Most teams have at least one member who speaks English, said Brian Swope, the Classic's only official translator. English is getting more and more universal, for better or worse. Cultural, not language, differences often are the biggest barriers for foreign teams.
Difficulties stem from customs such as tipping in restaurants and refueling vehicles.
Swope, who is director of international development for the Bike Classic, says team members appreciated his presence and advice when they first ventured into Redlands. Some of the foreign riders learned about the requirement of paying for gasoline before pumping it, along with having to decide how much to tip. In Europe, the tip is automatically added to the bill. B1Swope translates mostly for the Italian Team Mapai-Quickstep, and he does it in a roundabout way. Mapai-Quickstep manager Alvaro Crespi communicates with Swope in Spanish, their common language, then translates to Italian for his team.