But why beyond the victory in the Tour time trial, Malori said a few days ago that will there be little that can be done against this Van Aert in the Tokyo time trial? What did the Emilian see in the images and in the test of the rider of the Jumbo Visma at the Tour de France? Let's try to understand it together, starting from a couple of photos and the television footage. "Certainly compared to other specialists, even if he isn't one (because he's a specialist in everything)," Adriano smiles. It has a much more compact position than, for example, a Ganna. It bases its aerodynamics on the shape of the body…».
And here we stop him, admiring his ability to capture the athlete's aptitudes in the images and read their characteristics. Let's move on, there will be much to write and read...
What does it mean that you base aerodynamics on body shape?
He can hold on the shoulders are sunk and narrow, with the head fitting well between the shoulders themselvesI saw him well in the frontal shots of the fixed cameras. That's his strong point. He has very narrow shoulders, his upper body is undersized compared to his legs and thanks to this manages to get into the bullet-shaped position. Something Ganna can't do.
Why?
Because he has much broader shoulders, so to be aerodynamic he has to use higher prostheses and in any case cannot have the same natural penetrationBut the difference between the two also lies in the back.
That means?
Van Aert is more collected, he can bend his back more and has a very short distance between his knees and elbows. Combine this with the great power at his disposal, it is easy to understand how he manages to reach the high speeds with which he has beaten even the time trial specialists.
Is it so short because the bike is small or because it pedals a lot at the tip?
He pedals on the tip, tends to gather naturally. He has a perfect position without getting upset, while many, for example the Ineos riders, jump on the saddle and every 4-6 pedal strokes are forced to step backThat type of effort, which is very common, is devastating for the muscles.
Really?
In the time trial the pedaling must be fluid, while in giving the push back, in that microsecond in which you give the push to move backwards, you lose fluidityIf the course has a lot of curves, you somehow compensate for that. But if it's straight and flat and you have to stay in position, you pay the price.
You mentioned the Ineos riders.
Castroviejo is the most enlightening, even though he is a specialist. Even when he was with me at Movistar he always had this forward position, with his head lower than his bottomBut if your saddle isn't grippy or is tilted forward, as is done in time trials to avoid putting too much pressure on the prostate, you end up slipping. Instead Van Aert is composed and does not move.
And is it incredible?
Not being born a chronoman, he is singular. We see many uncomposed riders, such as Pogacar, who won the time trial taking advantage of his great conditionVan Aert, on the other hand, is as composed in time trials as Ganna, he goes uphill as agile as a climber and then wins the sprints.
Ready to rank?
I don't think so, it's in his best interest. It's one thing to do what he does, who can just let go and give up when he wants to. To make the podium in a Giro, you can't afford any empty passagesAnd then he weighs 78 kilos, and on a 10 percent gradient, he'd be hard-pressed to compete with the climbers. The time of riders like Indurain is over; even Miguel wouldn't have a chance today. With cycling today, you have no chance of climbing over 70 kilos.
Van Aert has his knees very close to his elbows, with his back curved Ganna has broader shoulders, a less curved back and is less compact.
Van Aert has his knees very close to his elbows, with his back curved Ganna has broader shoulders, a less curved back and is less compact.
Will he win in Tokyo?
He is the big favorite, even if I hope Ganna gives us the surpriseOn such a tough course, it will be difficult to beat him. However he made a mistake, deciding to leave for Japan immediately after the Champs-Elysées.
Why?
Because it's true that you gain a day to get used to it, but it's also true that I would have spent a day in bed resting the next day. Instead, in flight you don't recover, you get there and immediately climb up to see the route... Either you arrive two weeks early and settle in well, otherwise you might as well have gone at the last minute.
But does this Van Aert have no flaws on the bike?
He seems to me to be in great shape, like the best specialist. If anything, the only thing would be to give him a truly custom-made helmet.. Sometimes it doesn't fit perfectly on the back. But all in all, guys, with the new prosthetics that fit all arms well, the wind tunnel and the various studies, It's really hard to find a top rider in bad shape on the time trial bike.
