The co-riders who do their humble work enable the tight struggles of the top pedals of professional cycling on grueling stages.
A figure larger than the others cuts through the wind at the head of the main group. On almost all stages of the Tour de France, the Belgian, from the Soudal-Quick-Step team Tim Declercq“El Tractor”, has been a work animal, but there is no need to look for him at the top of the charts.
“El Tractor” is one of those professional cyclists that team captains thank for their success. He is an obedient and professional assistant driver who does what is asked.
Co-drivers celebrate their team’s success, even though they rarely get to climb the podium themselves. They know that without them even the best cyclists cannot succeed.
At the beginning of July, cycling lovers have been able to enjoy Declercq, Sepp Kussin and for the work of other co-drivers in the two major tours, when the men started the Tour de France and the women competed in the Tour de Italy.
The Finnish color was provided by the recent Finnish champion Anniina Ahtosalowho was riding the 34th Italian Giro Donne as a member of his Uno-X team.
Good experience for Ahtosalo
Ahtosalo was 124th in the final results of the Giro Donne. He, like the drivers mentioned above, was in the role of co-driver, so it is more important than the ranking how satisfied the team is and what ranking the team’s best-placed rider has reached.
The Norwegian team was found in the best place in the final results Anouska Koster. The Dutch pedaler was 22nd in the race. Susanne Andersen kiri finished seventh in the final stage, which was the Norwegian team’s best finish of the race.
For Ahtosalo, the experience of a stage race lasting more than a week was also really important. The Finn is only 19 years old when the Dutchman pedaled to victory Annemiek van Vleuten is 21 years older.
The important role of assistants
Even though the results lists have their own ranking for each rider, the team’s worst placed cyclist is not necessarily the weakest in the team’s opinion – on the contrary. If the number one driver of your own team is in the top places of the race and is able to fight for wins both in individual stages and in the overall race, the team’s tactics have been successful and each of its members has probably done their job at least as agreed.
Co-drivers protect their captains from the wind, transport food and drink on long stages. Above all, the task of the co-drivers is to help the first drivers conserve their energy in a pre-agreed manner. When riding in a group, the riders who pedal at the front do the most work, those who come after them get there much easier.
When watching cycling races – if the breakaway doesn’t last until the end – the cyclists who appear at the very top of the group during the journey are rarely the ones who cross the finish line first. At the very end, when the final round starts, they leave their place and let others decide the top places.
In the interviews, the competitors who are performing in the award places almost always remember to thank their team members at the end of a successful race day. A good co-driver is worth gold to both the team and its captain.