.
And I of course noticed that this year
Team Sky's zone-hopping crew
are wearing luminous green t-shirts.
It was luminous yellow in previous years
before other teams started copying them
at which point you don't stand out very much
if everyone's got the same color.
The great thing about the Tour de Flanders
is that they do this event very well in Belgium.
You've got big screen dotted about
all over the place. I'm currently keeping updated
on the race behind be on the barengies.
Nicky Turteloc had a really nasty crash.
Last year's winner, out at the moment,
but hopefully nothing too serious.
But there, as I said.
Now, on the outer quaramon
and just over the top of it, in fact.
(upbeat EDM music)
(car horns)
I'm on bottle duty here at the barengries this time.
Emma has got the spare wheels here just behind us.
And Lampy is a little bit further over.
I've got water, he's got energy drinks.
But all of them have got the
SIS gels attached should they so wish.
Hopefully they'll take one.
I'll feel like I did a job for the day, then.
(upbeat EDM music)
(crowd cheering)
(applause)
No. That was actually a very full-on
moment in the race when we saw them
come over the top, they were sprinting
flat out of the front, so that's not really
the time to take a bottle. So I hope
they've got plenty to drink.
(crowd applause)
I think all of the riders are in one piece
at the front from team sky.
Johnny Muska looked like he was about
to go on the attack, actually, but our next zone
and our final one, actually, is the Copenberg.
The steepest of all the climbs
over in the Tour de Flanders so we'll
head over there now. We'll see
if Lampy gave any bottles out.
(upbeat EDM music)
Any of the riders take a bottle from you, Lampy?
- No, nobody take it. Because only Johnny
was on the outside. All the other guys
were in the middle of the paleton
or on the other side. Plus,
the guy in front of me from auto
he was just standing with the wheels next to him
and the riders came out the speed
because it was slowing down and
a rider hit the wheel.
So the wheel - he lost the wheel out of his hand
and the wheel was going into the paleton
and ended on the other side of the street.
So there was a little bit (inaudible) and the riders
so that's why they didn't take also a bottle.
- That's probably what caused the split
in the paleton.
That's why you had to hold the
wheels above your head.
- Yeah, that's why we have all the people
all stand with the wheels above their head.
If something happens, it gets you
and the wheel is still in your hands.
So that's why we do it.
- I've already sunburned.
My classic (inaudible)
Not - yeah, all over.
Neck, nose, forehead. I never learn.
(upbeat music plays)
It's the fourth and final zone for me today
and it is the infamous Copenberg,
which is by far the steepest climb of the entire day.
I mean, when it's wet out here, even the
pro riders end up having to walk it.
At least half of them do, anyway.
Thankfully for them today it is dry.
But it comes to a really crucial point of the race.
It's 45 kilometers to go from this
point until they get to the finish.
They've just don't the Quaremont and the
Patenberg before it. So this is a really
crucial point to give them bottles
if they need it. And also, stand at
the top with the spare wheels.
They're out 5 minutes away now.
This being the last out of 45K's to go.
And double gel time. We've got the normal
isotonic SIS gel as well caffeine gel if they so wish.
Sky doing well at the moment (inaudble)
and they've got a lot of help
from the other people on the team.
So, finger's crossed. No more bad luck,
Well, no bad luck from the start, actually.
(helicopter propeller)
(crowd cheering)
(upbeat music playing)
Here comes in Stanna just got a bottle from Lampy.
So at this point of the race, of course
things are much more strung out,
as little groups are coming over the top still,
so we'll wait around for the last riders.
But this is a great example of why
you need the zone hoppers.
Today, there haven't been any punctures,
far as we know so far, that been had to dealt with
by the zone hoppers. But, this is a
good example of far the team cars are behind.
They do have to go around to Copenberg,
but they would be - here Owen.
Owen!
(upbeat music playing)
That's our last zone done, so we can
give these out to members of the public
and make out way to the finish in Audernad.
Such a brutal race, Flanders, though.
You kind of forget, but when you see the groups
coming in dribs and drabs off the back
just grimaces - and that's even with the way
we've been really kind to them today.
About 6 hours in I think now. Very hard.
(upbeat music playing)
Right, back in the van. We have lots of other
team zone-hoppers. We've all been just glued
to the screen watching what's
going on in the race.
But, yeah, we're gonna head to the finish now.
Hopefully watch the last part of the race on the team bus.
(upbeat music playing)
Out of 30 kilometers to go in the race,
Lampy has delivered us right to the door
of the Team Sky bus.
I wanna say thank you very much
- No problem. It was a pleasure for me to meet you.
- Well the riders obviously trust you
because they took a lot of bottle from you
and none from me. But, it was really interesting.
So, I look forward to seeing you again next year.
- Okay, I hope so.
- Alright.
There is 1 kilometer to go in the race.
Alberto Beto is away on his own.
It looks like he's gonna take his 1st monument.
Actually one of the first victories
of his entire career.
I turn to Team Sky (inaudble)
I think he's on his knees looking at the footage.
But Beto's coming in. You can hear the crowd
starting to roar. They would like a Belgium winner
I'm sure, but, they'll cheer for Italy's.
So, second dekerning quickstep ride Decaspa Alzum.
Rider of the day for me, I mean, he was
riding on front for the team from the
Muur van Geraardsbergen and onwards, really.
And he's been a wave in different groups.
To take 2nd after that is very impressive.
Few dejected faces amongst the Team Sky riders and staff.
(inaudible) He's very happy indeed.
But understandable, really, because
they put so much into today.
The staff and the riders as well.
I genuinely believe that the could win this race
with either Lukrow Or Dillan van Bowe.
But that's bike racing. You know, only
one rider and one team can win each particular race.
So it's in complete contrast to the team next to me
EF Education First, who is celebrating the
biggest win that they've had in quite some time.
But it's been really interesting to be a part of
the zone-hopping team. There were 7, as you know.
And in total, they covered 40 different parts
of the Tour de Flanders 270 kilometer route today.
So, Team Sky riders had everything
they could possibly need. Even if
lady luck did play her part at some point.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this video.
If you hadn't done, please give it
a thumbs up just down below.
And if you'd like to see some more
content about the Tour of Flanders,
we actually took a look at the
5 hardest climbs in the race.
And you can find that just down here.
From Flanders actually, not from the race.