The 1991 Motorola Cycling Team Spring Classics documentary

An inside look at the 1991 Motorola Cycling Team as they prepare and race the major Spring Classics.
Gent-Wevelgem – Paris Roubaix – La Fleche Wallonne – Leige Bastogne Liege

[Music] the professional cycling season is now some eight weeks into the new year and coming up the two top Classics of the spring per Bay in France and Le a Bast on Le a in Belgium hi everyone I’m Phil liot and for the next 12 days I’m privileged to join the Motorola team and just see how a topf flight multi-million dollar team faces up to what is a most important week on the world professional calendar it is the spring classic time here in northern Europe and we’re going to see them prepare for paru Bay that’s the hell of the north in norn France and then down in the Belgian Arden where they will prepare and ride leage Bast on leage two totally different Classics and two of the oldest Classics on the world calendar Peru Bay began in 1896 the LI Baston Le in 1894 one is over cobblestones in northern France one is in the beautiful Arden where the hills are short but very Steep and two different types of cyclists are often call for the Motorola team is a new team on the professional cycling circuit and that’s why I’ve chosen to try follow them and see how they prepare they were allowing us into all of their team meetings providing we say we won’t tell the other Riders what they say during these very special private occasions we’ll also see how they prepare and talk to people like Andy hamston the newcomer Phil Anderson and of course the man who lost paru Bay by a millimeter last year Steve Bower this is a team that has a lot of pressure on it it’s a new sponsor who wants to see results already Phil Anderson has given them two big race victories now can Steve B win per b or can Anderson or hamston come out and win Le a Bast on Le AG we will feel that pressure we will speak to these Riders and the manager and you will feel it with us the Motorola team has 15 Riders taken from five countries but the immediate difference between them and other professional teams is that all except dag Oto litan speak English as a first language this winter with a new sponsor to impress team director Jim ovich signed Australian Phil Anderson who at 32 was seeking fresh pastures after 11 years as a professional ovich is a shrew judge of man and Anderson already had won both the tour of the Mediterranean and the Sicilian week Anderson joined Steve Bower a year after the Canadian left his Swiss team and both are glad to have Englishman Shawn Yates alongside them John Tomac is in his second season after an exciting amateur career that included notable Mountain bikee success and there’s Frankie Andreu and 1988 Olympian of whom much is expected this year but Bower is the name everyone talks of Steve Bower joined ovich last season and a French newspaper then claimed that he was being paid half a million dollars Steve’s a quiet man who usually lets his legs do the talking and when he makes conversation he also makes every word count beaten to the gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games by Alexi greywall Bower turned professional and immediately took a third place World Championship medal in Spain Bower and Anderson are the team’s leaders but they rely heavily on the others like extrovert Bob R from Santa Fe whose humor helps keep morale [Music] high and there’s Andy Bishop from Arizona but who lives in Belgium during the season not too far away in fact from dag Oto lson the Norwegian champion who almost won the world title last year in Japan it’s April now the team is divided and his other Superstar Andy hamson is a racing in Spain the spring Classics in northern Europe are underway and bow knows he must rise to the occasion today the team has been training and tomorrow is the classic gent wav gum Eric heyen hands out the team’s schedule the Gent wav gum race like all of Belgium’s classic races attracts the best Riders it’s seen as a stepping stone to the upcoming par Ru there’s a taste of cobblestones and the short steep hills in flers always hurt it would be nice if Motorola won but that’s not necessarily the intention John Hendershot one of the 12 support crew and one of three team Mass Gives dagotto a light rub before the start while Steve Bower is looking for proof that he is approaching good form for Parry Ru on Sunday it’s an important time of the year even though the season is only two months old there’s Greg lemond the triple tour to France winner has yet to win a classic race and lald Fon who lost the tour to Greg by 8 seconds in 89 also on parade is Eddie planker and Frenchman Charlie M a climber with classic Ambitions this year and the rest who make up the 198 Riders inside the vome on the outskirts of gent start it’s a novel start but professional Riders often get asked to do strange things and with 5 hours to go no one rushes for the door of the vroome as they roll out into the chill Belgian air of Springtime Harry Ru and Lea’s best on Le are World Cup races G wum Isn’t So to race your heart out today and win is rather like playing your best shot on the club putting green for a long time the field stay together and team publicity director Paul shwing keeps in touch with manager Ovitz not much want know all that not really I’ll see you later the race ends won by the Soviet spinter jodin Abdu japaro his best win to date but a th000 meters down the road Phil Anderson’s chance of victory has ended in a heavy fall the sort of news the team did not want to hear Anderson had taken quite a tumble but the cuts although plenty of them seem superficial still he would be plenty stiff for a few days and would not now ride har Ru hey John my bik just over here man sitting there [Music] snag Frankie Andrea with also ridden well finishing 12th in the 210 km classic best of the team Bob R joined by his new wife had found the race dangerous and was clearly unhappy this was the last race before pyu Bay and it had not gone well even on the uphill people were crashing I never seen anything like it it was dangerous I never seen so many crashes so in the beginning you guys were Smo yeah we were taking it easy they took it easy but once they started going fast game over it was disaster no it was just dangerous because of the wind you know at least the 200 kilometers would have helped with the training and now the team had to start thinking about Sunday and Parry Ru next would be the traditional training ride to the hell of the north at the team’s headquarters in holster Belgium George noise and Neil Lacy the team mechanics load the bicycles for the run into France in Europe a frontier is never far away and most cyclists talk their own version of French English or Dutch the language spoken in holster and the flers area of Belgium and the new sponsorship from Motorola has an added bonus ovich can keep the office in the car it’s all mud that’ be bad there’s no P it’s just all mud it’s like a dirt road is just covered in crap be in trouble Steve and Frankie study the thin lines on the map while they waited dag AO lon’s house you have the map are you driving do map yeah this just what we’ll be going [Laughter] through while outside John Tomac who raced pyu Bay for the first time last year and finished decides to fill time practicing pitching before he breaks the news that I forgot my passport there’s always one isn’t there the Peru Bay is in France John and this is Belgium on a bike the checkpoints ignore cyclists normally but not when they are sa in cars hey yeah we’re making a passport stop here on the corner from the assembly point to the course is about 2 hours drive Bower and Tomac travel together suppose he can ride from the forest to the Finish or he can drive from the forest for a while and then ride the final and ride home what’s it from the 100 Trevor fory darber from 157 to 160 yeah 105 that’s still quite a bit of PVE huh that’s uh that’s 40 km of PVE from forest you know it’s quite a bit yeah it is my suggestion can’t believe we did the whole thing last my suggestion is we drive about after further indri the United Nations bypass the Forest Drive about you know 15 K of P there some there’s some really long sections that are pretty boring you know after after the forest you guys want to ride I’ll watch it you know no problem it’s John tomac’s second Parry Ru but for Andy Bishop the adventure is about to begin might be is this your first P Bay yes it is yeah what do you think of it what do you think of the fight of arber was it first time you saw it today yeah well I’ve seen it a few times on TV but first time in person what do you think ah it looks it’s when it’s dry it looks a lot better I mean I’m sure yeah it’ll be a lot harder in the race naturally before the uh oh are you looking forward to the race yes I am yeah I wanted to do this race I mean for a while I’m one of those sadistic people I guess they want to do the do the race but yeah I am looking forward to it what your hope to achieve uh we we have um you know good Riders on the team and I think you know just he was working well you know Steve was second here last year and I think you know we can always improve on second place and so you know ride for the um you know team is it good to be back on the European team oh yeah without a doubt yeah also with the team is Eric heyen well Eric speed skating to of France Rider to of Italy Rider now almost a qualified doctor and you’re going out with the boys on the bike again what’s going on got to try to stay in shape while with them you look you’re in pretty good shap actually yeah are you going to last with him no but uh while I’m here just while Max isn’t around try to take over what he does is team doctor and then when he comes back what sort of problems cuz you’ve only just come in haven’t you into Europe what sort of problems have you had so far uh so far it’s mostly just been accidents and then a couple guys getting the flu and so it’s been pretty easy stuff with the accidents is just cleaning up cuts and make sure that everybody kind of takes care of them yeah how’s the new uh career coming along another couple months and I will be an MD so it’s getting close so I mustn’t become injured now no don’t get sick what about Phil Anderson he had a falling get wum is he uh is he okay he’s okay he’s just he got skinned up he did both his elbows both his hips and both his knees so he did a very good job of falling down but other than uh some scrapes that’s about it yeah and you’re going to get in the bike and go with the guys eh bounce over the cobblestones a little bit get a big man to bounce those big legs Eric I hope the tires hold out what a great character heyen is in Holland he is still famous after his five Olympic speed skating gold medals but it was time now to get the feel of those cobblestones riding them leaves little to the imagination the bone rattling roads are real and the faster you go the more you bounce here in France they are fast disappearing and they say only 80 kilometers remain if the cobblestones do disappear then paru Bay will soon follow efforts are being made to reserve both the cobblestones and py Bay and this was a full dress rehearsal the team cars are equipped and drinks are taken eventually on the move one concern though is the weather it’s too nice and paru Bay will be on a day full of dust Bob R who has finished the race four times goes in front alone as he sets a pace no one seems really interested in Eric’s Bike by the way is already back on top of the car as the tracks reveal their secrets riding the stones is an art in itself the Riders usually use high gears and constantly search for the smoothest stretch they can find but it isn’t easy for Steve Bower the final preparations are almost over I mean we’re just 48 hours away from the race but you did quite a few kilometers today well yesterday I recuperated from uh the race on Wednesday g g Weevil gam and uh you know yesterday I felt quite a bit tired so I didn’t do any hard training but but today I thought I needed a little bit more before Sunday so uh we looked at uh mainly looked at the final part of the race checked out the the areas of PVE and and what the condition the PVE was in and then after uh after doing the last part of the race course I I rode uh to my home here in Belgium which was only say 30 km away but I also did a bit of motor pacing behind the motorcycle so that would help me uh get a little more speed you know get keep keep the legs turning really well and uh actually help recuperate a bit from riding on the on the cbles too let’s just go back one year almost of the day now Steve everybody’s still talking about that fabulous right now by Van Hoy do goes High opens the door to Steve B B comes on the inside and it looks though Steve B is going to get that first classy Victory on the line they are almost together and you know Eddie planket was right on him on the line we’ll have to look at that again but there was disappointed definitely to be second you know but also I knew that uh i’ done my best race and I think you know when you’re realize that you’ve done your best performance no matter what the outcome you have to be somewhat satisfied obviously one one more centimet is is a bit of luck you know so um you have to take it uh take it as it comes that sport in a way normally when you hit a line together like that you know if you’ve won or loss did you know or did you did you still feel no I I didn’t I didn’t really know but I had I just had a sensation that it it was probably because he was coming from behind that I thought that he might have got it but uh it was too close to really you know to really realize it was a cruel way to take defeat but Steve B had been part of the most exciting finish the race had ever seen later in the year he was making news again this time after taking the lead in the tour to France from an early Breakaway group on the very first day his fourth place in the tour in 1988 had made him a respected man but when he escaped with three other Riders last year they were to swap the lead right until the final weekend bow held on to the mayoor for nine St ages until the hills eventually took their toll and it passed across to Frenchman Ron and pensc but before that happened Bower showed all of his qualities as a champion he could lead a race and lead a team the quiet Canadian still didn’t win many races but he certainly knew how to grab the headlines and the all important publicity once in the lead Bower knew how to fight and would never give up but on the major leaders in the tour delgardo and lamond you haven’t lost a great deal um well you know they still have to make up a lot of time and uh you know I’m still in the bike racers so you know I lost the yellow Jersey today but uh there’s no beans uh you know completely out of the race and uh I’m still going to push myself and I’m I’m still in the race so uh you know tomorrow’s another day you lost a yellow Jersey today but will we see you in it again before we get back into the mountains never know never know and how do you feel about losing the yellow Jersey you’ve lost it before well you know I think uh what instead of losing it I have to think about uh you know the 10 days that I kept it and uh that’s a great souvenir for my career and um you know if I can get it back I’ll get it back if not then I’ll do my best right you’ve wonn the L Jersey on two separate years of the tour to France one day will you be keeping it in Paris tough to say you know it’s uh there’s not too many riders that can win uh the tour to France so you know realistically it’ be it be very very difficult you know but I’m also aiming to do my best race there and uh if I get the Jersey again well that’d be fabulous you know as you’re a professional you’re expected to always produce a result when you get on a bike and of course they sometimes forget that you are a human being as well and that just doesn’t happen how do you actually lift yourself back up motivate yourself to go back out there and try and do better again well I think for this weekend definitely the you know my race last year is going to give me a tremendous boost of confidence I think that uh had I not done so well last year that you know I might I might be a little bit less motivated than I will be this year and I think holding on to that the performance last year is going to help me a lot on Sunday the day was now just 24 hours away and the team had moved to its hotel in compen 80 km north of Paris where the race Begins the mechanics never seem to rest just as they finish the bikes the team goes training and it’s back to cleaning retuning and checking of all of the team’s helpers the mechanics seem to have the least use of a hotel room the sun is still shining and the Riders have taken their final chance to stay stay loose Frankie Andre then comes in with more work for got about that high these days par rub does not seem to demand a great deal of different equipment but one point of concern is the thickness of handlebar tape to avoid or at least delay the blisters forming I could run a strip of tape across and then I could tape over it could you do that please where just on the top yeah SE so just on the like uh so if I were want a strip like this or back here right um I thinking about maybe double oh she’s way there tape over the tape like so yeah you don’t need anything joh you just makes it a bit softer dude huh okay top and bottom don’t have to do it there not even here no just on the top I mean you could do yeah if you want if you don’t mind I can do it wherever you want it yeah just do it all from like starting from about right here okay all right you want extra tape I want need extra [Music] tape are you going to do someone else’s bike for sure I’m okay do someone else first and then I’ll see I do it right now [Music] feels gross it does that feels big no just normal nor so good you know B it’s all in the hands anyway have to relax your hand I was going to ask you if you wanted to maybe something different than 1219 seemed to work pretty good there I don’t know yeah seem work pretty good was a head the boys seem to be spending more time than usual with the mechanics next day they knew broke bikes and wheels would be common place George is more interested now in the tires with Steve in between the chat autograph Hunters avoid the crush of Sunday while George talks about tire pressure measured in atmospheres the wrong pressure on the cobbles could lead to a flat at a crucial time actually had five and 5.6 actually it’s 5.1 and 5.6 we told you was five and 5 and A2 I think that’s a good pressure for you there dadd just got to have a big leg Yeah but Bar’s had enough it’s time for a massage he leaves the mechanics to do what they do best every day of the season the bicycle preparation will go on into the early hours of the morning how many bikes have you done today man uh I don’t even remember I mean it’s not actually that many when you think of it’s only like 16 bikes but a million wheels and it’s just a many wheels do you carry on P we’re preparing like 30 Pairs and then we’ll have uh seven pairs in the car following and then another five pairs in another car and five pairs in another car and then all the wheels the guys are using then all the wheels are in the spare bikes all have to and they’re all with the special uh larger profile tire there so uh that’s like uh 60 tires to glue on just for one day and then take them all off the next day so for a race on Wednesday for racing Wednesday upstairs the Riders check in for a massage at a pre-booked time it’s important they are not late this throws the system into some disarray head Master is Trudy Roberts who has the job of taking the pain out of racing even before you have any joined by jod walner Trudy then must make sure all is ready at the restaurant where the team will walk for dinner it’s rather like the Last Supper Jim Ovitz has okayed some wine so sha Yates passes the list to Steve what’s your budget no budget still no one talks of par Ru if it wasn’t for all the team cars parked around the streets outside I might wonder if this was the right weekend you picked the one yet steeve it has a delicate bouquet fruity yet Smokey plenty of pasta and salad more pasta and salad washed down with a glass of wine this professional racing is beginning to become more appealing on the morning of P ret George is still there at it and the three places laid for the mechanics at dinner the previous night went unfilled Neil Lacy explains the very latest in break levers that also double as a gear shift to apply the brake you just use it in a normal manner but to sh shift the bike the the large lever shifts it to a a lower gear and then the small lever brings it into a higher gear and the small one only shifts one gear at a time the large one you can shift uh one gear or you can shift two gears or three gears at a time because the the road is so bumpy the Riders uh have a a little trouble when they take their hands off the bar to use a conventional shifter so this will uh hopefully give them a lot more control and the left the left lever works in the same way to shift into the large chain ring you use the large lever to bring it back use the small one it’s like going to war the final briefing and the atmosphere is a nervous one STK no problem you got the Band-Aids already e huh got the Bandaids and the thumbs you want to hit that TV you’re right there watch your head do you guys know where the start is today it’s the plus the General de gal same as last year that Palace up the road here so everybody has to make sure go downstairs should leave together go to the start sign in and we’ll work our way into the crowd with the cars and get settled in the swine your cars have to leave 15 minutes before the start so if you need make sure you you when you get over there you get your feed you get your other stuff right away uh if you want something for your legs so that cuz they’ve got to leave 15 minutes before the start it can also take a feed from the car after the first 50 km until the last 20 the same procedure till 20 to go till 20 20 km to go you have to come behind the kar’s car to do that unless you’re in a group of 15 or less then you put your hand up and I go up to the group and I can give you something right out of the car unless the commissar tells me no and then I’ll then I won’t give you anything so do not throw your bottles away until you’re absolutely sure I can hand you something so hang out to your bottle at least until I’ve handed it to you and it’s a it’s a clear um the first 110 km till we get to the first PVE you know Andy you and Nathan are going to be 100% working working with Steve that means you stop for everything for flats for crashes you get a Miss food if he needs clothing he wants to take something back you keep him out of the wind you got to cover him 100% holding it until you get to the until you get to the first PVE and dog you and uh uh Frankie should should be like real watchful at the start for those early breaks that go also you two gu you and you and Frankie should be setting Steve up and bringing him to the front when we get near the PVE all right and setting them up in a good position so when he hits that pav he’s in the first 20 or 30 Riders you know wherever he wants to be he should be there and you guys should help him keep him out of the wind and get him up to a good position all right and then you’re on your own um John you Sean and Bob are going to pretty much ride your own race once you get to the paav eight it’s all it’s all for Steve you know you got to stay up front you should go in breakes if there’s a break going you know like if if Frankie or dog or Andy or or Nate you’re you know you’re feeling good you too even though you’ve done this up to this point if you haven’t had to do too much work and things have gone pretty well you’re still you should be up there as well and in good position riding at the front and always keeping an eye on Steve and any problems you got to stop right away and give up a wheel and then bring him back to the to the position he’s at okay you don’t even think about it the first guy that sees him get a flat you have to stop immediately give him a wheel cuz I’m going to be so far behind that you know it’s going to be five 10 minutes sometimes I’ll be behind the group so make sure you stop and then you wait for me when you’re in a break situation remember this and we’ve we’ve emphasized it all along don’t overwork in the Breakaway you get into a break situation only do as much work as everybody else is doing just come through but don’t drive The Brak away you know just do your bit it’s a long ways to the finish line and I don’t want anybody saying yeah I was in this break and I felt so good and I was working well and all of a sudden I blew you know I don’t want to hear that tomorrow morning you know you’re going to come into the vrum and when you got a lap and a half on the Vel drum it’s a pretty big vrum remember this when you’re sprinting do what Steve did last year you know Road Riders always tend to drift in the last when they’re coming out of the turns and if you come there’s always plenty of room underneath to come around don’t necessarily do that but keep an eye out for that opportunity because what happens is they’re they’re looking like this and they start to drift a little bit the more they go like that the farther up they go and by the time they come out of the turn they’re they’re already way out of the pole line and the Pole’s wide open and you can stay in the pole that’s all that’s legal when a guy drifts out you can come underneath them once he leaves the pole so just keep an eye out for that if you’re in a if you’re in a Sprint situation everyone puts on the brave face to prevent their real feelings becoming infectious jokovic wants a result and the Riders know they must try and give him one that briefing though was held now before the start now the Riders have moved to the start line there’s a hint of rain and the weather appears on the change and the Sheila Griffin Motorola’s corporate director of advertising she’s flown in from Chicago I me just tell me Sheila why has Motorola become involved in cycle racing I think uh because as weow uh get into the emerging personal Communications businesses we want the Motorola name more welln to the general public well let’s hope after the day at least we’ve got Steve Bower flying the flag that’s right yeah Steve Bower certainly does the job for getting the Motorola name out there you’re basically happy with the start of the season fernanders has been very well they’ve been performing very well I think the quality of their performance uh the endurance the training all of those things have factored in to start the season off very well and for Andy Bishop these cobblestones would not be just on television this time La Fan’s best finish was third in 1988 perhaps today he’ll get first and there’s defending champion planker who looks happy and edwick Van hoyong from Belgium they’re both among the favorites today and there’s Mark madio the last French winner in 1985 France doesn’t win this race too often Greg lemond who has fitted a pair of forks with shock absorbers on it seems the most intelligent of all of the special equipment on show today world champion Rudy D’s in his rainbow jersey has a list of great Ru performances to his credit and of course Steve Bower the best Canadian professional ever Waits at the start knowing what is expected of him by his team there is no classic race quite like it and even the most Ardent follower of the sport cannot help but feel the tension we’ve come this far now let’s get on with it seems the unspoken word [Applause] the race leaves compen and with strong winds and slight rain it will make a fast start the 56 kilomet of cobbled roads and tracks don’t start until tuil that comes after 100 kilm then comes the forest of Arenberg it’s the first free for all and from then on it’s a matter of survival there’s a massive crowd waiting in the forest a nature reserve that normally allows no wheel transport other than bicycles who wants to take the car over this road anyway 11 Riders have taken a lead none are from Motorola but the Chase had been long and hard and at this point the escapers had been cut back from 5 minutes to just a minute at the front is G yobs from Holland leading the [Music] charge the Riders try to seek the smoothest section of road and it seems to be where the crowd is standing at the back the field closes in the crowd was as big this day as any modern-day paru Bay if anything it’s getting more popular than [Music] ever as the crowd stands back from the advancing leading group the race behind was catching up but two Riders were already in trouble Greg Lamont and L F both have punctured and are now trying to catch up they’re in the third group on the road so this is the exit now to the forest of Arenberg the news has reached us that Lon and Fon are chasing but we’re heading on now to PVE number seven and Steve B has made the split so the hard work of the Motorola team that has been done today has brought Steve bow into this league group and surely now this is the decisive move this small group of riders who are building over the chase group before B got up here too Shawn Yates was in a small Breakaway with Charlie M so he was playing the advanced guard for Motorola today and he’s had bad luck again as he always seems to have in Parry ruet Yates is not in this group tall now but one of two top names most certainly are number 68 we just seen there niik vovan there’s Steve Bower the Lone Survivor of Motorola today and I don’t think the team will be too surprised about that they built the whole strategy around him today and it looks to be paying off at the moment they’ve got him exactly where they want him in the front group there’s been that atmosphere all week with the Motorola team that Steve B has been planning to do a good ride today no previous indication form he hasn’t had a great start of the season but psychologically he’s been building for this Breakaway this looks like Len Fon Fon with Rudy Dar here this is the chase group Fon has done nothing but Chase all day today every time he’s contacted the group badl has put him at the back again there he is twice winner of the tour to France and having to work now to contact the group ahead bow is in that group the world champion Rudy dar’s also a man of paray who’s done so well over the years in this event he too having a season dogged by bad luck and how many times has that happened to the current world champion winning the title is one thing but once you pull on the rainbow jersey there he is at the back you always seem to be on the defensive in this group with him too Tom Cordes former amate and Junior world champion and I think it’s Michelle vas the other Rider in that group let’s go back up to the league group 18 seconds now that small group Lon Fon should get back he’s closing it down all of the time and the crowds lining the route showing the direction of the race well it’s a large group and the pressure has gone off a little bit at the front there’s every chance now there’s dar’s on the Fon is on so they’ve caught up the pressure has gone off a little bit Jean Marie wampers number eight the winner a couple of years ago of pyu bay fifth last year and in the decisive move again well Dar is there sort of indicating to Fon we’ve made it back and a little bit of relief I would think if we could see the face of Rudy and now the pressure is off at the front this is the first big selection in Peru Bay this year they have chased down the forest of Arenberg and the strong men have regrouped at the front B in the center of the group Fon is here too so to adri vaner pole je Marie wampers plenty of the Panasonic boys are here B just lying back from the front of the group now planning the next tentative with the cobblestones that remain and little bit more action required from the boys at the front that’s Peter de cler well the crowd has seen a great classic paru Bay this year and this now is Henrik rant who’s tried to go for home for Belgium just in the manner of the old days when Eddie Ms used to win this race and now hendrik redand certainly not quite as fashionable in his time as Eddie Ms was a few years back but redant trying to leave this Chase group he’s got a teammate in the group too Peter de cler and I think Mark Mario’s made the group but this is the lead group now beginning to fragment and there’s no sign at the moment of Steve B that is B B has realized the attack has gone he’s trying to get across the Gap he did exactly this one year ago and redant has punctured redant has punctured his lead about 30 5 seconds and his back wheel is out and clearly the team car is not on hand because I think the team car in fact was trapped behind the small Chase Group which was forming behind him and here they are and this is Peter the clerk sitting at the back the teammate who thought he was defending the lead of rent and now he’s going to come around and find him standing on the roadside as they swerve to avoid him well the change is a good one especially for Patty Ray where the mechanics are so often delayed by by the narrow roads the cars and there’s Jan starting off and as you can see he’s going to rejoin the race right at the front but psychologically now he’s going to have to get himself back into gear from a man who is racing to win pay with a lead of around about 35 seconds he’s now having to think of rejoining the front group and really that is quite a blow well this is bow here Michelle verot in the center and it looks as though they’re trying to get across the Gap they have a bit of work to make up let’s have a look along the Route One lone Rider down there looks like Mark say of Panasonic I think and a bit further up Parry Ru has blown apart here on the cobbles around templ and there is the big group but even further ahead now we’ve got this small group which again is splitting up the group that swept by redant and that is Mark Mio going and he’s going at precisely the point where he went when he won this race six years ago and into the stadium now and it looks as though nobody is going to touch mark madio this is the view the spectators have in the vome at Ru and all they’ve got to do now is await the arrival of the Man In the Flesh they’re beginning to refer I think to Mark Maro as the six-year man because he won the am pyu Bay then he won the big par Bay and now he’s going to win it again they’re all separated by six years and here he comes listen to the crowd a Frenchman at last Sweeping in to Peru Bay there’s only been Mark Maro and Bernard Eno since 1956 when Lis and B was the winner then when Eno won bobay was here on the podium to shake hands with Bernardino sadly since then loose and bobe has passed away but Bernardino will be at the Finishing Line this time to see Mark Mio I’m not surprised he punched the air there at the crowd one full circuit to go of the stadium and nobody can possibly catch him now well Paul Sherin has indicated to me that Steve Bower is catching up with the chase Group Well it must be some dramatic chase that as he’s coming into the stadium because he is just off the back of the league group at the moment we can’t see them we’ve No cameras outside the stadium all of the cameras concentrating here we’ll have to wait now for the arrival of that chase group and see if B is latched on but for Mark Mario it is sweetness today the winner of Parry Ru for the second time in six years the three times in all if you include his amate to Victory as well here’s the chase group onto the stadium now a lap and a half behind Jean claw colotti Franco badini now has B made it B has made it B is lying fifth man down well he could only had just got on bow is in fifth place here this is the working group that has come together in the last last kilometer or so they’ve called to ballerini who was chasing down Maro alone he never made progress they swept him up Peter de cler is in here as well and Jean Claude kotti the spinter is finding himself in the exact position he really doesn’t want to be at the front B is coming on the left of our screens and a run like he made a year ago that was for first place with Eddie planket planket has been dropped with a puncture today not in at the final showdown but B most certainly is and they coming off the bank now the couple of lap riders coming through on the inside there but this is the Sprint for home and Jean Claw colotti is Led all the way and holds it on the line bow on the right well I think he’ll be in fourth place car Bowman’s pipping him for third watching the Sprint two was Mark madio his second victory in six years and six years before that he’d won the amateur Parry ruet alongside him was Bernard Eno the only other French winner since 1956 but Steve Bower had nothing to be ashamed of he’d ridden well his fourth place a kilometer from the Finish seemed impossible ninth was more likely sha y 2 had also ridden well after the forest of Arenberg yat had been in the Breakaway that had contained Charlie M and he finished 52nd of the 105 who arrived at Rue Bay this had been a competitive par Ru which as usual left its Mark indelibly printed on the minds of of those who rode it bow kept the Motorola team up front and the rest of the team did their job too Andy Bishop finished 48th a great start to this classic courtship I think the showers are the nicest part of this race to the Riders and as usual there’s no privacy attached to professional cycling enjoying the sun outside there’s relief written all over their faces but only for a few days you now this race is over it’s Lia Bast on Le but this isn’t the time to mention it [ __ ] lson had been the only other finisher Bob R and John had played their part and left the field of battle satisfied New Zealander Nathan dalberg was still smiling but ba was the man as everyone had hoped how on Steve Well worked out almost as exactly as you said you were going to ride it yeah I think uh I rode well and uh tactically matoi made a good attack he made a attack at the right time and everybody kind of sat looking at each other and you know a couple more guys went and uh I think uh he looking a little more for the the teams that had more Riders to control that that attack you know like pentonic and uh PDM had a few guys but uh you know I missed a good one and uh where did you contact that chase group uh the V Drome there on the vome yeah so I mean I was working with dual and uh Vanderpool and a few others you know and I got away from them with sarel and and Bowman and we just caught them just coming in the vum so I did a lot of work to catch and for the Sprint my legs were a little bit dead but uh I was happy you know to get in there in the finished Sprint ba was still recovering from the chase but he produced an inspired shot at the line as he tried to come through on our right it was close but jeanclaude kotti is a great Sprinter so to Carlo Bowman who push B back to Fourth next morning it’s back to the office for the backup team the par rubay is now history and sites are fine-tuned on Le AG Bast on Le AG the next Target running a top professional team requires expertise in administration bicycle equipment and the medical knowledge and the ability to stay one step ahead too it’s no good on the day finding someone forgot to order the wet weatherwear a professional team can now cost up to $6 million a year to run but a successful team brings in more than that in public awareness of the product it endorses Racing Equipment is expensive a wheel can cost $2,000 and a bicycle is worth up to $55,000 tires when flatted or thrown away or used for training if repaired John Hendershot affectionately known by the team as shot has to keep his medical shells fully stocked at holster uh over here we have the vitamins that each Rider takes our sponsor nutriquest right now is computerizing their nutritional programs from the computerized uh printout we can determine what each Rider uh needs that those are all based on blood test data Ur analysis data and a Diet log over here we have a a variety of homeopathic remedies that we use also uh each item is researched and there are no ingredients uh presently on any band list here are mettes that each Rider receives during the race itself sometimes they’ll receive one of these uh in a race sometimes two and in those mettes we include a variety of different foods uh from glucose replacement fluids like xran essentially that’s what we’ve gone to this year to uh energy bars uh uh a bar like uh for example a power bar uh those are very compatible with these Li liid glucose drinks uh nutriquest our nutrition sponsor supplies us with a drink mix and those drink mixes are also very compatible with the liquid glucose drinks that most teams are going to and there’s the rest of the team equipment shoes with their special bindings plenty of racing jerseys with long sleeves for the cold and short for the summer and sunglasses too with lenses that can be changed for example they’ll use clear on the day when this is the likelihood Ood of grit in the eye hard shell helmet compulsory in America but not so in Europe Motorola branding is everywhere and when the Riders throw items away the kids will pick them up you’re looking really great Jim the first five miles hold for a bad day here did you drop them did after a pleasurable ride with jokovic and Eric heyen dagotto lson had arrived at Bas with his family a chance for me to discuss his greatest disappointment that’s the worst CR in my life to really feel the crost of the world title I think so I have to believe that too but I think I had a good chance to beat both of those guys and uh I think maybe uh don would wouldn’t have been there if we didn’t crash because we was like we lost 30 seconds yeah or if he would have been there we would have been three guys and I still think I had a decent chance to win but I for sure would have a chance to had a medal so it’s at the moment it was bad but I think later when I really knew what I lost then it was worse I was riding halfway up the hill cuz I attacked from the other guys and he was the only one to come with and I just let him through and he rode for 50 M 100 m and he looked back on the switch backs down there and D was coming up to gu uh G drops from us so don couldn’t ride then but he thought that Don was riding to chase him so he was mad at him so he was screaming and then he had one bar one hand off and he turned around and he was very steep so it was nothing to do I was first on the bike again before him but then my chain was uh stuck in between so I couldn’t get it I couldn’t start so had to go off again and then uh by that time uh everybody was [Music] gone that was really a bad luck first I broke my hand in the beginning of the Classics and I was 8 week away from racing then I was coming back in in form and then I think that was one of my best races before the AG Baston Lea on Sunday there is one more Belgian classic the flesh won George is first to head off towards Spa in the Belgian ien this race is important to the team as a stepping stone to Le a Baston leage as it covers some of the same roads but I’ve taken the chance to call on Eddie Merks at his bicycle Factory near Brussels Airport this legendary cyclist still has no equal in the racing world today I B Eddie the Motorola is a new sponsor in the sport it’s a multi-million dollar a sponsor now and uh you’re helping the sponsorship with the provision of Eddie MK bicycles how many teams do you actually sponsor in the sport we are sponsoring uh four professional teams but I think the Motorola is the most prestigious team why is that Ed it’s because it’s American it’s different to all the other I think it’s uh first because it’s American and uh I think also because Motorola is a very big name in the business and uh for me it’s very exciting to to sponsor with the Mata team does this team have the depth to help people like Anderson B hamston win the Tour to France perhaps oh yes for sure I think the Riders like sha Yates Ron Kei uh dalberg they’re very good Riders and there’s a very complete team and I think they can defend in all the part of the stage races well this week coming up we’ve got Le a B on Le a Eddie you won that race five times which is uh an unbelievable record uh do you think that somebody on the team might do a good performance uh on Sunday oh I think uh normally and Theon or Phil Anderson when they are in a very good condition uh they can they can win B now in the case of hamson he is still feeling a little bit low morale because he is sick after a race in Spain and Andy by his own admission can’t handle being sick easily you know it affects his me him mentally what would you advise now for Andy how how can he pull himself back into the right mental approach I think uh what and what Andy needs more it’s uh more racing because I I think uh the problem for Andy is too much training and not raise enough now with the tour to P Bas uh when you are sick you cannot try on the on the best level but uh I think it would be fast finish because uh they very good Support also in the team to recover him and then also now with the flesh Bon and B after them it must be back uh the good amston Merks himself still rides his bicycle and shortly after our interview he was off to the south of France with some friends to ride 120 kilm a day and drink some fine French wine in the evening his 525 victories between 1965 and his retirement in 1978 included all of the world’s major races except Parry T most of his victories came alone in Champion style he lived up to his nickname the cannibal and ate them all alive it sounds a silly question but why was it you who was chosen to be such a fantastic athlete yeah I think uh that’s that’s natural I think uh my parents make me like that and uh they give me maybe some more uh uh physical uh ability ability yes but after that I think also because uh I was training always very hard and also when when I was winning a race I was not think it was uh finish it’s then I think it’s hard to to come to the top but it’s harder to stay on the top now Edie going back to the to the great days when you were winning the tour to France five times um seven Milan sanos three Parry Rubes the the list is endless I think you wrode about 1,800 races a professional you won almost onethird of those races uh it must been very demoralizing for the rest of the Riders who lived in your time yeah but it’s normal it’s sport when when you go to the start of a race and you do sport you you if you start for not winning yeah you have a bad mentality so in the big RAC it’s very important to win because there are big races but in small races the people maybe is give you money and then you have to give for your money and that’s very important thing I think you must be a professional on all the line and not uh only a few times per year now when you were a cyclist you were very meticulous with your equipment you were always measuring the height of your saddle to absolute perfection you would change the height slightly if there was a special course coming along um have you applied that same attitude to the business oh yeah sure when uh when some people come here to to me also with the the motor rle team I remember the first time I was going there and then when I see ride was not staying so well on the bike try to change them and and try to convince them uh to have another to have another position because I think it’s it’s very important also to have a a good position on on the bike the progress in the sport since you were a cyclist has advaned so quickly um in the aerodynamics the lightness of the machines I mean what would you have done Eddie if you’d have had a bike like this when you were a cyclist ah I think one more races yeah but uh no one more race not because in the time I was riding the the Riders have the same bikes and I have and so now also the Riders have the everything have the same uh bike so it’s makes not much different I think so but the one thing of course the our record Eddie which was yours and then mosa came along with a crazy bicycle and takes away your record do you feel bad about that no it’s no new technology it’s not more the same now you compare the two records the one is with a traditional bike and the other one is with the the new technology and so that’s that’s different let’s go back then Eddie to when you were a cyclist I can remember you racing and I I once remember a cyclist saying to me at the Amstel gold race that uh when I said to him who who will win today and the writer said to me if Eddie MKS has decided he wants to win this race then Eddie will win this race that is the power you had over the finest cyclist of that time um I mean did you feel the pressure was on you every time you went to a race that you must perform so good for the people oh yes but the people it’s not this never enough for the people now but the pression was always it’s why it’s so difficult to stay for many years on the top and uh this why also I stop on in 3 33 years because the pressure was so high and it’s not physical that you cannot do more but uh the pressure is too high and then one time uh it’s better that you stop this of course is something which is the Motorola team is now facing it’s a new multi-million dollar sponsor they have to prove to that sponsor in one year that they are good and therefore results in the pressure and it’s difficult for a team now isn’t it no I think they have also good rides uh they have very good experience and also they have good manager in the team uh I think is very good complete team and they have all very good results in the beginning of the Season like Phil Anderson was winning the tourament rade and uh also the in Sicily week and uh they have good results and I think uh they will have also very good results uh like in the tour of Switzerland to the France and I hope that Motorola be very happy because I think the the American uh professional team in Europe is very considerated and uh it’s something others than European team Eddie MKS remains an expert in his field his bicycles bear his personal touches and he is always looking for The Innovation as a father too he’s pleased that his son Axel is also a champion of the military and Eddie as a member of the Olympic selection committee May one day be faced with a difficult decision but he’s pleased with one decision that of supplying his Machinery to motor roler he also promised to call in on Andy hamston on the day before Le Bast on Le but next it was flesh won and there was fresh Blood on the team with the arrival from Spain of California Norm Alvis although he should be used now to the northern climbs Brian Walton a talented climber from Canada and a very good time trial rider was here as well but I guess since he’s the big guy and wins all the races this is this is his look you know the team had taken over a local cafe to get changed in and Phil Anderson his wounds healing was also back on the team for this first of two hilly races one ER okay guys see you later see you later have a nice day yep in the street toward the France winner Pedro delgardo was almost ready this race was an important part of his pre-or the France preparation and his leftenant Miguel inine who has been ill but wanted a top performance cladio kuchi second to Lemon in the tour to France they were all here Ral alkala the Mexican winner of last year’s tour to Trump and also last year’s tour of Mexico for the second time he’s shortly to ride his first tour of Spain Greg had plenty of support but had said already that he felt his form was not good enough to get a result in the Arden Irishman Steven roach a winner again this season and hoping to rival leond in July’s tour to France time for a joke with snow rain and sleet forecast the field makes ready this race is famous for its Ascent of the M Dei a brute of a hill in the finishing town to be climbed this year four [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] times not surprisingly the field stays together for a while just one lone leader in Danny nesin who went clear soon after the start his mustache dripping with the chill moist air of a cold day but on the first climb of the wall there were signs of fatigue and soon the field would break up completely both Phil Anderson and Brian Walton are well to the four but Andy hamston was already in trouble there were two clear favorites the Italian and defending Champion Moreno Argentine and Belgian Champion Claude kilon who had prepared especially for this race and the leage B on leage classic he was born in the region and retires this season and he’s made no secret of his desire to win both races but in the end Victory went to Moreno Argentine he broke away 70 kilm from the Finish fell off remounted and then won alone there was some consolation though for Claud kilon because he finished in the second group and in second place it had not been a great day for the team and only Anderson could finish but he did make the top [Music] 20 Steve B had missed flesh won and joined the team the next day at the lia’s base professionals like dag Oto were hoping for a change of form what did it take to actually bring yourself onto form I mean you know yourself so well you know how to do it but I mean how do you know when it’s all going to happen normally I should have been in form a long time ago because normally I’m always good in the classics but this year I’ve been suffering from illness since September October so that has kept me back and I’ve been suffering much more than I should do so I was hard for my morale and everything but now it seems like I’ve got the right medicine and everything so I’m on the right track now but I’m still a bit behind usual form so for baset on the a d what you expect from yourself from myself I expect to do as good as I can for Phil and uh I hope I can be better in h yeah but I don’t expect to be in the top 10 or top 15 in the years I think Phil Phil has a very good chance well let’s hope so and what about Andy hamston twice winner of the tour of Switzerland and third in the tour of Italy the American has been ill in Spain his morale is low Andy you’re coming in for the age B on the age you were spurred the agony of P Bay how are you feeling after your sickness in Spain uh I haven’t quite bounced back in uh on Wednesday stay in the flesh alone really the body wasn’t there so uh you know just an important thing now is since the flu is a bit of a mystery to me to just keep training and let my body recover but if it does come around you know make the most of it if it comes around by Sunday for leage p on the edge all the better it’s your type of course really isn’t it yeah it is um you know I’ve never quite done as well in the race as I would have liked to April seems to be a tough month for me um but it’s very good you know I’ve known the got to know the hills pretty well now and uh you know it’s a great race for me to try to prove something are you a guy for the warmer weather I mean you always come good in Midsummer like until May that uh that my form really comes around even though the races are good for me even though I you know motivate myself and try to get up for them it never it’s never really happened um it’d be nice if it did because they are real good races for me now flesh will on yesterday the weather was really Grim it wasn’t very pleasant it’s definitely a spring day when you don’t want to be a professional bike rider yeah it’s uh not the kind of day one plans his career so what did you give up yesterday yeah I just fell off the pace and uh there’s nothing I could do with probably 70 km to go which is a pretty bad indication I mean some of the young Lads watching this will think Andy hamson never gets tired you know you can’t fall off the pace because you’ve been fourth in the tour to France but you you just like the rest of them it’s uh it’s up and down you know and you know the better I do I just raise my standards so then when I’m I’m not doing as well it’s twice as hard yeah and today you’re going out with the boys yeah it looks like we’re going to do the last all the last Hills in the L pone it should be 150 K or so and it’ll be good to put them all together and just to really to get my my mind in the right frame it’s a bit longer but it’s a lot like warming up for a time trial to really go over the whole course and then when it comes time to do it in the race then we already know it first though it’s off from the age by car and along the a route to Bonia and then the team will ride back over the route taking special note of the two new Hills on the course one of the hardest is LADOT and after 4 hours the Riders were back in view Ron kefel on the left had flown in from America no time to rest as he’s needed for Sunday the former US champ is a valued member of the team while alongside him is Andy hamston a superb climber if only he can attune himself in time for the big day and behind is Mike Carter a real talent but still feeling his way around at this level of racing the liage race is all Hills this is only one of 10 and they are all steep the Motorola team wasn’t the only one checking the route out either Charlie M had passed by earlier with his French rmo team and Argentine the winner of Flesh won and favor to win again had led his arosta Squad by Phil Anderson has finished second once and twice third in this race he is still Motorola’s best hope with Steve Bower a good outside shot again they will be the team’s leaders and the rest must help when possible the weather had changed too it’s cold now and has been all week and the Arden can be very cruel in bad weather when Bernard Eno one here in 1980 he finished like a Snowman and was one of only a handful to complete the course so after the Stars had gone by there was me all I seem to be doing this week was following the team around I was beginning to think that making this video was not such a good idea you know keeping up with these guys in the Motorola team is kind of hard and so it should be because after all they’re the best bike riders in the world today they’ve ridden 180 km we’re just 2 days away from the days Bast on the age this is L one of the most famous climbs on this classic and it comes just before the finish one more big climb to come called the cot Forge and you know this hill and the next Hill is where the climbers put home the Killer Instinct this is where they springb to Victory now this year Phil Anderson has joined the Motorola team and also Steve bar he didn’t ride in flesh on yesterday he’s back too had a great ride in pyu Bay now we look for a good ride in the Arden there’s also Andy hamson there a big question mark on Andy is he well now after sickness in Spain we’re going to find out the boys have gone I’m now going to have to catch up with them and then we’ll see what they’ve got to say about the Battle of the Arden still to come oh there was in fact two Hills to come and the other was the kot or but the team kindly waited for me Ron Keel on the left seemed intent to ride out his jet lag and and was with him for the rest of the ride they stayed at the front I followed looking forward to dinner as the riders trickled in from the ride they were looking for the mechanics who else of course they would to hand their bikes to them and Eddie MKS as promised traveled to the Arden to speak with Andy hamston MKS would not see the race on Sunday as his son was racing in the Belgian Championship so he made a special trip to see the team yeah better race a little more and training less now well last time you trained a lot now now well yeah before the pay basket uh that’s race no I was racing weekends oh yeah I did a criterium International oh that’s good but I fell apart there but uh I’ll have 10 days train do 5 days hard mhm in the mountains but shorter intervals yeah it must be attention not rain too long also yeah the power for the racing yeah but then it’s good because there’s there’s all of romandy one day off four days trentino then we’ll have two weeks we have training camp in the mountains in the ales just 5 days and then was good P also last was was really good yeah but then it got this influenza in uh in Spain completely nor no riding in yeah waiting and but then I started feeling better I started training and then at flesh alone empty but now you look good no I look good but tomorrow big everybody had now moved into the hotel for the weekend the heavy work left to shot and Trudy in the hotel the team was completing with the arrival of Dr masimo tester it was left to Trudy though to sort out the nightmare of reservations I had an appointment with Phil Anderson who given the new team the sort of opening they could only have dreamt of I think anybody when they go to a new team uh they’re motivated because they want to you know show the the team that you know it wasn’t a mistake and S you know and them choosing this Rider and uh you know it’s good for the for the sponsors motorol so um Plus personally you know it’s it’s uh I always want to do better every year you know I’m 33 now so I’m not uh I’m not as young as a lot of other Riders on the team uh or even in the sport you know I’m one of the older Riders now and uh you know I think you know I want to prove to to myself and uh people around me that I’m not finished and I want to uh that I’m still up and alive and kicking you know that tomorrow you are literally going to go through hell in the effort to succeed again because all the Riders suffer people think the top professionals find it easier for some reason than the other rides but it’s not easier for you is it no certainly not you know I think um you know sometimes I go to a race and I’ll be riding a race and I know exactly what the hell’s going to go on I know where the brak’s going to go and I’ll be sitting there I can see it Go and and sometimes you can do nothing about it you know because you’re just physically not in condition or you’re not uh good that day that happen and other times you’re the person that everybody else is looking at you know it’s just like which side of the uh field you’re on outside just another hotel car park but the same mechanics were still hard at work this race was different to par Bay in every conceivable way the bikes to were slightly different uh it’s a lighter weight frame uh we have uh lighter weight Wheels on the bike with uh instead of 32 spokes it has 28 so also the wheel is laced differently this is what we call a radio wheel where the spoke comes from the Hub and goes directly to the rim instead of crossing over other spokes before it goes to the rim uh it also has a lower profile Tire because the road is smooth and uh they don’t need that extra protection with that they get from the higher profile Tire in Peru they used a sspeed free wheel in the back now we’re using an eight speed free wheel also the gearing in the rear for Peru Bay is only uh 12 uh 20 and uh for Le best only Edge we use a 1223 uh in the front last week they are using a 30 a uh 45 chain ring to tomorrow they will be using a 39 because uh there’s quite a lot of hills in the race the bike the other diens iions on the bike are exactly the same as Steve’s heavy bike so when he gets on it it feels just like his other bike except a a little bit lighter now Jim has just told us that your job in the age past on the age is not to finish but he’s give you some special work to do at the start so I guess that’s the job as a professional yeah you know you can’t you have to be very realistic about what you what you can accomplish and uh you know I have the goal my goal tomorrow will be to help the team try to do my work early cover the breaks if somebody gets a flat go back help him with a flat tire uh if there’s a crash you know come back and pick up the riders that have fallen uh you know just kind of do all the Dirty Work the first half of the race because since I have done so much traveling flown to America come back uh I know I’m not ready for 250 km what’s your job tomorrow you given your orders yet I have uh my job is to watch after Phil and Steve and uh keep them uh in position and keep them out of the wind what are how are you finding the racing here now as you’ve come over sort of living the the top Pro lifestyle now it’s a bit different than the states it’s it’s a little more difficult I’ll tell you it’s it’s actually brutal oh yes but being a top professional does have a rewards the food’s good about tomorrow morning for breakfast I have to go to the kitchen to set the breakfast how many rice and how many Pasta Pasta Pasta Pasta Pasta half and half Max tester is now in the kitchen with the chef the cuisine discussing menus for the Riders diet is important plenty of carbohydrate is required and pasta is favored the only question how do you eat it at 7:00 in the morning when you’re in the middle of eating one meal you’ve got to decide what you want for the next the Motorola team was staying in the same hotel as Pedro delgardo Squad and Steven roach’s Belgian team but they all ate in separate areas on race day the mechanics who else were first outside and George was as enthusiastic as ever Neil checked the wheels and George oil the chains while inside ovich was giving his team briefing one hour to go at the start of the race today Carrera and Ariel stay control a lot of the race in the first part of the race and they’re not going to let breaks go away and get get get a lot of time I think that they’re they’re in a good position to do well in the race today and the teams are going to control a lot of that stuff Steve you and Phil you’ve got to be real attentive you know you guys know when something’s going to go I mean if you see ccle on going and Argentine those guys are all all going to react at the same same time and that’s the bike race the race start is only 400 m away and the weather is not looking good shot is checking supplies for later on while bow seems unusually bubbly before a big race there’s no doubt who the Press expect to do well though what about Jim we’d like to see a top 10 finish today and and maybe a little bit better if if uh if we get the chance towards the end of the race to make it happen most Riders had stayed in the area after flesh wall and the crowds were big hoping yet for victory by CLK kilon he’s never won this race and this was his final chance among the earlier rival is Pedro delgardo and edwick Van hoyon winner of the tour of Flanders a hopeful cilo and Miguel iner Greg lon’s form to is better than this time last [Music] year Milan Remo winner clao kuchi was now a real champion in Italy’s eyes and Steven roach had told me he would be in the decision in this race although he may not win it so confident all at least that’s the impression they give the field heads out into the OD Den it’s a beautiful countryside that has been ripped apart by world wars and American tanks still stand the Ambassador Estonia as a symbol of freedom for a while the race keeps together but soon there’s still one ride away on his own Ty Boro from the Toshiba team but he’s got about 5 minutes lead but as we start to get into this Zone here got lots more climbs and I think he’s been away for so long he’s going to start to get tired and the race is speed up behind and we’re going to I think we’re going to catch him we’ve got most of our boys still at the front of the race so you know there’s a long way to go titty borgon had a attacked with 200 kilm to go and most of the hills still to come his lead accelerated to 7 minutes but the bunch had seen such a move many times before and borong was not a noted [Applause] winner the Motorola team were under pressure but who wasn’t as the pace was stepped up in what turned out to be a very aggressive Rive race Andy hamston was still without morale and retirement seemed the only answer he could only hope for better days to come Paul Sherwin knows how he feels after spending 10 years living in France as a top professional and during that time he rode seven tours to France the thing about cycle racing is that you are only as good as your last performance it really is a cruel world dve tow around you radio continues to sing out the problems with the race and he wasn’t worried anymore some Stu in the Hills but when it was over it was over looks right in the first one oh Steve is Steve still in there he’s in there but not doing well Phil looks Phil pass in third place pass here in third Andy is very concerned now about his physical condition but time is still on his side there remains 6 months at the cycling season and by then he could be the best again [Applause] the race leaders are heading now towards larut and the group in front is now 10 strong argentin is there so too kilon but Anderson the only team hope left with a Chance is chasing in a group a minute behind this is killion’s final chance to win and he attacks after Ral senson who has already taken a 30 seconds lead Sherwin is already at the finish’s about to finish you’re the publicity director what are you going to say about the team today well not had the most successful day in the world today but uh Phil’s in the second group and it looks as if they might just catch the group in front so we have to see how how they perform but it’s not been a brilliant day for us from a publicity point of view well you’ve ridden this race Paul you’ve ridden seven TS the France you know the ups and downs of professional cycling don’t you I do that you know you have good days you have bad days we’ve had some very good days up to now we’ve had a couple of hard days so far but I mean The Season’s a very long one and we’ve already had quite a big bite at the cake and in the Sprint for the Finish kilon had been joined he’d been joined by injury senson and Argentine yet the Belgian tried to say farewell in the best way possible but again he was beaten by Moreno Argentine for the second time in four [Applause] days no Steve bow latching on this time at the finish and Phil Anderson who finished 15th dag Otto litson and Frankie andreo they were the only finishers of the team it had been disappointing for the team no one likes defeat but knocks have to be taken along with the SU ESS well it hasn’t been a day for the Motorola team but you win some and you lose some last week in P Bay we saw Steve B fight and finish fourth today Phil Anderson was in the third group to finish and Steve B Andy hamson in fact didn’t reach the Finishing Line you know the Motorola team though are a full professional outfit they’re now facing the end of the classics then the Tour of France the tallest Whistler before that the world championships and the World Cup will continue it’s a long long G year and we’ll be reading about successes in the Motorola team in the months to come I’m sure we just like to thank the team for allowing us into their private lives for 12 days we’ve seen the ups and downs of a great team a team that as I say will have success we hope you’ve enjoyed this insight into the life of a pro team over these last 12 Days a little bit of analysis of what what happened today cuz you saw all of the race more than we did well I didn’t see that much of the race but I did see some of it I think the uh the uh the race was pretty much like we said it was going to be it was kind of controlled at the start the speed was high all day yeah but it was pretty much controlled by by the big teams and um the uh the race really started uh in lar roach and there was a few attacks up the climb then that was cly’s first time when he went and yeah um well Phil Anon was reading it well at one point well I think he read it well all day you know this is a it’s a difficult race to to read 100% I think he was very close to reading it 100% U but you also have to have the legs to make it yeah and I think that uh he was with the group that was just right there but not didn’t quite make it you know they stayed at a minute for the last 80 km so they were they were definitely in the race it’s just that uh they didn’t have just that little bit extra to make up that difference so you’re not going to go back to the team tonight and Shout at them too much no I don’t think so no no you’re quite pleased in with the ren classic so far I think I think that uh we we need to make some improvements I’m not going to say it’s it’s 100% we’re we’re 100% satisfied with what we’re seeing right now I think Phil is doing an excellent job and uh he was about I’d say 15 today so I think he did he did an excellent job um we got to get the other guys a little bit more consistent um what happened to Steve B today I haven’t talked to him yet no we didn’t finish he didn’t finish no no okay so now where’d you go from here Jim from here we’re going to be getting ready for amst gold we’ll be uh doing training up there on Tuesday on the course cuz it’s a new finish this year and uh um we’ll spend Tuesday there Wednesday we race and then Friday we’ll be back in for for R to get ready for that again so the race go on they go on and on and on and on I do I finished but uh I wasn’t super good it’s it’s getting better my form is getting better I think my sickness that I had since the winter is uh definitely getting better so I’m not happy with the performance but I’m happy that I’m progressing you know I shouldn’t have the legs to day you know you know it’s pretty that yeah maybe if I had some other guys there you know might have be to do a little better you know had to do work myself you’re only only one there from the team yeah anyway okay maybe they saving yourselves good seeing you thanks yeah [Music]