A few days from Klasikoa, we had the privilege of speaking with Gaizka Beobide, the Basque mechanic of the Uno-X Mobility team. He shares with us his exceptional journey and his experience acquired in the heart of the professional cycling paddocks.
Experience and background
CT : Can you tell us about your professional background and what led you to work with the Uno-X team? ?
GB : I started working as a bicycle mechanic at the age of 16 years and have worked in the cycling industry since then, especially in bicycle stores and for bicycle brands. There are approximately 8 years, I started working as a team mechanic for the Euskaltel development team. After a few years with them, I went to the World Tour with the Movistar team. In 2021, I discovered the Uno-X Mobility team. With them, I found a new home. Their strong identity as a team and their ambition to grow were aligned with my goals.
CT : What motivated you to become a mechanic in the world of professional cycling? ?
GB : My whole life has revolved around bikes and cycling. I myself ran until I was 18 years, and half of my friends are or were professional cyclists. I was a good mechanic, so I thought it was a good idea to combine my skills with the high standards of professional cycling. I moved to the UK to learn English and expand my professionalism globally, and here we are now.
CT : What was the atmosphere like within the Uno-X team during the Grand Départ in Bilbao? ?
GB : The Grand Départ in Bilbao was a dream come true for all of us, especially for me. I was one of the very few mechanics in Bilbao, during the team's first Tour de France, of my first Tour de France, and the first Tour de France which started in my city. The team has done a great job achieving this in previous years, so we were all super excited !
CT : What were the main technical preparations for this Tour de France in particular? ?
GB : Every Grand Tour requires preparations, but the Tour de France requires extra effort. Everything must be perfect. We build specific bikes for racing ; climbers have a climber's bike. There is a lot more new material that sponsors and brands are sending for the race, and we need to consider additional spare parts for the 3 weeks on the road.
CT : Did you encounter any specific challenges during this edition of the Tour? ?
GB : Perhaps the main challenge is being under the pressure of knowing the whole world is watching you. Whether it's a puncture or a mechanical problem during a race, you need to find a solution by reducing all possible errors.
Life on the road
CT : Can you explain how you ensure that the bikes are always in perfect condition before each stage? ?
GB : The day before the race, mechanics ensure all bikes are in perfect condition. We wash the bikes thoroughly first to ensure there is no visual damage covered by dirt. Once washed, we carry out a complete check of the bike : bearings, tires, bolts, brakes, wear of parts, adjustments. Once everything has passed our test, we lubricate the chain and make sure the bikes batteries are fully charged for the next day.
CT : What are the main mechanical problems you generally encounter during races? ?
GB : We have a very reliable bike. We normally don't find any problems other than racing incidents like punctures or occasional falls. The rest of the things are just maintenance tasks to keep the bikes to the highest standards.
CT : How do you handle last minute adjustments during stages ?
GB : We hardly have these kinds of situations. If we have any, these are normally minor adjustments that don't require a lot of effort or trouble, because we make the biggest changes the day before. However, there are situations where I relax and repair in the moment.
CT : What new technologies and innovations in cycling and mechanics have you recently adopted within the team ?
GB : We use an app to update any incidents during the race in real time. This gives us a very good overview to implement different hardware or configurations for future races.
CT : How important is technical data and analysis to improve runner performance? ?
GB : I think it is important to follow to draw a good scenario for the runner. If we keep track of the circumstances with certain hardware and configurations that gave a result, this gives us a path to follow to implement or change different things depending on the conditions of each race or stage.
CT : Can you tell us about the relationship between mechanics and riders? ?
GB : We are like a big family. Due to our different schedules, we have almost no contact other than to discuss bike related things. But we always find moments to joke together or share stories.
CT : How do you work together to ensure optimal performance ?
GB : We communicate with each other every day during a race, or to report problems, either to discuss the configuration for the next day. It’s a two-way communication that must work perfectly to achieve the results the runner wants..
CT : Are there any riders you work particularly well with? ?
GB : Fortunately, they are all very easy to get along with. They understand our work as mechanics and we also understand their needs. Some of them may want things a certain way. He confided in the microphone of the Colombian cycling federation, some guys like to have the bar tape very tight and thin on the handlebars, while others want double handlebar tape. They all have something specific, but as we have good communication between us, it is easily achievable.
behind the scenes
CT : How do you manage logistics and organization as a mechanic during Grand Tours and international races? ?
GB : Once I receive the calendar, I check the shopping I do, where they start, how long we have to drive to the starting area, and from there, I am planning my trip. We should normally be racing 2-3 days before start, so for us mechanics, we need to plan and consider the travel time from our home to our service center, prepare the bikes, load the truck and drive to the location to be there on the right date and time. It is normally between 4 and 7 days before the start of a race. For races abroad, it takes a little longer as we prepare for flights, so it takes more time.
CT : What are the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of your job? ?
GB : One of the things I love most about my job is the joy of doing something I'm passionate about. A difficult aspect might be time away from family and friends. Occasionally, it is difficult to reconcile family and work, because the time on the road takes 24 hours when working, so there are certain things like celebrations, the birthdays we sometimes miss.
CT : What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a mechanic in a professional cycling team? ?
GB : First of all, it has to be something you are passionate about. Learn languages ; cycling brings people from all over the world together, so this will help you progress in this sport. But as long as you are willing to learn and love the sport, there is always a place.
CT : What are your aspirations and future goals within the Uno-X team and cycling in general? ?
GB : I would like to continue to achieve goals with the Uno-X Mobility Cycling team in my future in the peloton, because we always share a common goal. I believe bicycles are becoming more and more popular as a sustainable means of transportation, so I try to educate people to maintain and repair their bikes to also reduce the impact of consumerism on the planet. That's why I have a small workshop in Bilbao called Velobide Bike Repair, which I also like to think of as the link between professional cycling and the leisure cyclist, so that people like me, who cycle for pleasure, can also have the same service as a professional cyclist while making people's bikes safe to ride.
What is missing to revive the great Euskatel Euskadi of yesteryear, the great Euskaltel Euskadi ?
The main difficulty facing Fundacion Euskadi (formerly Euskaltel Euskadi) is the lack of support from brands and companies to build a team like the one of yesterday. The Basque Country has strong cycling roots and very good runners, but cycling is becoming a sport that requires more and more money and teams at regional level, like Euskaltel Euskadi which is struggling to put together a professional team like it was at the time.
We would like to sincerely thank Gaizka for the time he devoted to this enriching interview.
