Another Tour of Britain done, and another Eisberg Intermediate Sprints jersey in the bag. What an epic ride it was by Rory Townsend to fend off competition from both World Tour & Pro Conti riders, in a week that saw him put world class sprinters away (such as a Matteo Trentin).
We were lucky enough to be on the road with the team for the duration of the race, and were once more reminded of the fact that Canyon dhb are nothing like other race teams. It's hard to explain quite why, but it feels more like a family than a sports team. When sat in big rooms at hotels for dinner, sharing with the world's strongest riders from World Tour teams, our table would be the loudest. Amongst polite conversation on the tables of other teams, we'd be howling with laughter (often to the point of tears). At the start of races, 50 Cent could be heard blaring out through bluetooth speakers as the riders would be dancing about, smiling and taking the p*** out of one another.
All joviality aside, the boys meant business on the road. If better placed, Matt Bostock could have seen more than just the 1 top-ten finish that he achieved in the week, and we shared in everyone's heartbreak when the Townsend/Tanfield breakaway just didn't make it on the run into Newcastle.
HUNT sent Ollie along to help the team, which took many forms. Primarily, 'Drive' was in charge of... er... driving. He'd take the riders in the campervan from the hotels to the race starts, before transferring to the race finish during the stage, ready for the lads to finish racing. Upon arrival, they'd have a recovery shake and get straight on the turbo (mostly) for a bit, before showering and then driving on to the hotel for the following night. Upon arrival, bikes & cars needed to be cleaned and prepped, and vehicles refuelled, before dinner together and then to bed before waking up to repeat the whole process.
We had Dan of Breakaway Digital with us for a few days early on, and think the race is a story best told through pictures (especially when they're as good as his). So... enjoy!
