Cycling Team Cars: A Race Within a Race
Acura's best-in-class RDX comes to the for.
(The following story was first published in The Mercury Times print newspaper on January 19th, 2020)
Professional road cyclists were once self-sustaining athletes. Vehicle support wasn't allowed in races like the Tour de France unless via unscrupulous means. Catching a rider getting assistance from a car meant disqualification.
Much has changed. With various other company relationships for bicycles, helmets, sunglasses and energy food, vehicle sponsorship is as much part of a team as it's riders.
Race organizers rely on manufacturer vehicles to keep the race intact and safe as it progresses along country roads and into mountain ranges.
The relationship between vehicles and cyclists in bikes was readily available to witness in the Bay Area for 14 years during the Amgen Tour of California. It was a race, but the event has been canceled for 2020.
