In recent days we have often talked about great inclines, relationships, of power… We've talked about when and how to make a difference. And one particular point that often proves decisive is the slight slope. Alessandro ballan He knows a thing or two about false flats, so much so that he won the 2008 World Championship in Varese with them.
Let's think about those races where we often saw you make memorable attacks. Wall of Huy at the Flèche Wallonne, theOude-Kwaremont to Flanders, the Dread , Roche aux Fauçons in Liège. It is often in the less difficult, but final, segment that they are made the big differences. And, whatever anyone says, they are made of relationship.
In Varese with the prototype
«In my time – Ballan begins – there was the 11-23 10-speed and the 53 up front. Today, even though I don't race anymore, I use an 11-33, I have 12 speeds and I have a 50 in front. And this more or less applies to the pros too.
"On the one hand, it's better because there's less tendinitis, on the other, the gaps are significantly reduced. In the past, with those ratios, when you stuck... you stuck. You made a real difference. Today, somehow, you save yourself."
«Relationships also affect your tactical approach. Right at the 2008 World Cup with the mechanic Enrico Pengo We made a particular choice about relationships. Throughout the race There were two of us who had a prototype Campagnolo, the 11 speed: betti and me. It was a bang of a debut for the Venetian brand! And in fact, I'm still one of their spokespersons and testers today."
The rainbow anecdote
«That day – continues Ballan – I chose the 52 instead of the 53 and this gave me a smoother ride. Also because the only real downhill section where the 53x11 could be useful was straight and with the aerodynamic position you were fine anyway. Not only that, having an extra sprocket, the final 27, which for those years was a real rarity, I no longer removed the 52 in the last 45 kilometers. In the first part of the race, however, to save energy I took the climbs in front with the 39, I put myself in agility, I let myself be passed and I almost always reached the top of the group last».
"Think about it, the first 6-7 sprockets, from 11 onwards, increase one tooth at a time and the difference is minimal, but then you have a jump of even three or four teeth. And often one tooth is too hard and one is too loose. I had a wide but progressive scale at the same time. That's a lot.
«Then, when I sprinted out of the Ronchi climb, I didn't have to shift the chainring. I just knocked out some teeth. And this makes you more prepared, more comfortable when changing gear, more confident. Those relationships were the right choice."
Assault on the slight slope
Ballan landed a real thrust on the slight slope, almost flat, after the climb. The others might have had more intoxicated legs. Not him. Agile or tough at the right moments.
But why is the slight flat often decisive? Why does the difference make sense there and not on the steeper sections? Because that's where the high speeds are achieved. High, but not extremely high. On a 2-4% gradient, those who have it can go well over 40 miles an hour, while those who don't have it struggle to reach 30-35. It goes without saying that the chasm opens up quickly.
«But – Ballan intervenes – for me, more than a question of power, of watts, the difference is made by the weight. On the steep sections, climbers are certainly better at saving themselves, but then they don't have the power of the rouleur. There are those who know how to push the hard gear better and are able to make more selection, while others can't perform at 100% with lower cadences.
After the endless duel on the Great Orme climb, Van Aert fell to one side… And Alaphilippe on the other…
Lactic acid “mon amour”
But today we see athletes who, even in the heat of the race, are able to ride very nimbly and immediately afterwards produce high wattages even with long gears. The most striking example is perhaps Alaphilippe, but also Van Aert It's no exception. And coincidentally, these are also among the athletes who tolerate lactic acid best...
"And in fact," Ballan replies, "I wanted to say: who are we talking about? Because we know there are those six or seven extraterrestrials who go beyond. Alaphilippe, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Evenepoel…" them too they go above the famous 4 millimoles of acid, like everyone else, but while the others at a certain point "switch off" or drop, they remain at 450 watts... to say a number."
And this was clearly evident at the Tour de Bretagne between Van Aert and Loulou. The aerial shot was the perfect summary.
In the stage with arrival on the wall of Great Orme (opening photo, ed.) Everyone was shooting, but then they gradually retreated and in the end there were only the two of them left. It seemed like they had an infinite number of shots. A crazy duel, a relationship duel (Note:) Only at the end they collapsed on the ground for 5 minutes! So it's not like they didn't take acid.
The change of slope
But let's get back to the changes in gradient. The transition from steep to slightly flat. How many times have we seen this happen on the Redoute? Gilbert? Philippe maybe he would start on a tough piece, the group would crumble and then he would go away at a slow pace.
Today, however, an Alaphilippe jogs along until a few dozen meters from the end of the steep section and then shifts into gear and goes off. This is how the Freccia won on the Huy wall, for example, even though there, when it flattens, it drops to just under 10% and adjusting the gear ratio means using a 39x15-16. But the concept is the same.
Timing of the attack
So when do you know when to attack? When should you shift into high gear? Before the hard section ends or immediately after? So, is there a "textbook" timing?
«For me – says Ballan – Each rider must evaluate based on his abilities, how much he has. It's not about starting before or after the change in gradient, but about being able to give it my all until the summit. If I start too late, it means I could have given more and therefore had a greater margin. If I start too early, I risk overrevving and being caught again."
«When I started on the Poggio in 2007 at the Sanremo – concludes Ballan – I chose the moment thinking: from here to there, the summit, I can do it. And so I attacked. The difference, therefore, is not so much the slope, but rather how I managed the effort during the attack."
