# Mavic Car



## Dank (Nov 26, 2006)

What kind of bikes are used in the neutral zone. I mean the ones on top of the Mavic car.


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## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

They are a mixture of bikes on any one car. It's been a couple years, but I definitely remember seeing a Cannondale or two mixed among the other bikes on the rack.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

+1..During the TDF, I used to see mostly Cannondales


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

http://cgi.ebay.com/SCOTT-CR1-MAVIC...temQQimsxZ20090223?IMSfp=TL090223132001r22380


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

the trick is the pedals. i think most have bear traps, but if you are lucky you will score a bike in your size with your pedals.

this really comes to life during paris-roubaix


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## funktekk (Jul 29, 2006)

I can't remember the last time i saw someone on a neutral bike.


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## harlond (May 30, 2005)

For some reason, this reminds me of a story--I think I saw it last year--about a fan watching the race on the side of the road when a racer crashed right in front of him, rendering his bike unrideable. The fan had ridden his own bike to the course, and as it turned out, he had the same bike as the racer, even the same pedals. The racer looked at the fan's bike, the fan said, here, take it, and the racer hopped on and rode off. And in the TOC last year, Bobby Julich had a rear flat and flagged down a fan riding along on the sidewalk with a suitable rear wheel. They swapped and Julich rode off. I don't know if it's neutral support, but it's timely. 

I love those stories, not sure why, maybe because they illustrate the lack of barriers between cycling fans and racers or maybe just because they're cool.


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## Banzai (Sep 9, 2004)

The bikes at TOC were Orbea I believe.


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## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

harlond said:


> For some reason, this reminds me of a story--I think I saw it last year--about a fan watching the race on the side of the road when a racer crashed right in front of him, rendering his bike unrideable. The fan had ridden his own bike to the course, and as it turned out, he had the same bike as the racer, even the same pedals. The racer looked at the fan's bike, the fan said, here, take it, and the racer hopped on and rode off. And in the TOC last year, Bobby Julich had a rear flat and flagged down a fan riding along on the sidewalk with a suitable rear wheel. They swapped and Julich rode off. I don't know if it's neutral support, but it's timely.
> 
> I love those stories, not sure why, maybe because they illustrate the lack of barriers between cycling fans and racers or maybe just because they're cool.


Julich and the wheel story was well documented in this forum by the person that gave the wheel. Im too lazy to search.

I definately remember the CR1s being used from a couple years ago, and I thought I recalled someone finishing the prologue on one.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

harlond said:


> For some reason, this reminds me of a story--I think I saw it last year--about a fan watching the race on the side of the road when a racer crashed right in front of him, rendering his bike unrideable. The fan had ridden his own bike to the course, and as it turned out, he had the same bike as the racer, even the same pedals. The racer looked at the fan's bike, the fan said, here, take it, and the racer hopped on and rode off. l.


I believe that happened in the Tour Down Under. The rider and fan had Colnago's.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

grrrah said:


> Julich and the wheel story was well documented in this forum by the person that gave the wheel. Im too lazy to search.


Nah, it was someone on slowtwitch. The guy that gave Julich the wheel actually was only running 9 speed, so it wasn't a perfect fit. He had a yellow tire, so it was easy to spot his wheel in the pic of Julich for the day.


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## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

*I think..*

they change every year.. I remember Litespeed being it one year, then IF one year as well, at least in the US..


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Imaging being the fan that saved the race leader from losing his lead! Seriously If I were watching the race from and the leader had a mechanical in front of me and his bike matched mine I wouldn't think twice before giving the guy my bike. I'd likely try to fix his and ride it to the finish. haha. Unless the team car came and took it who knows!?


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## nicks2192 (Jan 25, 2008)

at all the races I've been too they where cannondales with sram force


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## Dank (Nov 26, 2006)

Thanks


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## Roadnoob (Feb 4, 2005)

Saw the Mavic car on Stage 8 and the bike had "Mavic" on the TT but the Cannondale "C" on the headtube.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

funktekk said:


> I can't remember the last time i saw someone on a neutral bike.


Last year's TdF I seem to remember a Barloword rider SA? chucking his bike down the side of a mountain.


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## SRV (Dec 26, 2006)

baker921 said:


> Last year's TdF I seem to remember a Barloword rider SA? chucking his bike down the side of a mountain.


That guy went down the mountain with the bike, he stopped sliding but the bike didn't. I always wondered if they got that bike back.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Mavic bikes at the TOC were Cdales
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...hotos/2009/feb09/california09/california097/7


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## Cyclo-phile (Sep 22, 2005)

Orbea has been supplying the SRAM neutral bikes lately.


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## cydswipe (Mar 7, 2002)

jorgy said:


> Nah, it was someone on slowtwitch. The guy that gave Julich the wheel actually was only running 9 speed, so it wasn't a perfect fit. He had a yellow tire, so it was easy to spot his wheel in the pic of Julich for the day.


Yeah, Bobby hit a piece of traffic curb and killed his Zipp 404 at the 2008 ToC. He swapped out with the guy on Slowtwitch. As a "thank you" CSC gave him a bunch of autographed stuff and Zipp let him send in the hub from the 404 and they custom built it into a clincher 1080, which had not yet been in production for the public. It's one of the coolest stories of all time I think.


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## tron (Jul 18, 2004)

SRV said:


> That guy went down the mountain with the bike, he stopped sliding but the bike didn't. I always wondered if they got that bike back.


I read an interview that a fan and I think a mechanic ran down the hill and got the bike. He had to wait for his team car for a replacement though. Did not take a neutral ride. Still havent seen that done.

In this years TOC, i recall seeing someone with a flat wave off the nearby mavic motorcycle and wait for his team car which took a bit longer..


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## bornin53 (Sep 3, 2005)

*Fast Freddie on a CR1 in 2005 SF Gran Prix*

It happened right in front of me. Freddie had a dustup with a moto, breaking the the fork on his star n stripes Ridley. He hopped on a CR1 which apparently had pedals compatible with his cleats.


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## The Moontrane (Nov 28, 2005)

cydswipe said:


> Yeah, Bobby hit a piece of traffic curb and killed his Zipp 404 at the 2008 ToC. He swapped out with the guy on Slowtwitch. As a "thank you" CSC gave him a bunch of autographed stuff and Zipp let him send in the hub from the 404 and they custom built it into a clincher 1080, which had not yet been in production for the public. It's one of the coolest stories of all time I think.


Not as cool as your avatar.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

I think they usually have bikes with every different pedals, that's the reason for so many bikes on the top more than because they think that many riders will need a neutral bike...


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## TedH (Jan 1, 1970)

last year at roubaix they had C-dogs with a mix of Centaur components and toe cages. Worst part was the one bike had an alu FSA wing bar with no tape on top and single wrap on the drops. Another had a pretty big scuff on the Michelin tire sidewall. I've ridden the Roubaix course, and would not have wanted that bike for sure. I do remember one of the Chavenel's a few years ago riding a neutral bike for a bit (he was in the break in Stuey's year or Cancellara's I think).


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## bornin53 (Sep 3, 2005)

*Install Pedals Before They Shove You Off?*

If you look at the pic at the link at 32and3cross's post above:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...hotos/2009/feb09/california09/california097/7

you'll see there are no pedals on the bikes. It would seem to make the most sense that the support wrenches know the pedal types used by each team and have a pair in their hands as they hop out of the car. 

If the pedals were pre-installed, the odds of matching the correct frame size and the correct pedal type would be small. A good wrench can put both pedals on at the same time. They start the threads, put a wrench on each one, then spin the cranks with the wrenches until they are tight. I have seen it done in a shop.


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## 853 (Feb 4, 2002)

...and if you look at that photo, they have a small, medium and large bike.
What surprises, me is the lack of a quick release on the seatpost, (for quick seat height adjustments).


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## wchane (Aug 8, 2006)

c'dale w/force from ToC '08
<img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/2275338663_e3c32de512_o.jpg">


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## cbuchanan (Mar 6, 2006)

I talked with the Mavic mechanic last year at the Tour of Missouri and asked how the pedal situation is handled. As soon as they know which pedals the rider in question needs, they quickly pull out a set and put them on for them. You may also notice the QR seatpost clamp. That's for the same reason, super quick adjustment and away they go. Every bike in Mavic's possession was also a Cannondale CAAD9. :thumbsup: The intention of the neutral support bikes is to keep the rider going in a situation where their team may not be able to get them a replacement right away. If the team car catches up down the road, they can get back on one of their own at that point.


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## fthefox (Jan 15, 2009)

Hi there, 

It reminds me of a good story that happened to me more than 20 years ago. 

At that time, I was 16 and racing cadet in France, in Normandy more pricesely. My home town is Saint-Lô. In September I think, the local club organizes one of the big 1st cat criteriums in France called Le Circuit des Remparts (45 loops, about 90 km total). So that night, I am there with my dad watching the guys warm up before the start of the race. All of a sudden, a guy stops in front of us, he had just broken his carbon frame, a Peugeot, one of the fist carbon production frames at that time. The guy was Claude Carlin, member of the amateur French team and also French champion!

Hold on, it's not over yet...

So, I inquire and the guy explains to me the race is over for him, no back up bike. I ask him his frame size, 56 cm... my size frame! Look pedals, me too! I tell him I have a race bike 5 minutes down the raod, a 56 (a Vitus, glued lug aluminium) with look pedals. I rush home and manage to give him the bike a few minutes before the start. 

Hold on, it's not over yet...

OK, so he is in the pack. I am all excited, tell the sorry to my teammates around the circuit, 16 year olds... The word spreads. 

As the race goes on, two guys escape from the bunch... Him and another guy! Well, you guessed it, he won the race on my bike! I ended on the podium, in the local news. Eveybody did tease me after: You will probably never win Les Remparts, but your bike did! 

Well, Claude Carlin was the French national champion in 1987 and did race the Olympics in Seoul the year after, in 1988. A local guy, Richard Vivien became World Champion too in 1997 in Austria I think. 

That's the story, a cycling teenager's dream come true. 

Everything can happen with cycling. 

Have fun biking. 

François


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## Doctor Who (Feb 22, 2005)

Awesome story, fthefox. I've always wanted one of those glued Vitus bikes -- good thing my weight is on the cusp that I could ride one.


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## Kenacycle (May 28, 2006)

jorgy said:


> Nah, it was someone on slowtwitch. The guy that gave Julich the wheel actually was only running 9 speed, so it wasn't a perfect fit. He had a yellow tire, so it was easy to spot his wheel in the pic of Julich for the day.




Here is that thread about the story with Bobb and the Zipp wheel
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/Slowtwi...um_F1/Final_Chapter:_Crazy_ToC_Story_P1678871

The guy even updated his story last month when he went to this year's TOC and got Bobby and Riis to sign the broken Zipp .. It sure is a cool story


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

harlond said:


> For some reason, this reminds me of a story--I think I saw it last year--about a fan watching the race on the side of the road when a racer crashed right in front of him, rendering his bike unrideable. The fan had ridden his own bike to the course, and as it turned out, he had the same bike as the racer, even the same pedals. The racer looked at the fan's bike, the fan said, here, take it, and the racer hopped on and rode off. And in the TOC last year, Bobby Julich had a rear flat and flagged down a fan riding along on the sidewalk with a suitable rear wheel. They swapped and Julich rode off. I don't know if it's neutral support, but it's timely.
> 
> I love those stories, not sure why, maybe because they illustrate the lack of barriers between cycling fans and racers or maybe just because they're cool.


Were you looking for this story?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tdu02c40.shtml


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