August 3, 2025 • 12 mins
Zac Prendergast made history as the first New Zealander to officiate on the iconic Tour de France.
Prendergast, who officiated at the Tokyo Olympics and Paris Paralympics, was selected by cycling’s world governing body for the 2025 event.
He joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Zach Prendergast has become the first New Zealander to officiate
on the iconic Tour de France. He's just back from
serving as a technical commissaire during the twenty twenty five
event and he joins us now, Zach, congratulations. What was
your role as technical commissaire on the Tour de France?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Or the technical commissaire is one of the roles within
the overall panel of commissaies or referees if you like that.
Go with any race, but particularly on a race this big,
there are a few extra roles that are used to
oversee at the event.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So on a day to day basis, then what are
your responsibilities.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Day to day? So start in the morning and go
to the start. Take the briefings with the other commissais
about what the plan is for the day before the start.
The teams would say if the start was that at
one o'clock, the teams would roll up and the team
buses around eleven thirty, go around, look at all the
bikes that they have and they each rider may have
(01:17):
up the three bikes spears and so on. Also talk
with the team mechanics make sure they're happy with everything
how that's going. We'd have moto commerce hears as their role,
but they're basically referees to go around on motorbikes. They
would check with a use of the tablet the magnetic
scanning device to check for any technical proprietaries on the
(01:41):
bike or anything that they may they made. Deteck and
I would be going around looking at tolerances as well
as ensuring the bikes were put well assembled within the
sort of dimensions that are promoted under the regulations.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
How much of the role is about making sure no
one gains an unfair advantage by acting outside the rules, Well.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
It's a big part of it. It's a huge part
of it. That would just before the start. But if
you look at the time trial where every rider will
turn up on a time trial bike, which is most
people understands, is a bit more exotic than your average
road bike. You would be putting a bike on a jig.
You would look at all of that to make sure
that that's all within the dimensions because aerodynamics is a huge,
(02:23):
absolutely huge part of it now, so making sure it's
all put in within the correct torrances using legal componentry,
and there has been a push over recent years to
make sure that all the components wry. You can get
on one of these really exotic, high priced bikes is
available commercially, whether you can afford it or not, it's
a different thing, but making sure that that's legal. The
(02:47):
other component of that is the rider himself. They're clothing
that they wear, the helmets that they use, and so on,
and so that meets the technical requirements as well, generally
looking at the aerodynamic side of it, so that those
are some of the aspects. During the race, I would
be going to the VAR truck, which is basically a
(03:11):
truck that's at the finish line. It's hooked into all
the live feeds from the race, so they'll be up
to twelve cameras and there is what's done as a
TV support commissaire could call them the sort of the
third referee or whatever they call them in Rugby. The
TV guy. He would be looking at the race throughout
the whole time to make sure stee if there were
any incidents or anything of note that may be someone
(03:35):
looking to take advantage or a safety matter or anything else.
I've been looking at that, looking to identify anything that
we want to have a further look at. And then
after the race, I'd be part of a small team
that would do technological forward checks where we would X
ray bikes of those guys that made it to the podium,
the current classification leaders, anyone that had been targeted and
(03:58):
so on. So, yeah, quite a busy day.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, it sounds like it sounds like it. I guess
we think about cycling and about people who cheat, and
in the past we land on on the cyclists themselves
who who use some you know, unfair means to improve
their performance. But what are you're talking about here is
referred to as mechanical doping, which is when you mess
(04:20):
with the bike itself. How sophisticated has mechanical doping become?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Well, we're we're looking with some pretty good tools. I mean.
The first there is since in the last two years
is not only has there been a scheme where if
someone with wherever wants to believe there's something they're going on,
they may be able to call in and so on.
So you know, maybe an eight hundred number or something
(04:49):
like that you could say with someone that they suspect something.
The way they're looking at the fraud as well, with
the X ray machines and things like that, looking for
any patents and so on. I think it's become a
huge part because of the requirement for the integrity and
so on to be able to How would you say,
to just make sure that those people that are writing
(05:11):
and winning races are doing so fairly?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
And are you there Zach to catch people or is
it more about the fact that you're visible, there are
so many of you. You're being so precise with your
checks that you're actually acting more as a deterrent to people.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Well, I suppose the terrences is the first first objective.
I mean, when we've got these guys with the tablets
going around, if they're doing say upwards of fifty checks
every morning over twenty one stages, there's a lot of checks,
but we're going through your teams on a random basis.
Plus we can also check at the end of it
with the X ray things, so anyone is available for that.
(05:50):
It would be similar to the antidoping program where writers
can be tested either in competition or out of competition
and so on. But how if it's were aligned to
the race itself and going around and checking, would have
a plan on how we would go about it, and
we would go and do it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Did you catch anybody this year?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
No, we had a few. If we detect anything, we
can always talk to the mechanics and so on, so
what do you think about this and so on and
go through their explanations. We had the ability if we
needed to ask the mechanic to come and dismantle us
something else for further investigation, and we did that a
couple of times. I think it's also worthy of note
(06:36):
to say that we're not looking to catch people as
to protect the fainness of the sport. But the head
of the Fight against Technological FRAUDA also invited some of
the media that were their Eurosport and so on to
come and have a look at the process as well,
so that could be put out there worldwide so people
do know what we are doing.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Sounds like a really busy time for you and your
head down working across the entire event. But were you
able at times even to enjoy the Tour de France
as a as a cycling fan.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Well, I've I've been to the Take Care Olympics, to
the track and that was a bit different because of
the COVID and I went to the Paris Paralympics. This
was just this is just on a different scale completely.
It's just fathomable how how many people go to it
and watch it and enjoy it and everything else. If
(07:30):
I give you an example, it's like, well, I'll go
around and I'll talk to the teams before we start.
So you have a whole lot of crowd who aren't
allowed anywhere, not known as what's done as a team paddock,
and these twenty three team buses roll up with all
the end cars and everything else. What they then do
is they then allowed crowd who have been invited by
the teams themselves to come around, and they put their
(07:52):
little barriers up like you'll find at the bank or
the customs or something like that. You can't get in.
You just try, you try to work and everything else,
and there's just people everywhere. It's phenomenal. Trying to drive
up for a mountaintop finish. I've never seen so many
cyclists in all my life. You know, they all want
to ride up. Ah, this is the hell we did
up here, and mount on too and all this here,
(08:14):
and you just can't get up. There's just thousands and
thousands of cyclists, people kempt on the road. It's just
amazing and it's like unbelievable. And they're mad. When I
say they're mad. The fandom, you know what they'll wear
and the flags they're having, everything else. They're crazy. But
I will say this though they're very tidy. They're very tidy.
(08:36):
You come off the hill at the end of the night,
place is absolutely spotless. You wouldn't know they've been there.
But it's just a different scale. It's just completely I
don't know if you know it could be prepared for
it really incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
What a great picture you have painted for us there.
How did you get involved, Zach and cycling officiating.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Well, I've always been cyclist when I was a youngster
and everything else, and then I was with the military.
When you're up in Marios, there's not too much not
too much cycling around there on the roads. When I
went down to christ Chich i was recruiting. I joined
a citling club down Dead and I always wanted to
represent New Zealand. When you're getting your butt kicked on
a regular basis, just in club races by other guys,
you realize maybe that's not your true calling. And I
(09:17):
had an opportunity to be a referee and asked what
it was like and they said, oh, yeah, you can
do it. So I did the course and I just
found out that had similarities and what I was doing.
I had been formerly a tank troop commander with the army,
if you will, and you're looking to communicate across things,
you have a vehicle, you have to maneuver around, you're
(09:37):
working with young people, so it sort of works through there,
and then I got a taste for it, and I
just believe that I suppose that's a bit of the
military as well as that if you're going to try
and do anything, you're trying to do it the best
your ability. So I just committed myself to it and
I've just gone on with it. Not every day the
sun's shining, obviously, but it's given me a lot of
(09:59):
joy and the people I've met in the cycling of
friends of life. My wife's extremely supportive to it. I
couldn't do it without it, in all honesty, because the
time away from home, and it's it's not a paid position.
You work for a per diem, so you really do
have to take the positive aspects out of what you're
trying to do to do it.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
So, having done one Tour de France, now will that
open the door for future involvement for you in that event?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Well, the appointments are made by the UCI, the International
Cycling Union and the Technical Commissary role. There's not so
many guys in the world that do it, so you
could be going to any any race around the world.
As I said, I went to the Paralympics, was the
first Kiwi to do that and I went there as
a as a technical commissa here. So I'm doing that
(10:46):
as for part of the part of the Panel of Commises,
as part of the group of referees and racing. Yeah,
it can race anywhere around the world. Old next month
I'll go to the month after I'll go to China
for a couple of races as well. And you know Europe,
Oceanny and North America doesn't really out away so good.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And there are other key weis involved in different capacities. Writers,
those involved in some of the teams on the Tour
de France, were you able to keep an eye on
the key was involved or catch up with the other
new Zealanders who were there.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Well. There was a young lad, dear Lawrence Kuzi, who
was ring extremely well for his team Bora Handscrow Red
Bull bor or Handscrow, and I used to race with
his father some many moons ago, but no I've known
him from NZ. He's a good lead. There's also one
of the team the sport directors or the directors sport
teaches as they call Sam Bewley, and I've known him
(11:43):
for a long time. And his father and one of
the mechanics, the chief mechanics for the JKLA Alula team,
Craig Getter. I worked with him at the Commonwealth Games
in twenty fourteen. We were roomies and so I caught
up with him again as well. So I mean everyone's
everyone's busy, everyone has their job to do and so on,
(12:05):
and they're huge respect lads and they're very good at
what they do. But it's always nice to catch up
with it key. We just say how's it going, how
are and everything else, and just hope wish them well.
But there's a lot of people there from obviously from
different countries that I've worked with for a period of time,
so it's always good to see them and it has
them how they're going, how their families go. I generally
don't ask people, you know, what are your planning for
(12:26):
the race or anything that. I just ask them how
their family is and so on, try and connect that way. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Brilliant stuff, Zach. What an experience for you. Real feather
in your cap as well. The first key we to
officiate at the Tour de France. May there be many more.
Thanks for joining us this afternoon, mate and giving us
an insight into into a really, really exciting part of
your life.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Ah, you're welcome, You're welcome. Thanks for your time. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
No, appreciate your time, Zach. Zach Prendegas there technical commissaire
at the most recent tour to France.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks that'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Zach Prendergast has become the first New Zealander to officiate
on the iconic Tour de France. He's just back from
serving as a technical commissaire during the twenty twenty five
event and he joins us now, Zach, congratulations. What was
your role as technical commissaire on the Tour de France?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Or the technical commissaire is one of the roles within
the overall panel of commissaies or referees if you like that.
Go with any race, but particularly on a race this big,
there are a few extra roles that are used to
oversee at the event.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So on a day to day basis, then what are
your responsibilities.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Day to day? So start in the morning and go
to the start. Take the briefings with the other commissais
about what the plan is for the day before the start.
The teams would say if the start was that at
one o'clock, the teams would roll up and the team
buses around eleven thirty, go around, look at all the
bikes that they have and they each rider may have
(01:17):
up the three bikes spears and so on. Also talk
with the team mechanics make sure they're happy with everything
how that's going. We'd have moto commerce hears as their role,
but they're basically referees to go around on motorbikes. They
would check with a use of the tablet the magnetic
scanning device to check for any technical proprietaries on the
(01:41):
bike or anything that they may they made. Deteck and
I would be going around looking at tolerances as well
as ensuring the bikes were put well assembled within the
sort of dimensions that are promoted under the regulations.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
How much of the role is about making sure no
one gains an unfair advantage by acting outside the rules, Well.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
It's a big part of it. It's a huge part
of it. That would just before the start. But if
you look at the time trial where every rider will
turn up on a time trial bike, which is most
people understands, is a bit more exotic than your average
road bike. You would be putting a bike on a jig.
You would look at all of that to make sure
that that's all within the dimensions because aerodynamics is a huge,
(02:23):
absolutely huge part of it now, so making sure it's
all put in within the correct torrances using legal componentry,
and there has been a push over recent years to
make sure that all the components wry. You can get
on one of these really exotic, high priced bikes is
available commercially, whether you can afford it or not, it's
a different thing, but making sure that that's legal. The
(02:47):
other component of that is the rider himself. They're clothing
that they wear, the helmets that they use, and so on,
and so that meets the technical requirements as well, generally
looking at the aerodynamic side of it, so that those
are some of the aspects. During the race, I would
be going to the VAR truck, which is basically a
(03:11):
truck that's at the finish line. It's hooked into all
the live feeds from the race, so they'll be up
to twelve cameras and there is what's done as a
TV support commissaire could call them the sort of the
third referee or whatever they call them in Rugby. The
TV guy. He would be looking at the race throughout
the whole time to make sure stee if there were
any incidents or anything of note that may be someone
(03:35):
looking to take advantage or a safety matter or anything else.
I've been looking at that, looking to identify anything that
we want to have a further look at. And then
after the race, I'd be part of a small team
that would do technological forward checks where we would X
ray bikes of those guys that made it to the podium,
the current classification leaders, anyone that had been targeted and
(03:58):
so on. So, yeah, quite a busy day.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, it sounds like it sounds like it. I guess
we think about cycling and about people who cheat, and
in the past we land on on the cyclists themselves
who who use some you know, unfair means to improve
their performance. But what are you're talking about here is
referred to as mechanical doping, which is when you mess
(04:20):
with the bike itself. How sophisticated has mechanical doping become?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Well, we're we're looking with some pretty good tools. I mean.
The first there is since in the last two years
is not only has there been a scheme where if
someone with wherever wants to believe there's something they're going on,
they may be able to call in and so on.
So you know, maybe an eight hundred number or something
(04:49):
like that you could say with someone that they suspect something.
The way they're looking at the fraud as well, with
the X ray machines and things like that, looking for
any patents and so on. I think it's become a
huge part because of the requirement for the integrity and
so on to be able to How would you say,
to just make sure that those people that are writing
(05:11):
and winning races are doing so fairly?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
And are you there Zach to catch people or is
it more about the fact that you're visible, there are
so many of you. You're being so precise with your
checks that you're actually acting more as a deterrent to people.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Well, I suppose the terrences is the first first objective.
I mean, when we've got these guys with the tablets
going around, if they're doing say upwards of fifty checks
every morning over twenty one stages, there's a lot of checks,
but we're going through your teams on a random basis.
Plus we can also check at the end of it
with the X ray things, so anyone is available for that.
(05:50):
It would be similar to the antidoping program where writers
can be tested either in competition or out of competition
and so on. But how if it's were aligned to
the race itself and going around and checking, would have
a plan on how we would go about it, and
we would go and do it.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Did you catch anybody this year?
Speaker 3 (06:14):
No, we had a few. If we detect anything, we
can always talk to the mechanics and so on, so
what do you think about this and so on and
go through their explanations. We had the ability if we
needed to ask the mechanic to come and dismantle us
something else for further investigation, and we did that a
couple of times. I think it's also worthy of note
(06:36):
to say that we're not looking to catch people as
to protect the fainness of the sport. But the head
of the Fight against Technological FRAUDA also invited some of
the media that were their Eurosport and so on to
come and have a look at the process as well,
so that could be put out there worldwide so people
do know what we are doing.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Sounds like a really busy time for you and your
head down working across the entire event. But were you
able at times even to enjoy the Tour de France
as a as a cycling fan.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Well, I've I've been to the Take Care Olympics, to
the track and that was a bit different because of
the COVID and I went to the Paris Paralympics. This
was just this is just on a different scale completely.
It's just fathomable how how many people go to it
and watch it and enjoy it and everything else. If
(07:30):
I give you an example, it's like, well, I'll go
around and I'll talk to the teams before we start.
So you have a whole lot of crowd who aren't
allowed anywhere, not known as what's done as a team paddock,
and these twenty three team buses roll up with all
the end cars and everything else. What they then do
is they then allowed crowd who have been invited by
the teams themselves to come around, and they put their
(07:52):
little barriers up like you'll find at the bank or
the customs or something like that. You can't get in.
You just try, you try to work and everything else,
and there's just people everywhere. It's phenomenal. Trying to drive
up for a mountaintop finish. I've never seen so many
cyclists in all my life. You know, they all want
to ride up. Ah, this is the hell we did
up here, and mount on too and all this here,
(08:14):
and you just can't get up. There's just thousands and
thousands of cyclists, people kempt on the road. It's just
amazing and it's like unbelievable. And they're mad. When I
say they're mad. The fandom, you know what they'll wear
and the flags they're having, everything else. They're crazy. But
I will say this though they're very tidy. They're very tidy.
(08:36):
You come off the hill at the end of the night,
place is absolutely spotless. You wouldn't know they've been there.
But it's just a different scale. It's just completely I
don't know if you know it could be prepared for
it really incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
What a great picture you have painted for us there.
How did you get involved, Zach and cycling officiating.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Well, I've always been cyclist when I was a youngster
and everything else, and then I was with the military.
When you're up in Marios, there's not too much not
too much cycling around there on the roads. When I
went down to christ Chich i was recruiting. I joined
a citling club down Dead and I always wanted to
represent New Zealand. When you're getting your butt kicked on
a regular basis, just in club races by other guys,
you realize maybe that's not your true calling. And I
(09:17):
had an opportunity to be a referee and asked what
it was like and they said, oh, yeah, you can
do it. So I did the course and I just
found out that had similarities and what I was doing.
I had been formerly a tank troop commander with the army,
if you will, and you're looking to communicate across things,
you have a vehicle, you have to maneuver around, you're
(09:37):
working with young people, so it sort of works through there,
and then I got a taste for it, and I
just believe that I suppose that's a bit of the
military as well as that if you're going to try
and do anything, you're trying to do it the best
your ability. So I just committed myself to it and
I've just gone on with it. Not every day the
sun's shining, obviously, but it's given me a lot of
(09:59):
joy and the people I've met in the cycling of
friends of life. My wife's extremely supportive to it. I
couldn't do it without it, in all honesty, because the
time away from home, and it's it's not a paid position.
You work for a per diem, so you really do
have to take the positive aspects out of what you're
trying to do to do it.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
So, having done one Tour de France, now will that
open the door for future involvement for you in that event?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Well, the appointments are made by the UCI, the International
Cycling Union and the Technical Commissary role. There's not so
many guys in the world that do it, so you
could be going to any any race around the world.
As I said, I went to the Paralympics, was the
first Kiwi to do that and I went there as
a as a technical commissa here. So I'm doing that
(10:46):
as for part of the part of the Panel of Commises,
as part of the group of referees and racing. Yeah,
it can race anywhere around the world. Old next month
I'll go to the month after I'll go to China
for a couple of races as well. And you know Europe,
Oceanny and North America doesn't really out away so good.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And there are other key weis involved in different capacities. Writers,
those involved in some of the teams on the Tour
de France, were you able to keep an eye on
the key was involved or catch up with the other
new Zealanders who were there.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Well. There was a young lad, dear Lawrence Kuzi, who
was ring extremely well for his team Bora Handscrow Red
Bull bor or Handscrow, and I used to race with
his father some many moons ago, but no I've known
him from NZ. He's a good lead. There's also one
of the team the sport directors or the directors sport
teaches as they call Sam Bewley, and I've known him
(11:43):
for a long time. And his father and one of
the mechanics, the chief mechanics for the JKLA Alula team,
Craig Getter. I worked with him at the Commonwealth Games
in twenty fourteen. We were roomies and so I caught
up with him again as well. So I mean everyone's
everyone's busy, everyone has their job to do and so on,
(12:05):
and they're huge respect lads and they're very good at
what they do. But it's always nice to catch up
with it key. We just say how's it going, how
are and everything else, and just hope wish them well.
But there's a lot of people there from obviously from
different countries that I've worked with for a period of time,
so it's always good to see them and it has
them how they're going, how their families go. I generally
don't ask people, you know, what are your planning for
(12:26):
the race or anything that. I just ask them how
their family is and so on, try and connect that way. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Brilliant stuff, Zach. What an experience for you. Real feather
in your cap as well. The first key we to
officiate at the Tour de France. May there be many more.
Thanks for joining us this afternoon, mate and giving us
an insight into into a really, really exciting part of
your life.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Ah, you're welcome, You're welcome. Thanks for your time. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
No, appreciate your time, Zach. Zach Prendegas there technical commissaire
at the most recent tour to France.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks that'd be weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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