The next world exhibition will see several protagonists, but the spotlight is on on two riders. There will not be Van Aert ed evenepoel He has shown that he has great legs. For us there will be Filippo Gana who will fight for another rainbow jersey and with him Affini and Sobrero.
We asked Giampaolo Mondini, liaison man between Specialized and the teams e Matthew Cornacchione, mechanic of the Team Ineos (with an intervention by Federico Sbrissa of Pinarello) to take stock of the two champions' bikes. We try to interpret some possible technical choices and the curiosities related to the mechanical means for the world time trial.
Compared to the past, are there any changes in the riding position, on the time trial bike and on the traditional one?
MONDINI: «Remco changed his riding position only after the Lombardy race, the one where he crashed.The setting has been changed on both bikes. There could be some changes in the future on time trial bikes, not so much related to the rider, but to new UCI parameters expected to arrive for next seasonWe'll see, but in that case we already have the most suitable solution ready for you. evenepoel».
CROW: «No, there have been no major changes and Filippo's time trial position has been the same for three years now, or since he started using the 3D handlebars. A small difference is present only in the upper part of the appendages, between time trial bike number 1 and number 2. Ganna didn't even change his position on the standard bike».
How many hours were invested in the wind tunnel?
MONDINI: "Last winter we did a day and a half, about 15/16 hours of testing in totalThe tests don't just consist of evaluating the biomechanical position, but also develop with the materials provided; for example, the new helmets."
SBRISSA: «Ganna's current riding position has been studied/developed together with the Team Ineos. Yes, it was used wind tunnel to create the perfect match between athlete and mechanical means, without forgetting the studies conducted directly within PinaLabThe work in the wind tunnel was carried out a few months before producing the new chassis and appendages. Obviously The analyses allowed us to make comparisons with the previous Bolide version.
«It is difficult to quantify the hours spent in the tunnel – he continues Sbrissa – but in any case it is a long and complex job, certainly necessary at this level. The riding position of athletes of this caliber practically never changes, once the optimal one has been studied and found. Simulations on the aerodynamic improvements of the chassis/components can be easily done with CFD, because based on the same setting of the rider, the variables related to the materials are analysed in depth».
What is the gear range used on the time trial bike?
MONDINI: «Before the 2022 Vuelta, Evenepoel always used the 56 or 58 as the largest chainring. At the Vuelta he made his debut with the 60 and a 11/30 rear scaleIt is not only the athlete's preference that needs to be considered, but also the studies conducted to improve the chain line and reduce friction. In the past, these values were difficult to quantify, but today it is possible. A reconnaissance is planned for the World Time Trial to see if he will use the 60 but, further tooth augmentation is not excluded».
CROW: "For the largest chainring the options are 58 and 60, but the evaluation will also be done after the course test. The rider will have the final say. The World Time Trial course shouldn't be too complicated, but it should feature several relaunches and over 20 corners. The choice of the front plateau will also be made based on this factor, because 20 changes in direction means continuously relaunching the bikeIn cases like this it is essential don't lose the feeling of speed. Philip for the reports behind uses 11-30. At the appropriate time, some important things will also be done wheel ratings, all tubeless though».
Ever larger, ever larger chainrings. Are any frame modifications necessary?
MONDINI: "Yes, the derailleur mount is modified ad hoc».
CROW: «We don't have to make any changes on the new Bolide F, because the frame is already set up with a couple of solutionsOne supports up to 56 teeth of the chainring, the second one goes up to 62 teeth of the chainring, both are easy to manage even for us mechanics."
What about the crank length? Is it different from the standard bike?
MONDINI: "Yes, Evenepoel uses different cranksets: 172,5 on the normal bike and 170 on the time trial».
CROW: «Ganna uses the same cranksets, common to both the normal and time trial bikes. The length is 175 millimeters."
Did you make any technical overlaps between the rider and any opponents?
MONDINI: "These are jobs that the team, also linked to an optimal running strategy and how to interpret the course. The main factor, however, is related to focusing on the athlete, a solution that allows us to manage any potential variables.
CROW: «It's a job reserved for the team, but it's obvious that We too are always curious and try to learn other people's secrets.Sometimes the choices made by other riders from other teams are also tested by ours, but everything is agreed upon within the team. Regardless, the differences are seen over time and with the development of materials, done between the team, companies and riders."
