Super Domestic!

For anyone who has followed the grand riding tours in Europe, the Giro de Italia (a Canadian won this year…way to go Rider H!!), Le Tour de France or the Spanish Vella, you would likely be aware of the various roles on each team. There is a clear pecking order on each team from the lowest domestics who move to the rear of the peloton to carry up huge numbers of water bottles from the team cars to the super star riders away up at the head of the peloton. Then there are the Super Domestics who do the water thing, but also have oh so many more responsibilities. If the team lead falters they drop back to make sure that they are comfortable and break those nasty head winds to help the star back into contention. They are also the ones who move to the front on hill climbs to “pull” the team lead up the steep mountain slopes…until they can no longer peddle. The leader uses them up and discards them as they would a facial tissue with the Super Domestic left to find their way to the end of the stage event as best as they can.

 

Yesterday was a long 83km ride mostly into a stiff head wind of some 25-30km/hr. There were agonizing hill climbs onto the massive river dikes and across bridges followed by harrowing descents. Then there was the flat tire along the way and with the team car otherwise disposed, this Super Domestic was required to locate a suitable picnic table to perform the necessary surgery to replace the bike tube. He then made a heroic ride on the team lead’s bike, which sported a very low seat, as he went in search of a place to fill said bike tube…the issue being an equipment failure. Alas the tire pump was not functional! Eventually finding a village where there was indeed a ‘Bicycle Repair Man’, he quickly went into action by letting Mrs. BRM’s dogs out of the yard thereby somewhat annoying this less than cheery soul. The situation of course deteriorated further when they thought that the Super Domestic needed a tire repair and was advised that, “Not today. We are on our way out…to a party”. Not backing down (at this point the options were really getting rather limited and there were still miles to ride) the Super Domestic put on his most winning smile and said, “I only require a small amount of air!” Mrs. BRM scowled further and began to growl (or so it seemed), but Bicycle Repair Man said, “Only air? Come this way”. I knew I had him with the “air only” comment and off we went to BRM’s shop next door, and before you could say wandelroutes de meierij, in the blink of an eye the Super Domestic had said his best thank you in Dutch…”dankuwel” (to which he received a very pleasant smile from Bicycle Repair Man and an “asteblijf” - deeper scowls from Mrs. BRM) and he was off to find the team lead and pull her back to the head of the race. All in a day’s work for a Super Domestic!

The Super Domestic has many chores including map reading, getting lost (frequently), finding suitable photo ops for the team lead and making sure the team lead has snacks along the way and a suitable feeding station is located somewhere close to mid-day (preferably with a view). Take today for example. After starting out from Heusden a bit after 9am the rains came aggressively (thanks Secret Santa for the great rain pants…they worked!) and when they stopped the team lead was getting a bit hungry. Having done considerable pre-planning the SD was able to bring her to a quiet café shop along the route for a cold drink and a snack. Then again at about 1:30 he located a restaurant that let the team in for lunch that wasn’t even open for lunch! By the way it was a brilliant lunch on the top of a dike overlooking the Maas River. Now you’re thinking that all this sounds pretty special, however, it turns out that the reason this restaurant was open at that time was because they were preparing for a visit from the rock band Golden Earring that evening. How special is that? The Super Domestic arranged for the team lead to eat her lunch in a place where a famous 90’s rock band was expected for dinner later that day. The owners were overwhelmed with two celeb visits in one day!

The team will be resting in the small village of Velp tonight. The team lead says she found this place on the internet, but the SD knows who it was that booked it…just a day in the life. We managed 77kms today which was just 6 short of yesterday, but again the SD arranged for a wind change today, so it was more often than not coming from our port side or back side. Of course the Super Domestic was just doing his job in the normal course and you can be sure that the team lead hardly noticed…after all being the SD is considered a team honor…and filling this role is hardly more than I could have ever hoped for.

 

Team lead is showered and changed and impatient to leave for dinner...guess I'll just duck my head under the hose so we can be off.