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'I went behind the scenes of the Tour de France with neutral service - it was mayhem'

EXCLUSIVE: The Tour de France is more than just the 176 riders who will race from the Spanish Basque Country to Paris - and I went behind the scenes with the neutral service team

[I spent one day behind the scenes of the Tour de France in a neutral service car]

I spent one day behind the scenes of the Tour de France in a neutral service car(Image: Will Schofield)

"It's going to be busy today," Bruno Mallet joked - gesturing to the crowds that were already three deep in Chtillon-sur-Chalaronne.

Today was no ordinary day in the sleepy Eastern French town, the Tour de France and its circus had come to town. And, furthermore, it was Bastille Day, the French national holiday, drawing crowds in their thousands to the baking heat of the roads en route to the Grand Colombier.

However, the crowds don't seem to bother Bruno as he weaves between French tricolours, excitedly greeting other members of the race - riders, team directors, and even race personnel.

As part of Shimano's neutral service, Bruno seems to know everyone. In the past, as a crucial cog in the race, the neutral service has been labelled as the "unsung heroes`", ever-present but invisible.

READ MORE: Measuring myself up against a Tour de France pro proves they're freaks of nature

Shimano's job as neutral service is simple: provide service to all 22 teams at the Grand Boucle. Need a wheel? No problem. Running low on gels or water? Shimano have you covered. How about a place to store your rain jacket? Hand it over.

Riding shotgun in the first of three cars on the road, as the crowds started to die down, and Chtillon-sur-Chalaronne rolled into farmlands, Bruno explained how he controlled his small fleet of cars from the front of the race.

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[Shimano have provided neutral service to the Tour de France since 2019]

Shimano have provided neutral service to the Tour de France since 2021(Image: Will Schofield)

We were in car one, currently ahead of the peloton, who were now making their way through the Bastille Day crowds. Bruno explained there were two more neutral services cars behind the pack and a motorbike which floated between the two.

It was now a waiting game - until there was a breakaway, we got to take in sights of the French countryside. And as fireworks went off at the front of the pack, but no moves stuck, Bruno revealed he was a veteran of the Tour, working his first in 1997: "Before you were born," he joked.

And his experience was on full display when it came time to jump into the race.

[110th Tour de France (2.UWT) Stage 13 Chtillon-Sur-Chalaronne - Grand Colombier 137.8 km]

Crowds flocked to the roadside to watch the Tour de France on Bastille Day(Image: Leon van Bon | Shimano)

In the Tour de France, each team has two support vehicles, but when the gap is too small, or they're spread too thin, that's when neutral service jumps in.

Their work is meticulous - alongside myself and Bruno in the car sits a mechanic. Ahead of every stage, the mechanics go around the paddock speaking to team members, where each specific measurement of riders is noted.

On top of the car are spare bikes, with a variety of pedals, allowing the entire peloton to use the bikes if worse comes to worse: "Yesterday, an Uno-X rider had to finish on one," he noted. However, the bike is the worst-case scenario, the back of the car is decked out as a workshop so riders can continue on their own machines.

[110th Tour de France (2.UWT) Stage 13 Chtillon-Sur-Chalaronne - Grand Colombier 137.8 km]

Shimano's neutral service cars are geared to support every rider in the race(Image: Leon van Bon/Shimano)

Luckily, mechanical problems were at a minimum at the front of the race, and we were reduced to supplying water to the breakaway as the gap to the peloton grew enough to let team cars into the gap.

The road started to rear upwards way from Lac du Bourget, where the foothills of the Jura mountain range dip their toes, with its breathtaking scenery dominating the landscape. However, for Bruno, he had to remain focused on the race - anticipating what might happen next.

With the mountains now surrounding the route, and the constant crackle of race radio, you'd be forgiven for forgetting where you were. But we were soon flying up a climb, taking gaps past team cars that even Max Verstappen would think twice about taking. "I had to get past the dropped riders, in case the front of the race needs help."

[There was no time for the crew to take in the stunning views up the Grand Colombier for the crew]

There was no time for the crew to take in the stunning views up the Grand Colombier for the crew(Image: Leon van Bon/Shimano)

And what goes up, must come down.

This time, at speeds in excess of 120kph, we were again chasing the front of the race, diving back down to the mountain base: "You've got to be a good driver to do this," I joked. Bruno just smiled.

We stayed at the front of the race heading up the Grand Colombier, a monster of a climb that produces views of Mont Blanc and Lake Annecy from the top, battling through crowds in case of any problem for eventual stage winner Micha Kwiatkowski.

[UAE Team Emirates' Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wearing the best young rider's white jersey cycles ahead of Jumbo-Visma's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey cycles in the final ascent of Col du Grand Combier in the final kilometers of the 13th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 138 km between Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne in central-eastern France and Grand Colombier, in the Jura mountains in Eastern France, on July 14, 2023. ]

Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard battled for the converted Maillot Jaune on the slopes of the Grand Colombier(Image: Bernard PAPON / POOL / AFP) (Photo by BERNARD PAPON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

As Kwiatkowski celebrated his second-ever Tour de France stage win, we took stock of the day - there had been no mechanicals to fix, but a couple of bidons had been handed to riders.

A quiet day for Bruno and his mechanic.

However, he did, for the first time, have time to take in the stunning view - it would be two hours before we reached the valley floor and the town of Culoz: "That's the reality of the Tour."

[It took two hours for us, and the Tour de France circus, to descend off the mountain]

It took two hours for us, and the Tour de France circus, to descend off the mountain(Image: Will Schofield)

On Sunday, the Tour de France will roll into Paris and down the Champs-Elysees, the winner will be heralded - and so will his team-mates and staff.

But there will be no public celebrations for the heroes clad in blue, who, without a shadow of a doubt, are a key cog in keeping the Tour de France moving from day to day.

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