Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel spent several minutes sitting on the African asphalt at the finish line in Kigali, thinking and letting off steam. The anger for the lost world championship is great, especially if one thinks about the two bike changes that affected the race. Belgian.
At the end of the World Championship, Evenepoel spoke in the press conference: «Before Mount Kigali, I hit a pothole in the road and my saddle dropped., so much so that sitting became a problem. Then the climb began and the cramps in my hamstrings became increasingly severe. It wasn't great. And once Tadej has landed his attack, which I knew was going to happen there, I had cramps and couldn't push well. It might seem strange, but that’s how it works when you change positions drastically.”
A few degrees
Is it possible to lose a world championship because of a pothole? The answer is yes. In extreme cycling and the pursuit of maximum performance, every detail counts and even the smallest variation causes problems.. However, we went to knock on the door of Alessandro Colò, biomechanic of the center Bodyframe Biomechanics, for a technical opinion on the incident.
«It's possible that a pothole could cause a change in the saddle inclination – explains Colò – especially for the seatpost model used by Evenepoel. In fact, the Belgian uses the 0mm offset on his Specialized Tarmac SL8.This model has a clamp that holds the saddle centered on the seat tube axis. The Tarmac SL8 can also be fitted with a 15mm offset seatpost.».
What's the difference between the two?
That the 0mm offset allows you to keep the saddle further forward, which is necessary to accommodate the extreme position that Evenepoel holds on the bikeIn fact, to keep your pelvis so far forward, you need to push the saddle forward a lot. This seatpost, by necessity, uses only one screw for tightening. Unlike the 15mm offset which uses two.
Is there a risk in mounting the 0 offset that it might move?
Let's say it can rotate. Basically, the 0 offset is based on two cones that fit into the seatpost tube. Once the right size is reached, it is tightened with a force of approximately 13 Nm, which is not a small amount.It is designed to be sturdy, however it may occasionally rotate. In fact, the parent company reports that it also uses a specific, gripping grease to keep it in place..
Could it have been assembled incorrectly?
Yes. Even if tightened properly with the correct wrench at the indicated torque, there is the possibility of movement.
Evenepoel spoke about a pothole in the asphalt…
The Belgian was probably pedaling on the tip of the saddle, When riding at high speeds and hitting a pothole, the weight of the rider can cause the saddle tilt to change by 1 or 2 degrees.This leads to physical problems, such as back and lower back pain. In fact, an excessive downward inclination will cause the pelvis to slide forward and the lower back muscles have to work even harder to hold the body in position.
But wouldn't a pothole, at those speeds, have caused a puncture?
It depends. Evenepoel uses tubeless tires, so if it had been a "classic" pothole, it would have punctured and the sealant would have leaked. It probably hit a significant dip in the asphalt., and most likely at a time when he wasn't pushing the pedals. The change in saddle inclination is given by the speed, if he had pedaled while his legs would have lifted his torso slightly and maybe nothing would have happened.
Evenepoel also spoke about cramps.
True. A saddle that is too tilted forward causes the quadriceps to work poorly., as if the position were lower. Cramps may occur during full thrust. Let's not forget that it all happened when Pogacar raised the paceEvenepoel pulled away, but judging by the way he continued, he didn't give up because he was tired or at the limit.
Then he arrived at the garage and even the spare bike wasn't any good…
This, however, is much stranger. He switched from the gold bike to the black one and complained that the saddle was too flat, too shallow and this would cause him back problems. (So much so that he slapped the tip of the saddle trying to find the right angle, ed.) It seems strange to me to think that the Olympic champion's third bike isn't perfectly set up. Then there's another factor...
What?
Evenepoel rode the black bike during the reconnaissance daysIf there had been any problem he would have noticed. Maybe the mechanic did something wrong when he assembled it., it's possible given the many aspects that need to be addressed. But Remco has been working on it...
But he stopped again and took a third bike.
He pedaled to the pits so as not to waste too much time on Mont Kigali; if he had waited for the team car at that moment he would have also lost second place. When he changed the black bike he probably took the second bike (always with the golden frame, ed.) and he went right to the end. So much so that he declared that he has returned to having perfect sensations, in fact he travelled at the same speed as Pogacar, but by then the race was over.
