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08.02.2007/ Each year Team CSC brings four soigneurs to Tour de France. These four soigneurs have
a number of tasks between them and there is no mistaking the fact that it is a job, which demands a great deal of dedication
as well as the ability to cope with stressful situations.
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| Karsten Kroon is treated by very good soigneurs |
A day in the life of a soigneur starts very early in the morning, where the
four of them begin working by the team truck. One makes sandwiches for all staff members, while another prepares the food
for the riders. A third fills up the flasks with the liquids to be consumed by the riders during the stage, and the last soigneur
checks that all the right gear is in the car and the truck so no one runs out of caps, sun-block, protein drink or something
else important.
Who does what is decided prior to each stage and with those stages, where there is a change of location,
two soigneurs leave the hotel early hotel to get things ready at the next hotel. This is also the case for one of the mechanics.
One
of the mechanics drives the big truck with the staff luggage and one of the soigneurs brings the massage tables and other
stuff to the hotel, where he or she also makes up the menu, organizes the rooms etc.
The riders are always the last
ones to leave the hotel so the other soigneur waits until then and then brings their luggage to the hotel. When it arrives
the luggage is put in the rooms according to the list made by the first soigneur. After that the massage tables are set up
with towels etc. so they will be ready for when the stage finishes.
After setting up the massage tables and organizing
the luggage it is time for the two soigneurs to wash the staff clothes and do the shopping. Especially important is food like
fresh fruit, jam, nutella, ham, honey, milk and corn flakes.
The two remaining soigneurs will be somewhere on the route.
They go to the start area and help the riders with anything they might need like putting cream on their legs. Just before
the start of the stage they leave for the feed zone and it is important that they – especially during the Tour –
do leave before the stage begins because they follow the same route as the peloton.
At the feed zone they prepare the
food bags to hand to the riders when passing and then it is off to the finish area, but this time via another route in order
to get there before the riders.
There one of them will wait right by the finish line for the riders with food and drink
and also to assist if the any riders are going to be tested, or in case one of them wins the stage – in that case they
need instructions on how to get to the podium. Each day the Race Commissioner appears at the finish line with a list of about
eight or ten riders, who are to be tested that particular day and the soigneurs will help point the riders in the right direction
for that as well.
When everything is taken care of in the finish area they leave for the hotel, where they need to
start the massage as soon as possible so the riders can rest and recover fully and also stock up on food and drink in order
to be ready for the following day.
After the massage the day has more or less come to an end for the four soigneurs
as well, but there is still a bit off laundry to be done and sometimes one of the riders will need special treatment after
dinner in the shape of laser treatment or help with stretching exercises. And then it is finally time to get some much-needed
sleep ahead of the next day.
Source: CSC
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