1 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,547 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine 2 00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:12,267 Speaker 1: from News talks'b. 3 00:00:12,867 --> 00:00:16,587 Speaker 2: Zach Prendergast has become the first New Zealander to officiate 4 00:00:16,747 --> 00:00:19,747 Speaker 2: on the iconic Tour de France. He's just back from 5 00:00:19,827 --> 00:00:23,827 Speaker 2: serving as a technical commissaire during the twenty twenty five 6 00:00:23,867 --> 00:00:28,107 Speaker 2: event and he joins us now, Zach, congratulations. What was 7 00:00:28,187 --> 00:00:32,507 Speaker 2: your role as technical commissaire on the Tour de France? 8 00:00:33,547 --> 00:00:36,707 Speaker 3: Or the technical commissaire is one of the roles within 9 00:00:36,787 --> 00:00:40,547 Speaker 3: the overall panel of commissaies or referees if you like that. 10 00:00:42,267 --> 00:00:44,787 Speaker 3: Go with any race, but particularly on a race this big, 11 00:00:45,107 --> 00:00:48,707 Speaker 3: there are a few extra roles that are used to 12 00:00:49,867 --> 00:00:50,867 Speaker 3: oversee at the event. 13 00:00:51,227 --> 00:00:53,747 Speaker 2: So on a day to day basis, then what are 14 00:00:53,787 --> 00:00:55,987 Speaker 2: your responsibilities. 15 00:00:55,907 --> 00:00:59,267 Speaker 3: Day to day? So start in the morning and go 16 00:00:59,387 --> 00:01:02,507 Speaker 3: to the start. Take the briefings with the other commissais 17 00:01:02,507 --> 00:01:06,027 Speaker 3: about what the plan is for the day before the start. 18 00:01:06,027 --> 00:01:08,027 Speaker 3: The teams would say if the start was that at 19 00:01:08,187 --> 00:01:10,227 Speaker 3: one o'clock, the teams would roll up and the team 20 00:01:10,227 --> 00:01:14,187 Speaker 3: buses around eleven thirty, go around, look at all the 21 00:01:14,187 --> 00:01:17,067 Speaker 3: bikes that they have and they each rider may have 22 00:01:17,147 --> 00:01:20,787 Speaker 3: up the three bikes spears and so on. Also talk 23 00:01:20,827 --> 00:01:23,147 Speaker 3: with the team mechanics make sure they're happy with everything 24 00:01:23,227 --> 00:01:28,467 Speaker 3: how that's going. We'd have moto commerce hears as their role, 25 00:01:28,507 --> 00:01:32,347 Speaker 3: but they're basically referees to go around on motorbikes. They 26 00:01:32,387 --> 00:01:36,027 Speaker 3: would check with a use of the tablet the magnetic 27 00:01:36,347 --> 00:01:41,147 Speaker 3: scanning device to check for any technical proprietaries on the 28 00:01:41,147 --> 00:01:44,227 Speaker 3: bike or anything that they may they made. Deteck and 29 00:01:44,307 --> 00:01:46,947 Speaker 3: I would be going around looking at tolerances as well 30 00:01:46,987 --> 00:01:51,427 Speaker 3: as ensuring the bikes were put well assembled within the 31 00:01:51,627 --> 00:01:54,947 Speaker 3: sort of dimensions that are promoted under the regulations. 32 00:01:55,267 --> 00:01:57,987 Speaker 2: How much of the role is about making sure no 33 00:01:58,067 --> 00:02:03,107 Speaker 2: one gains an unfair advantage by acting outside the rules, Well. 34 00:02:02,987 --> 00:02:04,987 Speaker 3: It's a big part of it. It's a huge part 35 00:02:04,987 --> 00:02:08,507 Speaker 3: of it. That would just before the start. But if 36 00:02:08,547 --> 00:02:10,827 Speaker 3: you look at the time trial where every rider will 37 00:02:10,827 --> 00:02:12,867 Speaker 3: turn up on a time trial bike, which is most 38 00:02:12,907 --> 00:02:15,187 Speaker 3: people understands, is a bit more exotic than your average 39 00:02:15,227 --> 00:02:18,267 Speaker 3: road bike. You would be putting a bike on a jig. 40 00:02:18,547 --> 00:02:20,347 Speaker 3: You would look at all of that to make sure 41 00:02:20,387 --> 00:02:23,947 Speaker 3: that that's all within the dimensions because aerodynamics is a huge, 42 00:02:23,947 --> 00:02:27,227 Speaker 3: absolutely huge part of it now, so making sure it's 43 00:02:27,267 --> 00:02:32,067 Speaker 3: all put in within the correct torrances using legal componentry, 44 00:02:32,707 --> 00:02:34,867 Speaker 3: and there has been a push over recent years to 45 00:02:34,867 --> 00:02:37,747 Speaker 3: make sure that all the components wry. You can get 46 00:02:37,747 --> 00:02:40,587 Speaker 3: on one of these really exotic, high priced bikes is 47 00:02:40,627 --> 00:02:43,067 Speaker 3: available commercially, whether you can afford it or not, it's 48 00:02:43,107 --> 00:02:46,987 Speaker 3: a different thing, but making sure that that's legal. The 49 00:02:47,027 --> 00:02:50,147 Speaker 3: other component of that is the rider himself. They're clothing 50 00:02:50,187 --> 00:02:53,027 Speaker 3: that they wear, the helmets that they use, and so on, 51 00:02:53,387 --> 00:02:57,547 Speaker 3: and so that meets the technical requirements as well, generally 52 00:02:57,627 --> 00:03:02,507 Speaker 3: looking at the aerodynamic side of it, so that those 53 00:03:02,507 --> 00:03:06,747 Speaker 3: are some of the aspects. During the race, I would 54 00:03:06,787 --> 00:03:11,307 Speaker 3: be going to the VAR truck, which is basically a 55 00:03:11,347 --> 00:03:13,587 Speaker 3: truck that's at the finish line. It's hooked into all 56 00:03:13,707 --> 00:03:15,987 Speaker 3: the live feeds from the race, so they'll be up 57 00:03:15,987 --> 00:03:18,387 Speaker 3: to twelve cameras and there is what's done as a 58 00:03:18,387 --> 00:03:21,787 Speaker 3: TV support commissaire could call them the sort of the 59 00:03:21,787 --> 00:03:24,827 Speaker 3: third referee or whatever they call them in Rugby. The 60 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:29,267 Speaker 3: TV guy. He would be looking at the race throughout 61 00:03:29,307 --> 00:03:31,107 Speaker 3: the whole time to make sure stee if there were 62 00:03:31,187 --> 00:03:35,227 Speaker 3: any incidents or anything of note that may be someone 63 00:03:35,307 --> 00:03:38,587 Speaker 3: looking to take advantage or a safety matter or anything else. 64 00:03:39,387 --> 00:03:41,547 Speaker 3: I've been looking at that, looking to identify anything that 65 00:03:41,587 --> 00:03:43,907 Speaker 3: we want to have a further look at. And then 66 00:03:43,947 --> 00:03:46,027 Speaker 3: after the race, I'd be part of a small team 67 00:03:46,067 --> 00:03:49,427 Speaker 3: that would do technological forward checks where we would X 68 00:03:49,547 --> 00:03:53,907 Speaker 3: ray bikes of those guys that made it to the podium, 69 00:03:54,227 --> 00:03:58,027 Speaker 3: the current classification leaders, anyone that had been targeted and 70 00:03:58,067 --> 00:04:00,707 Speaker 3: so on. So, yeah, quite a busy day. 71 00:04:00,787 --> 00:04:02,587 Speaker 2: Yeah, it sounds like it sounds like it. I guess 72 00:04:02,627 --> 00:04:06,147 Speaker 2: we think about cycling and about people who cheat, and 73 00:04:06,827 --> 00:04:10,587 Speaker 2: in the past we land on on the cyclists themselves 74 00:04:10,627 --> 00:04:14,787 Speaker 2: who who use some you know, unfair means to improve 75 00:04:14,827 --> 00:04:16,987 Speaker 2: their performance. But what are you're talking about here is 76 00:04:17,427 --> 00:04:20,787 Speaker 2: referred to as mechanical doping, which is when you mess 77 00:04:20,867 --> 00:04:26,587 Speaker 2: with the bike itself. How sophisticated has mechanical doping become? 78 00:04:28,387 --> 00:04:33,107 Speaker 3: Well, we're we're looking with some pretty good tools. I mean. 79 00:04:33,147 --> 00:04:36,667 Speaker 3: The first there is since in the last two years 80 00:04:36,787 --> 00:04:40,387 Speaker 3: is not only has there been a scheme where if 81 00:04:40,507 --> 00:04:44,147 Speaker 3: someone with wherever wants to believe there's something they're going on, 82 00:04:44,227 --> 00:04:46,027 Speaker 3: they may be able to call in and so on. 83 00:04:46,147 --> 00:04:48,947 Speaker 3: So you know, maybe an eight hundred number or something 84 00:04:49,027 --> 00:04:51,867 Speaker 3: like that you could say with someone that they suspect something. 85 00:04:52,427 --> 00:04:54,467 Speaker 3: The way they're looking at the fraud as well, with 86 00:04:54,547 --> 00:04:57,187 Speaker 3: the X ray machines and things like that, looking for 87 00:04:57,267 --> 00:04:59,747 Speaker 3: any patents and so on. I think it's become a 88 00:04:59,827 --> 00:05:04,427 Speaker 3: huge part because of the requirement for the integrity and 89 00:05:04,467 --> 00:05:07,547 Speaker 3: so on to be able to How would you say, 90 00:05:07,867 --> 00:05:10,707 Speaker 3: to just make sure that those people that are writing 91 00:05:11,107 --> 00:05:12,987 Speaker 3: and winning races are doing so fairly? 92 00:05:13,747 --> 00:05:16,867 Speaker 2: And are you there Zach to catch people or is 93 00:05:16,907 --> 00:05:19,427 Speaker 2: it more about the fact that you're visible, there are 94 00:05:19,467 --> 00:05:22,547 Speaker 2: so many of you. You're being so precise with your 95 00:05:22,627 --> 00:05:25,867 Speaker 2: checks that you're actually acting more as a deterrent to people. 96 00:05:27,187 --> 00:05:30,067 Speaker 3: Well, I suppose the terrences is the first first objective. 97 00:05:30,107 --> 00:05:32,347 Speaker 3: I mean, when we've got these guys with the tablets 98 00:05:32,387 --> 00:05:36,907 Speaker 3: going around, if they're doing say upwards of fifty checks 99 00:05:36,907 --> 00:05:41,067 Speaker 3: every morning over twenty one stages, there's a lot of checks, 100 00:05:41,067 --> 00:05:43,667 Speaker 3: but we're going through your teams on a random basis. 101 00:05:43,707 --> 00:05:45,747 Speaker 3: Plus we can also check at the end of it 102 00:05:45,827 --> 00:05:49,587 Speaker 3: with the X ray things, so anyone is available for that. 103 00:05:50,107 --> 00:05:55,587 Speaker 3: It would be similar to the antidoping program where writers 104 00:05:55,587 --> 00:05:58,307 Speaker 3: can be tested either in competition or out of competition 105 00:05:58,347 --> 00:06:01,787 Speaker 3: and so on. But how if it's were aligned to 106 00:06:02,267 --> 00:06:07,307 Speaker 3: the race itself and going around and checking, would have 107 00:06:07,347 --> 00:06:08,987 Speaker 3: a plan on how we would go about it, and 108 00:06:08,987 --> 00:06:10,227 Speaker 3: we would go and do it. 109 00:06:10,787 --> 00:06:12,187 Speaker 2: Did you catch anybody this year? 110 00:06:14,307 --> 00:06:16,827 Speaker 3: No, we had a few. If we detect anything, we 111 00:06:16,827 --> 00:06:18,547 Speaker 3: can always talk to the mechanics and so on, so 112 00:06:18,627 --> 00:06:20,947 Speaker 3: what do you think about this and so on and 113 00:06:21,507 --> 00:06:24,027 Speaker 3: go through their explanations. We had the ability if we 114 00:06:24,067 --> 00:06:30,347 Speaker 3: needed to ask the mechanic to come and dismantle us 115 00:06:30,347 --> 00:06:32,547 Speaker 3: something else for further investigation, and we did that a 116 00:06:32,547 --> 00:06:36,027 Speaker 3: couple of times. I think it's also worthy of note 117 00:06:36,067 --> 00:06:39,747 Speaker 3: to say that we're not looking to catch people as 118 00:06:39,747 --> 00:06:43,707 Speaker 3: to protect the fainness of the sport. But the head 119 00:06:43,747 --> 00:06:46,307 Speaker 3: of the Fight against Technological FRAUDA also invited some of 120 00:06:46,307 --> 00:06:48,827 Speaker 3: the media that were their Eurosport and so on to 121 00:06:48,827 --> 00:06:50,587 Speaker 3: come and have a look at the process as well, 122 00:06:50,667 --> 00:06:53,907 Speaker 3: so that could be put out there worldwide so people 123 00:06:54,187 --> 00:06:55,307 Speaker 3: do know what we are doing. 124 00:06:55,747 --> 00:06:59,267 Speaker 2: Sounds like a really busy time for you and your 125 00:06:59,307 --> 00:07:02,107 Speaker 2: head down working across the entire event. But were you 126 00:07:02,187 --> 00:07:06,307 Speaker 2: able at times even to enjoy the Tour de France 127 00:07:06,427 --> 00:07:07,747 Speaker 2: as a as a cycling fan. 128 00:07:10,307 --> 00:07:13,507 Speaker 3: Well, I've I've been to the Take Care Olympics, to 129 00:07:13,587 --> 00:07:15,587 Speaker 3: the track and that was a bit different because of 130 00:07:15,587 --> 00:07:19,267 Speaker 3: the COVID and I went to the Paris Paralympics. This 131 00:07:19,507 --> 00:07:22,307 Speaker 3: was just this is just on a different scale completely. 132 00:07:22,387 --> 00:07:27,587 Speaker 3: It's just fathomable how how many people go to it 133 00:07:27,627 --> 00:07:30,867 Speaker 3: and watch it and enjoy it and everything else. If 134 00:07:30,907 --> 00:07:32,627 Speaker 3: I give you an example, it's like, well, I'll go 135 00:07:32,667 --> 00:07:34,747 Speaker 3: around and I'll talk to the teams before we start. 136 00:07:35,267 --> 00:07:37,067 Speaker 3: So you have a whole lot of crowd who aren't 137 00:07:37,067 --> 00:07:39,867 Speaker 3: allowed anywhere, not known as what's done as a team paddock, 138 00:07:40,427 --> 00:07:43,307 Speaker 3: and these twenty three team buses roll up with all 139 00:07:43,307 --> 00:07:46,307 Speaker 3: the end cars and everything else. What they then do 140 00:07:46,427 --> 00:07:49,507 Speaker 3: is they then allowed crowd who have been invited by 141 00:07:49,507 --> 00:07:52,107 Speaker 3: the teams themselves to come around, and they put their 142 00:07:52,347 --> 00:07:54,747 Speaker 3: little barriers up like you'll find at the bank or 143 00:07:54,867 --> 00:07:57,507 Speaker 3: the customs or something like that. You can't get in. 144 00:07:57,907 --> 00:08:00,067 Speaker 3: You just try, you try to work and everything else, 145 00:08:00,107 --> 00:08:04,787 Speaker 3: and there's just people everywhere. It's phenomenal. Trying to drive 146 00:08:04,867 --> 00:08:07,907 Speaker 3: up for a mountaintop finish. I've never seen so many 147 00:08:07,907 --> 00:08:09,747 Speaker 3: cyclists in all my life. You know, they all want 148 00:08:09,787 --> 00:08:11,467 Speaker 3: to ride up. Ah, this is the hell we did 149 00:08:11,587 --> 00:08:14,227 Speaker 3: up here, and mount on too and all this here, 150 00:08:14,587 --> 00:08:17,147 Speaker 3: and you just can't get up. There's just thousands and 151 00:08:17,227 --> 00:08:21,307 Speaker 3: thousands of cyclists, people kempt on the road. It's just 152 00:08:21,347 --> 00:08:25,267 Speaker 3: amazing and it's like unbelievable. And they're mad. When I 153 00:08:25,307 --> 00:08:28,187 Speaker 3: say they're mad. The fandom, you know what they'll wear 154 00:08:28,267 --> 00:08:31,827 Speaker 3: and the flags they're having, everything else. They're crazy. But 155 00:08:33,587 --> 00:08:36,147 Speaker 3: I will say this though they're very tidy. They're very tidy. 156 00:08:36,147 --> 00:08:37,627 Speaker 3: You come off the hill at the end of the night, 157 00:08:37,867 --> 00:08:40,587 Speaker 3: place is absolutely spotless. You wouldn't know they've been there. 158 00:08:40,747 --> 00:08:43,907 Speaker 3: But it's just a different scale. It's just completely I 159 00:08:43,947 --> 00:08:45,307 Speaker 3: don't know if you know it could be prepared for 160 00:08:45,347 --> 00:08:46,427 Speaker 3: it really incredible. 161 00:08:46,427 --> 00:08:48,587 Speaker 2: What a great picture you have painted for us there. 162 00:08:48,947 --> 00:08:52,067 Speaker 2: How did you get involved, Zach and cycling officiating. 163 00:08:52,987 --> 00:08:54,867 Speaker 3: Well, I've always been cyclist when I was a youngster 164 00:08:54,907 --> 00:08:56,507 Speaker 3: and everything else, and then I was with the military. 165 00:08:56,547 --> 00:08:58,547 Speaker 3: When you're up in Marios, there's not too much not 166 00:08:58,587 --> 00:09:01,747 Speaker 3: too much cycling around there on the roads. When I 167 00:09:01,747 --> 00:09:03,987 Speaker 3: went down to christ Chich i was recruiting. I joined 168 00:09:04,027 --> 00:09:06,987 Speaker 3: a citling club down Dead and I always wanted to 169 00:09:07,027 --> 00:09:09,387 Speaker 3: represent New Zealand. When you're getting your butt kicked on 170 00:09:09,427 --> 00:09:12,307 Speaker 3: a regular basis, just in club races by other guys, 171 00:09:12,307 --> 00:09:16,107 Speaker 3: you realize maybe that's not your true calling. And I 172 00:09:17,027 --> 00:09:19,547 Speaker 3: had an opportunity to be a referee and asked what 173 00:09:19,587 --> 00:09:21,147 Speaker 3: it was like and they said, oh, yeah, you can 174 00:09:21,187 --> 00:09:23,467 Speaker 3: do it. So I did the course and I just 175 00:09:23,507 --> 00:09:26,787 Speaker 3: found out that had similarities and what I was doing. 176 00:09:26,947 --> 00:09:30,667 Speaker 3: I had been formerly a tank troop commander with the army, 177 00:09:30,667 --> 00:09:34,547 Speaker 3: if you will, and you're looking to communicate across things, 178 00:09:34,547 --> 00:09:37,147 Speaker 3: you have a vehicle, you have to maneuver around, you're 179 00:09:37,187 --> 00:09:40,427 Speaker 3: working with young people, so it sort of works through there, 180 00:09:40,467 --> 00:09:42,707 Speaker 3: and then I got a taste for it, and I 181 00:09:42,787 --> 00:09:44,587 Speaker 3: just believe that I suppose that's a bit of the 182 00:09:44,587 --> 00:09:46,347 Speaker 3: military as well as that if you're going to try 183 00:09:46,387 --> 00:09:47,747 Speaker 3: and do anything, you're trying to do it the best 184 00:09:47,827 --> 00:09:51,987 Speaker 3: your ability. So I just committed myself to it and 185 00:09:52,267 --> 00:09:55,107 Speaker 3: I've just gone on with it. Not every day the 186 00:09:55,147 --> 00:09:59,187 Speaker 3: sun's shining, obviously, but it's given me a lot of 187 00:09:59,267 --> 00:10:01,387 Speaker 3: joy and the people I've met in the cycling of 188 00:10:01,947 --> 00:10:05,187 Speaker 3: friends of life. My wife's extremely supportive to it. I 189 00:10:05,267 --> 00:10:09,027 Speaker 3: couldn't do it without it, in all honesty, because the 190 00:10:09,067 --> 00:10:13,187 Speaker 3: time away from home, and it's it's not a paid position. 191 00:10:13,267 --> 00:10:15,987 Speaker 3: You work for a per diem, so you really do 192 00:10:16,107 --> 00:10:17,827 Speaker 3: have to take the positive aspects out of what you're 193 00:10:17,827 --> 00:10:19,107 Speaker 3: trying to do to do it. 194 00:10:19,427 --> 00:10:22,027 Speaker 2: So, having done one Tour de France, now will that 195 00:10:22,107 --> 00:10:25,707 Speaker 2: open the door for future involvement for you in that event? 196 00:10:26,827 --> 00:10:29,787 Speaker 3: Well, the appointments are made by the UCI, the International 197 00:10:29,787 --> 00:10:33,267 Speaker 3: Cycling Union and the Technical Commissary role. There's not so 198 00:10:33,307 --> 00:10:35,707 Speaker 3: many guys in the world that do it, so you 199 00:10:35,747 --> 00:10:39,067 Speaker 3: could be going to any any race around the world. 200 00:10:39,987 --> 00:10:41,787 Speaker 3: As I said, I went to the Paralympics, was the 201 00:10:41,787 --> 00:10:44,227 Speaker 3: first Kiwi to do that and I went there as 202 00:10:44,267 --> 00:10:46,827 Speaker 3: a as a technical commissa here. So I'm doing that 203 00:10:46,947 --> 00:10:49,627 Speaker 3: as for part of the part of the Panel of Commises, 204 00:10:49,627 --> 00:10:53,547 Speaker 3: as part of the group of referees and racing. Yeah, 205 00:10:53,547 --> 00:10:56,827 Speaker 3: it can race anywhere around the world. Old next month 206 00:10:56,867 --> 00:10:59,827 Speaker 3: I'll go to the month after I'll go to China 207 00:10:59,867 --> 00:11:04,547 Speaker 3: for a couple of races as well. And you know Europe, 208 00:11:04,627 --> 00:11:07,467 Speaker 3: Oceanny and North America doesn't really out away so good. 209 00:11:07,947 --> 00:11:12,347 Speaker 2: And there are other key weis involved in different capacities. Writers, 210 00:11:12,507 --> 00:11:14,107 Speaker 2: those involved in some of the teams on the Tour 211 00:11:14,147 --> 00:11:15,667 Speaker 2: de France, were you able to keep an eye on 212 00:11:16,307 --> 00:11:18,187 Speaker 2: the key was involved or catch up with the other 213 00:11:18,187 --> 00:11:19,307 Speaker 2: new Zealanders who were there. 214 00:11:20,867 --> 00:11:22,907 Speaker 3: Well. There was a young lad, dear Lawrence Kuzi, who 215 00:11:23,067 --> 00:11:27,547 Speaker 3: was ring extremely well for his team Bora Handscrow Red 216 00:11:27,587 --> 00:11:31,267 Speaker 3: Bull bor or Handscrow, and I used to race with 217 00:11:31,307 --> 00:11:33,747 Speaker 3: his father some many moons ago, but no I've known 218 00:11:33,867 --> 00:11:36,947 Speaker 3: him from NZ. He's a good lead. There's also one 219 00:11:36,987 --> 00:11:39,747 Speaker 3: of the team the sport directors or the directors sport 220 00:11:39,747 --> 00:11:43,187 Speaker 3: teaches as they call Sam Bewley, and I've known him 221 00:11:43,227 --> 00:11:46,707 Speaker 3: for a long time. And his father and one of 222 00:11:46,747 --> 00:11:51,107 Speaker 3: the mechanics, the chief mechanics for the JKLA Alula team, 223 00:11:51,627 --> 00:11:56,427 Speaker 3: Craig Getter. I worked with him at the Commonwealth Games 224 00:11:56,467 --> 00:11:59,387 Speaker 3: in twenty fourteen. We were roomies and so I caught 225 00:11:59,427 --> 00:12:02,107 Speaker 3: up with him again as well. So I mean everyone's 226 00:12:02,147 --> 00:12:04,867 Speaker 3: everyone's busy, everyone has their job to do and so on, 227 00:12:05,267 --> 00:12:07,547 Speaker 3: and they're huge respect lads and they're very good at 228 00:12:07,587 --> 00:12:09,347 Speaker 3: what they do. But it's always nice to catch up 229 00:12:09,347 --> 00:12:11,187 Speaker 3: with it key. We just say how's it going, how 230 00:12:11,267 --> 00:12:13,987 Speaker 3: are and everything else, and just hope wish them well. 231 00:12:14,027 --> 00:12:18,867 Speaker 3: But there's a lot of people there from obviously from 232 00:12:18,907 --> 00:12:21,187 Speaker 3: different countries that I've worked with for a period of time, 233 00:12:21,267 --> 00:12:22,787 Speaker 3: so it's always good to see them and it has 234 00:12:22,787 --> 00:12:25,147 Speaker 3: them how they're going, how their families go. I generally 235 00:12:25,147 --> 00:12:26,907 Speaker 3: don't ask people, you know, what are your planning for 236 00:12:26,947 --> 00:12:28,787 Speaker 3: the race or anything that. I just ask them how 237 00:12:28,787 --> 00:12:32,427 Speaker 3: their family is and so on, try and connect that way. Yeah. 238 00:12:32,467 --> 00:12:34,947 Speaker 2: Brilliant stuff, Zach. What an experience for you. Real feather 239 00:12:34,987 --> 00:12:36,867 Speaker 2: in your cap as well. The first key we to 240 00:12:37,187 --> 00:12:40,147 Speaker 2: officiate at the Tour de France. May there be many more. 241 00:12:40,307 --> 00:12:42,227 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us this afternoon, mate and giving us 242 00:12:42,227 --> 00:12:45,147 Speaker 2: an insight into into a really, really exciting part of 243 00:12:45,147 --> 00:12:45,667 Speaker 2: your life. 244 00:12:45,907 --> 00:12:48,307 Speaker 3: Ah, you're welcome, You're welcome. Thanks for your time. Appreciate it. 245 00:12:48,307 --> 00:12:51,947 Speaker 2: No, appreciate your time, Zach. Zach Prendegas there technical commissaire 246 00:12:52,347 --> 00:12:53,867 Speaker 2: at the most recent tour to France. 247 00:12:54,547 --> 00:12:57,707 Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live 248 00:12:57,827 --> 00:13:01,107 Speaker 1: to news talks that'd be weekends from midday, or follow 249 00:13:01,147 --> 00:13:02,747 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.