Some supplementary information about the measurement:
Air travel to the venue was the first day. The second day was to be devoted to measurement. Travel resumed at 6 AM on the third day. This schedule was seen to be adequate for the job. A Sunday was scheduled for the measurement, as race officials said this was the best time.
However, some on-site complications arose:
Measurer was picked up late at his hotel. This was followed by a wait for the photographer to show up. Time was then spent searching for a store that sold paint thinner. The police did not show up and had to be fetched. An hour was spent convincing the police to ride in the race’s truck. They did not have a patrol unit. Riding was complicated by an athletic event which was expected to add much traffic.
The measurement extended into the dark hours, and it was raining.
When the flat occurred there was not time to locate a repair shop and get things fixed. Time was very tight because of the delays.