In a dingy warehouse somewhere in Belgium, two mechanics are working away quietly. Bikes and wheels line one wall, with more racked up in the middle of the space. Welcome to the Lotto Soudal service course, the equipment hub of a WorldTour team that’s more Belgian than crosswinds and cobbles.
The two men go about their business in an oasis of light at the back of the building, surrounded by tables of tools and piles of new and used bike components. BikeRadar took a wander round and had a delve through their rubbish – click on the gallery above to get a taste of what keeps a pro team ticking over.
Matthew Loveridge (formerly Allen) is BikeRadar's former senior writer, an experienced mechanic, and an expert on bike tech who appreciates practical, beautifully-engineered things. Originally a roadie, he likes bikes and kit of every type, including gravel bikes and mountain bikes, and he's tested a huge variety of all three over the years for BikeRadar, Cycling Plus, Cyclist.co.uk and others. He looks like he should be better at cycling than he actually is, and he's ok with that.
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