Inside a pro cycling team bus with Lotto Dstny

A pro cycling team's bus acts as a central hub for the riders and team members come race day, acting as much more than just a vehicle.

Not only does it transport the athletes to and from the race but it also doubles up as an office and briefing room, as well as a kitchen and a nutrition store.

Ahead of this year's E3 Saxo Classic, Conor Dunne was given access all areas to Lotto Dstny's team bus to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

Team seating

It's not just a case of picking a seat and sitting down on the Lotto Dstny bus. Riders are allocated specific seats and there's always plenty of politics as to who sits where. Typically, the more experienced riders get first choice along with the race leaders – in this instance Arnaud De Lie and Victor Campenaerts both chose to sit together at the back.

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The team leaders get first pick on where to sit on the bus

In front of the seating area there's a large TV screen in a prime location for pre-race team briefings. It's mounted centrally above the bus's windscreen so all team members have an unobstructed view of what's being talked about.

Read more: Arnaud De Lie diagnosed with Lyme disease

The kitchen area

Behind the seating portion of the bus is a kitchen area. Here, the team can stock up on whatever nutrition they need for the race with a mix of gels, chews and hydration mix. Taking centre stage on the countertop is the coffee machine that no pro team bus would be without.

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The kitchen area is full of nutrition that the team riders can stock up with before the start of the race

It is not just race nutrition that can be found in the kitchen with a generous helping of fruit on offer as well as some less healthy options for after a race when riders just need to get some food in them. Two firm favourites among Lotto Dstny are waffles and gummy bears.

Making the most of all the space

Although from the outside the team bus might look huge, it has to be many things to many people so making the most of the space onboard is crucial. Above the kitchen is a small radio charging station that lays out all of the radios in numbered order with the riders assigned a corresponding number displayed on the wall. Not only does this keep everything tidy but also prevents riders from wandering off with the wrong radio.

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Every bit of space counts on a team bust with the team radio charging station above the kitchen

Showers and recovery

At the rear of the bus is a small area with another screen that's ideal for riders to head back to when they're looking to work on their recovery. This is also where the recovery boots are stored. These are essentially long compression boots that riders can put on to help promote the recovery process after a hard day's racing.

Read more: Mastering nutrition and recovery: what should you eat while following an indoor cycling plan?

Opposite the kitchen are two showers that the riders can use to make themselves presentable post-race. Conor was particularly impressed with how much headroom Lotto Dstny affords to their riders. As a taller man being able to stand fully upright in a shower is somewhat of a rarity for him!

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There is even space for two showers on the bus prefect for riders to get cleaned up after a day in the saddle

As well as two showers the team bus also has two toilets, so there's no need for any toilet stops. All of this adds to the efficiency of getting riders to where they need to be and starting that all-important recovery process as soon as possible.

Under the bus

Every part of the bus has its own purpose including the storage under the bus. Here the team keeps its indoor trainers and rollers for riders to use for warming up as well as travel bags and some chairs. This is also where the storage racks are kept when they aren’t displaying the team's bikes ahead of a race.

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Under the bus is where the indoor trainers and rollers are kept ready for warming up before the race

To see even more from inside the team bus make sure to watch the video linked at the top.

For all the latest from the world of cycling tech, make sure to head to our dedicated tech news section and to keep up to date with all the racing over the Classics season, make sure to head to our racing homepage.