Professional Cycling For the Fans - Mavic/Neutral Service Vehicle. What is their purpose?

Does Mavic just drive around to help out riders when they need a new wheel or bike when the team car is nowhere to be found???

yep.

especially handy for riders on breakaways in the mountains when the team car could be minutes behind

Since you answered your own question in the same sentence, I don't know how much input I can truly add in here. :p


especially handy for riders on breakaways in the mountains when the team car could be minutes behind This is also the time where I think riders definitely need the neutral support vehicles! :D

Or maybe it's just to advertise Mavic!!!

^^^ ive never seen someone use one of the bikes, but it looks like contador got a wheel from them today.

Mavic neutral support is at a great many races around the world. At the Tour they are less important because the entrants are by-and-large premere teams with the best of support, but they still are an important element when the field gets fractured on narrow mountain roads that constrict the caravan of team cars. On the long time trials when a team has several racers starting close together, sometimes it can be good old Mavic neutral support that follows domestique #8.

They carry both Campagolo and Shimano wheels and several sizes of Cannondale CAAD 9 bikes*. Most importantly, Mavic cars and motorcycles (and sometimes motor scooters!) carry certified no-dope water - these days a racer alone on a climb wouldn't dare take a drink from a bottle handed up by a roadside fan, no matter how dehydrated!

TCS

*The only aluminum frame bikes at the Tour this year?

^^^ ive never seen someone use one of the bikes, but it looks like contador got a wheel from them today.

Someone used one in one of the classics last year or in 2005; it was quite a site to see. The bike was ill fitting and the rider was having a difficult time with the toe clips and straps. His team car was too far back so he had to continue on a neutral services bike until he could get his own replacement. I would imagine the younger the rider, the less welcome toe clips and straps would be; but that's just my own generalization.

At the Tour de France, each team has their own massive support, so the Mavic cars are not as loaded as you see them at races in the USA, or in the European spring classics.

Mavic cars and motorcycles (and sometimes motor scooters!) carry certified no-dope water - these days a racer alone on a climb wouldn't dare take a drink from a bottle handed up by a roadside fan, no matter how dehydrated!



You're right, but I'm sure getting sick off the funky water that may have been sitting in one of those campers for who-knows-how-long is also a concern.

I think the bikes are Colnagos.
Nope, as I said, they're Cannondales (http://www.velonews.com/images/tech/12682.19422.f.jpg).

TCS

Nope, as I said, they're Cannondales (http://www.velonews.com/images/tech/12682.19422.f.jpg).

TCS

haha, too late! I already took it out because I suspected that someone would be all "bike forumy." They've use Colnagos, Independent Fabrication, Scott, and Cannondales. Probably others too.

good article here

http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/tech/articles/12682.0.html

haha, too late! I already took it out.
You'll notice that even though you can go back and edit your post, if someone has quoted it your original error continues to appear in their quote.

All the best,
TCS

What about pedals on the neutral support bikes? Do they have toeclips, or do they have one bike with Speedplays, one with Times, one with Shimano, etc...?

Looks (sic) like toeclips from the link w/the shot of the yellow Cannondales

Looks (sic) like toeclips from the link w/the shot of the yellow Cannondales

correct.

The rider straps in until the team car can deliver a replacement bike with correct pedals

O'Grady won Paris-Roubaix on a spare wheel:

http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/images/07roubaix/$file/8.jpg

Pic from Graham Watson (http://grahamwatson.com/gw/imagedocs.nsf/updateframesetcall?openform&07roubaix)