Team car trivia

Team Exergy rider Noe Gianetti climbing during the Gila Monster stage, Director Tad Hamilton driving

A lot goes on during a bike race that you can only witness from a team car in the caravan if you’re not on a bike. Here’s a few team car terms based on my voyage in the Team Exergy car on the last and longest stage of the Tour of the Gila, aptly named the Gila Monster stage.

Nature break ensemble: another name for team directors stopping their cars on the side of the road for impromptu meetings about developments in the race.

Team director’s third hand: the team mechanic sitting in the back seat swarmed with wheels and water bottles. He is responsible for more than passing up water bottles and changing wheels when riders flat. He also tracks the names of riders up the road and where they stand on the general classification to help the team director formulate strategy.

Caravan-flavored lollipop: a two sided circle on a wand, one side green and the other yellow. A race referee on a motorbike uses this to instruct cars to wait or move up the road.