{"id":3010,"date":"2021-06-29T08:29:03","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T08:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/?p=3010"},"modified":"2021-06-29T08:29:03","modified_gmt":"2021-06-29T08:29:03","slug":"creating-the-red-enyaq-iv-how-does-it-feel-to-be-the-tour-de-france-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/ie\/2021\/06\/29\/creating-the-red-enyaq-iv-how-does-it-feel-to-be-the-tour-de-france-director\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating the Red ENYAQ iV: How Does It Feel to Be the Tour de France Director?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It took me nearly an hour to reach the \u0160koda headquarters in Mlad\u00e1 Boleslav and then another half an hour sporting along narrow, rural roads. The place is called Led\u010de. Be careful not to follow the GPS navigation blindly as I did, which resulted in a trip to the woods and ending up in the middle of nowhere.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThe same happened to several people including a truck driver with a long trailer. It took him almost an hour to get back using only his wing mirrors,\u201d says Best Modell founder Martin Smutn\u00fd. Luckily for me, I forgot about hooking a trailer to my car today.<\/p>\n

\"\u0160koda<\/a>
Waiting for the modification.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Best Modell is an inconspicuous Czech company based in an even more inconspicuous Czech village. If you eventually get there, you might not even notice the company hidden behind a front yard full of old and used cars. Attention is not desired anyway, as most company activities fit into the \u2018classified\u2019 or even \u2018top-secret\u2019 category.<\/p>\n

In a workshop divided into three halls, some of the future \u0160koda models are designed and shaped. Some of them will be introduced five years from now, which is the reason why all visitors must leave their smartphones strictly switched off.<\/p>\n

The project that brought me here, on the contrary, is something millions of Tour de France fans watch on their screens these days. The workshop I’m about to enter is a place where the cars of the Tour de France<\/a> director and other main officials are modified. These vehicles will follow the entire peloton throughout the most famous cycling event in the world.<\/p>\n

\"Red<\/a>
This is where the magic happens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mr. Christian Prudhomme<\/a> will start the Tour de France on June 26 from one of the ENYAQ iVs hidden behind a gate with a sign reading: “Enter accompanied by authorised personnel only.” With the kind permission of Martin Smutn\u00fd, I enter the hall just to come across a big surprise.<\/p>\n

While on TV the cars are beautiful and shiny, their poor metal bodies are now concealed underneath a semi-transparent plastic. It only takes a few more steps to get me completely mesmerised. All the cars are now stripped of their upholstery. Looking at them more closely, I find most of the interior lining is gone, with many cables, wires, clamps and seals poking out from every corner. Did they really deserve that?<\/p>\n