The average Grand Tour stage takes five to six hours, more than half a working day of full-throttle racing, back to back over three frenzied weeks. But the work begins long before the start line.
In Paestum, a quiet town on Italy's Tyrrhenian coast hosting the start of stage six, team buses line a side street. Mechanics pump tyres while elite riders weave past oblivious passers-by. The Independent joined a small group of media following TNT Sports behind the scenes, though nearly didn't make it after an animated exchange with local police.
On-site reporter Hannah Walker prepares for her 'pit-walk', knocking on team buses and interviewing riders. Remarkably, sports directors often reveal their entire strategy. Walker says Bahrain-Victorious' Franco Pellizotti told her exactly what they would do on stage five: put Afonso Eulalio in the breakaway. It unfolded as predicted, with Eulalio narrowly missing the win but taking the pink jersey.
Teams also collaborate on the broadcast; TNT Sports' multi-feed option was developed with their input. Walker notes the relationship is mutual, citing a chat with Italian Giulio Ciccone, who lost the pink jersey before his hometown stage. Despite his disappointment, he was receptive, even introducing his dogs. 'Having been a bike rider myself, I know if your day's not gone to plan, the last thing you want is a microphone in your face,' she says.
Inside the EF Education-EasyPost bus, assistant sports director Juan Manuel Garate describes his day: a team meeting covering strategy, weather, and road conditions, then preparing the car and riders. He then heads into the team car, directing orders and encouragement throughout the race.
