It's the third rest day of the Giro d'Italia, 15 stages into the Italian Grand Tour and the staff of Team BikeExchange-Jayco are beavering away industriously as they prepare for the final week of racing in northern Italy. SBS sent interviewer John Trevorrow along to highlight the work being performed by the staff behind the scenes of the racing action on the roads of Italy.
Team Doctor - Matteo Beltemacchi
There aren't too many days that go by without some sort of crash or illness within a team, but as Dr. Beltemacchi describes, that is only part of his role, with the complications of managing the COVID bubble and preventing problems also a major part of his job.
Nutritionist - Laura Martinelli
Getting things just right in terms of giving cyclists the exact portions so that they can expend their full energy each day without sacrificing power to weight ratio is a science. Team BikeExchange-Jayco nutritionist Laura Martinelli explains how she works from athlete to athlete to get things perfect.
Soigneur - Kabir Lenzi
From massages and filling up bottles to logistics, the soigneurs are the jack-of-all-trades for a cycling team, filling a lot of roles on the squad.
Physiotherapist - Dan Guillemette
Injuries can spell the end of a race for a rider, and so the role of the physio on Team BikeExchange-Jayco is a crucial one as they deal with managing and rehabilitating riders from injury under the intense pressure of the three-week event.
Rider - Damien Howson
The riders have it easier on rest days than the majority of the staff, but Australian Damien Howson explains how it varies from individual to individual as he does his own 'rest day ride'.
