Tour de France gallery: mechanics’ prologue

An inside look at how much work goes into race-bike preparation

To avoid injury... Please treat mechanics with respect

Ben Delaney / Immediate Media

Ben Delaney

Published: June 29, 2017 at 10:00 pm

Entire fleets of Tour de France race bikes don’t just build themselves, you know.

In the days before the Tour kicks off with a 14km time trial in Dusseldorf, Germany, team mechanics put in long hours to build, rebuild, wash and tune multiple bikes for each rider.

While much of this routine is, in fact, routine for veteran mechanics, the Tour can add a little extra spice, as brands rush to capitalize on the cycling world’s attention to showcase new products.

Click through the gallery above for a look at the handiwork of Tour de France mechanics.

Sometimes bike parts need a little forceful encouragement - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media

Contributor

Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.