TIRANA (Albania) – The last day of training on the eve of the first stage, the riders of the Team Polti-VisitMalta they dedicated it to a two-hour ride on the time trial bike and they were perhaps the only ones. They found a road with decent asphalt and went back and forth until they completed the desired distance. The curious detail before they left was the presence of Fabio Guerini and Davide Guntri around their bicycles: the men of Deda Elementi who has been working for Basso and Contador's team since last winter.
Coincidentally, we had also met Guntri at Polti's December retreat in Oliva, when the collaboration with the Cremona company was still to be defined and we were forbidden to take photosNow that the discussion has moved on and that handlebar prosthesis is here, the result will be there for all to see. starting at 13,54pm when Giovanni Lonardi will start from the time trial block.
Testthe Masters
Polti's need was to have a customized time trial handlebar prosthesis for each riderThe result of the work has the name of Jet Hydro: it is made in Italy, it is in hydroformed aluminum and it has been developed by Deda Elementi with the great collaboration of Mirco MaestriThe rider from Guastalla, who last year won European gold in the Mixed Relay, served as a tester, and we gathered initial information with him. The possible adjustments include the inclination of the turret and the prostheses themselves, available in two lengths, which can also be adjusted horizontally and forward.
«Having paid a lot of attention to time trials over the last two years – explains Maestri – I've noticed that some details are now fundamental. With this new prosthesis, we can have comfort and aerodynamicsI've been to the company many times and we've worked together. I get along very well with Davide (Guntri, ed.) and I think we've found the right solution for every type of athlete, since the prosthesis is adaptable to any type of arms and forearmsI talked about comfort and performance because there are time trials that last more than half an hour and staying in position becomes difficult. So having a prosthesis that performs well but is also comfortable helps a lot."
Custom-made prosthesis
When we witnessed the discussions between Guntri, the riders and the mechanics during the Team Polti retreat in December, one of the hardest obstacles to overcome seemed to be the possibility of wearing the prosthesis within the limits of the measures imposed by the UCIWe were discussing the inclination of the prosthesis, which in turn affects its length. On the table were all the pieces that make up Jet Hydro, which in turn can be adjusted thanks to a series of adjustments.
«It's a prosthesis that is made to measure – confirms Maestri – therefore we can reach the limit for each riderThese percentages of improvement may seem minimal, but over a performance lasting several minutes they help a lot. I think I've found the right position, or at least the best possible one, to stay within the parameters. On Saturday (today, ed.) I'll do the first time trial at full speed and then the second one too. It's become my specialty now."
Aluminum vs. Carbon
Just enough time to sort out the final details on the Jet Hydro, then Davide Guntri joined us. Fabio Guerini says that he was the one who believed in the project the most. and he carried it forward with conviction and tenacity.
«The project started with Oliva himself – Guntri agrees – while Mirco (Maestri, ed.) was the one who gave us feedback for the final changes and the development of the grips and elbow rests. The initial requirement was find a product made entirely in Italy, distancing ourselves from necessarily producing everything in the EastAn Italian product that was also top of the range. We wanted to make it clear that there is not only carbon, but also aluminum. And that aluminum can have very low weights because The tubes with which the prostheses are made are hydroformed and we make them at home.
"I think we're the only company in Italy that hydroforms pipes, and Polti is giving us a big hand to move forward. This is a big project. They're hydroforming two different lengths. We have the same lengths as the Jet, that is, the S and the M. In this case we have the Jet Hydro S and the M. The pads and grips are entirely made by us in 3D printing, therefore customized for each rider. This is the great advantage of this prosthesis."
Only made to measure
As the riders moved away, the discussion continued by returning to the topic of UCI measures which gave the Deda technicians and the biomechanics of Polti-VisitMalta so much to work on.
"We can fit all the measurements," Guntri explains, "because we develop them ourselves. We take the measurements of the old bike and the old position and with a program created in the company with Stefano Rossi, our designer, we also develop the turret angleIt could be 15-20-25-30 degrees, in order to take advantage of the greatest angle that the rider can use in his category. The turrets are made of aluminum, a single pieceOur fear was that, having fairly high turrets, they might overhang the top, because when you're time trialing, you pull a lot with the outside. Instead, Mirko told us that everything was fine. And so we set off, pushing hard on the aluminum."
They whisper it and don't name names. Apparently a WorldTour team has shown interest in Jet Hydro and asked to test it.If it were to come to fruition, Deda Elementi could also consider creating fixed prostheses, with no adjustment options: custom-made for each rider. Fixed, once the right fit has been found.
