- Now, it's been a while since I've been let loose
on a team bus, so I am very much looking forward
to getting back on one.
Particularly, because it's this the UAE Team Emirates bus.
Which I'm told is the most powerful
team bus in the pro peloton.
Most importantly though let's see what's inside.
How good is their coffee machine?
Whoa! Look at this.
This is a plush team bus, I just wanna stroke everything.
Look, it's got like suede roof, suede panels there.
Loving the colour scheme, very mellow.
This is a relaxing team bus for a start.
Now, we have eight very comfortable seats up front
but this being the Tour de France with teams of nine,
that means someone else is gonna sat further back.
And I'm told, Matteo Bono is the man
who sits right at the back.
That is his preferred place to travel,
not like he's on the naughty step or something.
Now, these seats are brand spanking new
so although the bus itself isn't completely new
it has had a total refit.
So this is all completely bespoke
to the UAE Team Emirates team.
I do like their tastes, I'm not gonna lie.
I think light grey team buses might be the way forward.
Right, let's move a little bit further back, shall we?
Each rider has their own little docking station here
so they've all got places to put mobile phones, team radios,
we've got little charging station
for phones, or Garmins, or head units.
We've also got a place to hang your helmet.
Right, moving a little bit further back.
We're now into more of the soigneur's realm.
So, we've got little bit of kitchen here, nice and compact.
Also got a window where we can look out,
that's a luxury for the soigneurs.
Then in here, this is our freezer unit.
Currently full of frozen water.
Then in here, we have our fridge.
At the moment it's all full of fizzy drinks and water.
The coffee machine, goal for
the pod variety of coffee machine.
Excellent for convenience, always get a good
quality brew out of that.
And then, convenience is clearly high
on the list of priorities here.
We've got disposable cups as well, bit of sugar.
What's the pod of choice?
Red, a red pod, don't know what that means.
Printer up there, always useful for results
or printing out anything for the riders
to see in terms of their race route.
Seems like a luxury but no, that is an essential.
What else have we got down here?
Second entrance onto the team bus, course.
And then, let's have a look under here.
Well, tell you what, this is quite a sink.
So, massive thing of disinfectant.
Cleanliness is super, super important in teams.
If you imagine, seven people living in close proximity
for a three week race.
Everyone's tired, so immune systems are low
so that's probably gonna be running empty
by the end of the tour because everything needs
to be scrupulously clean all the time.
We've got a microwave oven in there.
Grill, convey, crisp, chocolate.
More convenience, I like it.
And then a bin, that's not terribly exciting is it?
Now, further back still.
We are in very much the territory of the soigneur
so this obviously a place to have meetings.
You can see there's a table that fits in here.
But all the storage under the seats is given away
to soigneur, so that is dressings
and stuff to keep the riders nice and safe and comfortable.
And this one.
Haha! It's a thirsty team's spare coffee cups, nice.
And on these seats, I suspect the riders
will be getting their imbrication put on before stage.
So, the soigneurs will give their legs a bit of a rub.
Brilliant, when you've got super, super tired legs.
And then, of course they'll have little bit
of a mini meeting in this bit as well.
Come then, further back.
We've yet to see the showers.
Oh yeah, check this out.
Stylish bathroom and a particularly nice touch.
There's a seat in the shower.
That's how you know you've had a long, tough race.
Is when you have to sit down in the shower.
Still, after all these years slightly perplexed
at the fact there's two shower-heads in there.
It's not a big shower for two but anyway, there you go.
Maybe it's just a really luxurious place for one.
Then, we got a toilet in there.
Not as sweet, but it's a toilet.
Then moving back, the final seating area,
Matteo Bono's territory.
So, again we've got some more soigneur storage stuff.
We've got towels and things in there.
And then,
whoa! Look at that.
So that is obviously just an absolute fraction
of what the team is gonna need for the Tour de France,
but the soigneurs will stock it everyday
so that the riders can just amble back here in morning
before the stage start, pluck their favourites out,
or indeed I suspect with a protein bar post stage
if you're a little bit hungry on the way to the hotel
or a long transfer.
What else we got?
So this is Named Sports, energy bar.
Apricot flavour.
Got some gels over here, total energy shot.
What's that? Extra strong, crikey.
To be used sparingly I imagine.
Got team hair dryers (laughs) that's amazing.
Dan would have absolutely loved this.
Then we got a stash of helmets here, there we go.
These are their aero helmets,
their Aero Met helmets that they've got.
Ah, right. Whew! Nice TV screen in the wall there.
It's pretty cool.
I like it back here, this is a good spot.
Well, I'm not gonna lie.
It might be the first team bus I've looked around in a while
but this goes into my top five, all time team buses.
Oh yeah, if you've got a top five,
all time list of team buses
then make sure you let us know
in the comments section down below.
But I think, this is a strong contender
even for your list as well.
Now, if you are a fan of checking out behind the scenes
at pro races like this, the Tour de France,
then do make sure you subscribe to GCN.
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And then, if you want some more content right now
we've got another great team bus tour just down there.
Or to see a little bit of team infrastructure,
the mechanic's trucks which is like the best bike shop
you've ever seen on wheels, that's just down there.