The Incredible Logistics Of The Tour De France | Inside Neutral Service

[@gcn]

Would you like to work for Shimano Neutral Service? 👀

[@bremnet1812]

I'd love to be a part of that team. How does one apply?

[@bikecommuter24]

after 46 years of being a mechanic I'm retired although part of me would love to give it a go I'm the sure the Adrenaline kicks in at crunch time.

[@cardboardcrawlersrc8805]

Dream job.

[@peterdraper1478]

If you saw the state of my garage you would know better than ask....

[@WiltshireLeopard]

I’ll be the driver

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

Having worked as a neutral service mechanic for about 20 years, on and off, you're only ever 2nd choice: riders always look for their team car first, and you quite often get blamed for not having the exactly correct thing they need, at exactly the moment they need it. But sometimes you receive the gratitude that makes the job worth doing. I've been sworn at and had things thrown at me by wound-up prima donnas of both sexes (they get slow wheel changes ever after those sorts of dummy spits) , but also, bottles of champagne, cakes, gift bags & team kit given to me by grateful riders who I've helped to a better finish than they expected. It's a funny little niche of the cycling world.

[@zeiss72]

Awesome! Would love to hear some of your stories.

[@jonasvieth]

Just out of interest what tire pressures do you prepare? Especially for races like Roubaix.

[@vipergtsrgt1]

This was the first thing I thought about before even seeing your reply. The way I've seen neutral service treated sometimes is pretty abysmal. Like you said, a lot of riders don't even want it. We do have a stage race here where two of the stages are on tight circuits where team cars are not allowed. For those stages, neutral service is critical.

[@michaellarkin6158]

i get why a pro rider may not want neutral service but jesus no need to treat them with disrespect

[@secretounum1123]

I'd love to see a similar video about the camera operator on the back of the motorcycles. ❤

[@goldenretriever6261]

I'd like to see a video about the motorcycle drivers. They have to be very skilled to follow riders down the mountains with a cameraman on the back.

[@D34dlyTidsy]

Great idea

[@alexpeartree2019]

​@@goldenretriever6261and getting bollocked by Cab for being in the way! 😂

[@JGCycling]

Same

[@gcn]

That could be cool! We would love to do more behind the scenes videos 🙌

[@oatmonster]

Outfitting the neutral bikes with dropper posts for quick saddle height adjustment is super clever!

[@gcn]

Would you ride one of these? 👀

[@szurketaltos2693]

They need to have some kind of quick change pedal system as well, to reduce the variety of bikes needed. Could probably add XL bikes using the freed up variety.

[@2001MBKBooster]

I really enjoy these types of videos. The insights into the behind-the-scenes logistics are appreciated.

[@gcn]

The logistics are super impressive! 🤯

[@jamieswann4176]

My favourite sort of GCN video, love to see the background content!

[@gcn]

We love brining our audience along with us to the wider cycling world 🙌

[@NRoyMoll]

This was really interesting. The blue cars are a familiar site but I’ve never really thought about the logistics of what they actually do.

[@gcn]

Now you know 🙌

[@francesstager997]

Konstanza is a SHINING STAR!!! I am truly impressed! Cheers to the TEAM!!

[@deputyfk]

As a viewer of as many bike races as I can I want to say thank you to all of Neutral Support for what they do!!

[@cb6866]

Thanks Dan and crew...very cool to see that stuff !

[@gcn]

Thanks to Neutral Service for letting us film with them 🙌

[@seascape]

Not sure why this was an ad, as it was incredibly insightful! Looking forward to tours of the team buses, and perhaps similar episodes on the first aid cars and the broom truck/van/wagon.

[@gcn]

That's the sign of a good ad 😉

[@zonedereve]

Love the analogy of every day preparing like a team but without their own riders. ❤😊🎉 Go neutral service! It's every rider's team!

[@Velo757]

She's great!!! Much RESPECT to those guys and ladies! Amazing job they have to pull off!!! Thanks for your neutral service!

[@mattaddley]

Superb behind the scenes. Kudos GCN crew & Shimano.

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🙌

[@alexbizkit79]

I'd love to own one of those blue Shimano bikes!

[@MrDazP1adv3ntures]

This was an excellent presentation GCN. Thank you for compiling all of the juicy stuff into one feature length edition...👍

[@fen2453]

Shimano deserves all the credit in the world for their efforts. They also deserve all the data the data they aggregate doing this job😊

[@lvtiguy226]

I participated as a mechanic on a neutral service motor bike several years ago for a 100 mile bike ride in Las Vegas, NV. Late in the day we came across a rider on the side of a bike path that was in trouble due to dehydration. I sat with him for several minutes while giving him water and electrolytes. I could tell he was in no condition to finish the ride and convinced him to call his family to come pick him up. He initially wanted to keep going, but then trusted my judgment and agreed. I hope he is still riding well today.

[@morosis82]

Great video, i always suspected some of the tricks theyd need but cool to see it from the source. That trick with dropper posts is brilliant, such a lateral thinking move! Would be cool to see some stats on how often they are used and what types of equipment gets used the most.

[@thomasrealist6181]

Talked 3 years ago with the Dutch team just before the Tour de Flandres. Had no idea about the complexity. Kudos to them and you for the video

[@Dan-kw1be]

I was just thinking about this the other day while watching the tour for the first time. Thanks for the video

[@danieljames1]

So interesting to gain some insight as to what keeps the machine running. That was 100% new and cool info for me. Thank you GCN for making this and all of your fantastic content.

[@robjohnston1114]

Great insight video about more of the Tour's unsung heroes.

[@gcn]

The logistical heroes 🙌

[@cheeheifoo9282]

This is amazing! Did not realise the service and the complexity! Well done. Even more respect for these guys and gals.

[@torandi]

How often does someone actually take a bike or wheel from neutral service, seems like something we see very rarely.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Probably you don't see it, because the cameras and the team cars are amongst the leaders. A rider who has been dropped and is struggling to make the time cut (and the team cars a long way in front) may well rely on neutral service in the event of a puncture, but there are no cameras there to witness it.

[@filiphajek4103]

Yep just like today .. stage 9. E.g. We did not see Vingegaards bike change, but we saw neutral car with Jan Tratnik with Vingegaard´s bike. Cameras are not everywhere and mechanical/punctures are happening all the time in normal stages not just this gravel one .. we just do not see them in TV so often unless the puncture happens to GC rider or some sprinter.

[@Kitalpha100]

There are many questions that needed answers while watching this awesome sport. Here I got some answers. Thanks, super cool.

[@johnstrac]

Fascinating ! Love this behind the scenes content, keep it up.

[@gcn]

Anything else you would like to see on the channel?

[@TheTurnerturner]

Enjoying having Dan back on the "shop floor", old school GCN.

[@Ryschleck]

I love this video! Cheers for bringing us a view of the cycling world that’s pretty much unseen behind the scenes 😊

[@richcrompton6891]

Fascinating. What a logistical puzzle. They should receive a prize after every race!

[@gcn]

Hahaha the logistics could be the toughest part of the tour 🙌

[@Parr4]

This is a great video. Very interesting to learn more about the neutral services!

[@gcn]

It's a cool side of cycling lots of people don't think about 🙌

[@mjokffsgfjs]

It's more historic if Mark Cavendish get his 36th with a neutral service bike.

[@gcn]

Oh that would be cool!

[@playerforty4621]

And who are the guys in the white bikes giving away water bottles, unsung heros on the first 2 stages 👏

[@dazza9129]

Imagine winning a stage using a neutral bike. Must be an awesome achievement.

[@gcn]

Would be so cool 🙌

[@Baerinho]

Michael Rogers won the Tour down under i think in 2002ish on a spectators bike. There is video on youtube with the original commentary, its hilarious, spectator is jsut there, randomly, with i think even the same bike model

[@morosis82]

​@@Baerinhoyeah it was almost exactly the same bike I think, even the right size frame but slightly different saddle height I believe. Got a pic with the guy and his bike after the race.

[@kaspershaupt]

@@Baerinho importantly the same petels one of the wildest coincidences in sports

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

The dropper post is much better used here than what it was invented for.

[@bikecommuter24]

Nice Very interesting and Dan just getting on with the interviews.

[@mariahamilton5305]

Some very interesting stuff coming out! But it's weird seeing Dan on his own. I can't put my finger on why I feel he needs a buddy, but I do!

[@nelsonm.5044]

Very interesting video on some thing se rarely hear about

[@gilescudmore7325]

Wonder how much Shimanoi pay to be the neutral service asthey get a lot of coverage for basically handing out bottles - very rare to see them doing wheel change or handing out a bike as I guess they cover the back of the race a lot more than the front.

[@waynebond5771]

Loved the insight into the neutral service team. Great video

[@johnbazaar6188]

I don’t know how possible this is, but would love to get a tour of the medical tour (especially for a grand tour/tdf). Race doctors are so important and vital for all riders, curious to see what they have to help out.

[@supercoder7]

I love you all so much for doing this video! Have been curious about this forever. Thank you. Love that you can do these videos now since you are independent.

[@gcn]

We'll keep the videos coming 🔥

[@jrguk]

Good bit of competitor analysis they get to do, whilst preparing to support all the teams!

[@marksticky0688]

The 6mm refers to the hex size for the thru axle, not the axle diameter size. Good that there aren't a few 5mm ones thrown in there to complicate things further!

[@mathiasiversen6158]

What about an episode following one of the tdf-team chefs for a day? For example Uno-X has a food truck following them the whole race, with a danish chef doing everything by himself. He posted a photo of him filling two full carts, and that was just two days feeding the riders😮

[@kristenbrook897]

Great story GCN! Really interesting so thanks so much for filming and producing. Keep this sort of content coming! Thank you so much

[@hazenausgazen]

Please more Videos showing the big Circus behind and around the Tour...like this ;)

[@markymark6958]

Awesome listening to this as I am about to assist Neutral Service for a UCI stage race next week.

[@chriscole4149]

Very cool pulling back the curtain on neutral service! thx

[@paulcooper5904]

That's a really interesting insight!!

[@MichaelMitchell-vk9lk]

That was so informative, thanks

[@bonganidarrylkhupe8139]

Thank you. Great information

[@jonasvieth]

What tire pressures do they prepare? Especially for races like Roubaix.

[@JCLIHO]

Great video!! You should do one about the camera crew on motorcycles.

[@RayzLeeKL]

How does the team move from stage to stage? The team logistics movements. Hope to see a video similar on how F1 teams move about.

[@SarahanneField]

Thanks! Great video to watch while waiting for live coverage to begin! :P

[@gcn]

Did you find yourself looking for the neutral service team?

[@martincove6054]

Nice one - really learnt something from this🙂

[@MarkHagan83]

by far the coolest job in sports

[@vladimirmilutinovic8057]

Very nice video ! Well done !!!

[@benjammind]

I can honestly say I have never seen a rider use the Shimano neutral service, really interesting video though!

[@gcn]

You'll be looking out for it now?

[@aaronedgeart]

Huzzah for these heroes and heroines!

[@stevemc6671]

Great informative video, Thank You! 🙂👍

[@devilsboxcar3925]

Brilliant video…..never knew what went into it.

[@BoyArden]

Interesting video. There are so many ‘unseen’ parts of cycling racing that would be interesting to see. What about things like who puts up the barriers and when, what does the carnival before the race do, filling in all the potholes, how is the decision on the stage and route made?

[@elscruffomcscruffy8371]

Dan really wanted a blue Shimano Bottle...poor guy

[@bmodextreme]

I love that “biggest names in the sport” immediately cuts to the photo of simon

[@gregknipe8772]

great stuff, thank you!

[@Dramboli]

Having experienced disc brake rub when I changed wheels from different brands, I can imagine that most of the teams get disc brake rub when receiving a wheel from the neutral service, so they will change back to their own material in a few meters anyways.

[@Shellewell]

All of this is exactly why I continue to remember the time Nathan van Hooydonck was rude to the Neutral Service people and they walked away without giving a wheel. His name was pretty much permanently scarred with that for me because they have a hard job and the stress of a race is no excuse for that attitude to people who are trying to juggle so many different needs and so many different sets of componentry.

[@kpbmx]

Never noticed but I guess following a swap from a NS bike back to a team one, the team keeps the NS bike on the car? Then does an exchange for the broken one when next possible? Logistical nightmare in a race situation. Stunning work.

[@gc641]

Awesome job

[@bartsixable]

I didn’t get that - why come there was a QR next to Alpecin team? As far as I know QR are outdated and didn’t work with disc. Or does it stand for sth else? Great material, wasn’t aware how complex Shimano team is!

[@Chris._P._Bacon]

I switched to Shimano pedals from Look in May......I gotta say, I'm surprised the pedals are fantastic and so much easier to slip into, my guess is the cleat design because I could never get it right with the Look pedals. So, yeah, I'm please with the change.

[@johndoiron9615]

I would love one of those blue bikes!

[@AaronI-wz4ok]

Canyon Ultimate

[@paulsbailey]

Great video.

[@OriginalTrev]

The Shimano neutral service bike frames, saddles, handlebars, stems and wheels are sourced from separate suppliers as white label products. It appears that the outsourced components are painted Shimano blue with a Shimano decal on everything they didn't manufacture. Is the neutral service a contracted component of select UCI races that would be open to bids from companies that compete directly with Shimano - like L-TWOO?

[@sgtbinko2739]

64 wheels suprises me.thought it would of been more

[@AaronI-wz4ok]

They get them back at the end of the stage

[@kaspershaupt]

I remember last year someone in the break broke a chain his team car was behind another group so the Shimano car tried to help him. The mechanic got one bike after another none of them fit for either size or pedal reasons. So he had to wait a long time for his team car to get to him. I just don't remember seeing a neutral actually helping someone out, maybe I don't watch enough cycling tho

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Mavic neutral service assisted at several of our local bicycle races. Due to legal concerns, Shimano service can't be used.

[@jafrilharis]

What bikes are used at Shimano Neutral Service and are they the same every year the Grand Tour is held?

[@mitch_smith]

Did we hear what brand the neutral bikes are? curious who shimano is suing for frames. Great video btw.

[@amoradyl]

It's a french bike brand called Origine and the model is named Axome. Pretty cool ones.

[@AaronI-wz4ok]

Canyon Ultimate

[@DanWick26]

Remember what Shimano did to Nils Pollitt at last year's TDF? What a mess! 😂

[@lazyac_]

shimano di2 during a crash put itself on safe mode , does it apply too in tour de france or they managed to use a diffferent setup?

[@sthlmcol]

Being an amateur. But why don’t the service cars use larger cars? Like vans? To fit more bikes/wheels? Sitting in regular cars with wheels in the backseat😂😂looks a bit weird

[@giancarloraphaeldeguzman8613]

Aside from the motocams, can we please have a live production behind the scenes? Thank you!

[@chrisv5514]

Just curious - is it public which bikes models these are? As in which brand / model etc? :)

[@George-dk7wo]

Awesome video, every time during a race I can't wait to see your video about the neutral service, such a cool job

[@gcn]

You'll keep an eye out for neutral service now 😉

[@Grovreicraynth]

Why don't other manufacturers have neutral service vehicles? I know Shimano is the main sponsor for the majority of teams, but there are teams who use SRAM or maybe Campangolo and all. And I understand wheels are pretty much the same in terms of technology but how about the components that are on rear wheels like the cassette or the disc brake? I know SRAM does have that very small cassette.

[@DJM9678]

Interesting. I don't think it was mentioned but what type of frames they are using (which brand)... does anybody know?

[@stuartfreedman6854]

I wonder, do any (Shimano assisted) riders actually change BACK when their team car gets close enough? Maybe just if things come to a stop for some reason...

[@MultiLuc28]

What brand are the frames they use for these neutral bikes?

[@amedeocestini]

They use the Baofeng TX/RX, i believe they use a Kenwood

[@andrewingleton9374]

I miss Mavic 🥺

[@a1white]

Yes, it was Mavic before wasn’t it?

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Yeah, somehow yellow being Mavic's brand colour just worked at the TdF.

[@a1white]

Alpecin Deceuninick still on QR? I thought they’d all be on through-axles now

[@wildnatureee]

Why is the light on the Shimano motorcycle always broken? Seems like just the right hand side light is working… I’m wondering for ages now! 😅

[@andreasandremyrvold]

05:27 Thank you.

[@whatwelearned]

One of the best parts of any tour is watching the neutral service give someone help only for the entitled weasel receiving it to flap around and scream

[@JamesSwanson-c3g]

I am really curious what frame set they use

[@pcat007]

I had no idea

[@vinceguevarra6380]

Do they bring wheel set with sram cassette and rotors?

[@zerocharlie]

Does Shimano make those frames or are they from another manufacturer but with Shimano logos?

[@supnongl]

I saw elsewhere that they are previous season canyons .. although officially, Shimano will never say

[@a1white]

@@supnonglthanks. I was wondering that too. I guess Dan wasn’t allowed to ask that 😅

[@jacques-yves]

The bike is an Origine Axxome. Origine is a french manufacturer ; they sell very good bikes, only online.

[@trbeyond]

How is the neutral services funded? Does each team pay a certain amount?