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Playing Mechanic
Professional bike racing is a team sport. Riders need to rely on their teammates to help them when mechanics and the team car aren't around to help out. When Bryan Coquard (Europcar) went down on a wet corner it was his veteran teammate and countryman, Thomas Voeckler, who stop along side the younger Frenchman. Voeckler helped Coquard up and quickly check out the bike making sure it was fit for the pair to chase back on to the peloton. Voeckler is letting out some of the air in the tires. On wet roads a lower tire pressure affords better road traction, so the veteran's action would help ensure that Coquard would be more able to handle the wet roads of Northern France.