FeedZone Etiquette for Racers

This past weekend I had the pleasure of revisiting Feed-Zone-Mania at the Giro di Coppi. I had long forgotten (suppressed?) the pleasure of being pelted with bottles and having random riders try to schwig the bottles you hold out for your riders. I've never had so many friends and admirers amongst the 1-2-3 men as I did when I was holding out a cold waterbottle - I felt like a celebrity the way guys were shouting my name that I didn't even know KNEW my name.

I've been on both sides of the feedzone and given the chaos I witnessed on Saturday, I thought I'd throw out a couple of general rules for the feedzone(for riders who don't know - or maybe conveniently forget):

1. Be prepared. With few exceptions, everyone is there specifically to feed someone or a team. No one is basking in the glory of the feedzone only to enjoy the pleasure of handing up bottles to whomever might want them.

2. If someone is feeding your friend/teammate(s) and you might need a feed, ASK your would-be feeder BEFORE the race starts. It's really special if you actually hand over the full bottle that you'll need.

3. When one person is feeding multiple people do yourself and everyone else a favor: space yourself within the pack. This is especially important when the feedzone happens to be on a downhill.

4. If you throw a bottle at me, try not to HIT me with it and I will try not to throw it back at you.

5. Feeders are not responsible for seeking out all of the team's empties that got thrown in the feedzone. We do our best to pick up ones we know were "ours" but if we miss one you'll have to get over it. If you're that upset, find yourself a new feeder (and good luck with that).

6. If we're holding out a bottle and you know damn well it isn't for you, don't be a jackass and try to schwig someone else's. You aren't going to make friends with anyone that way and those of us who are more experienced will yank it back so it could get real ugly for you, real quick.

7. THANK YOUR FEEDER. Standing in the middle of a field in BFE waiting for a race to fly by every half hour so you can dodge bottles, fight would-be bottle thieves and generally get berated by riders when you - gasp- make a mistake or the rider misses his feed does not rank high on anyone's list of things to do on a random summer weekend day.

(steps down, once again, from her soapbox)