2015 'PRO' cycling discussion

[Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez]

that's quite a dramatic change for Sagan, might be focusing on his power output with an open pelvis angle, and trying to be narrow to compensate the higher front end?

[KWalker]

Nathan-

That isn't just this year its the past 3-4 years in general. Take a look at BC pursuit setups. Adam Hansen and Mick Rogers have used a lot of elbow stack for years as has Wiggins. The idea is that you end up becoming more compact vertically once your torso is horizontal and thus take up less "room" in the air. Widening the elbow pads allows one to retract the shoulder blades to facilitate this. I think I told you about this a long, long time ago.

Also riders with poor hip mobility lose power from too much slam so the minimal increase in drag is worth the watt loss.

Sagan and lots of other riders actually spent hours in the Speci WinTunnel before ToC working on their TT positions so whatever tweaks they made, it worked.

[Ahillock]

Where is Team Sky at? Top 5 GC positions are held by Astana and Tinkoff. What a disappointment so far. Guess those saying Sky didn't look right at the beginning of the Giro were right.

[kkibbler]

Where is Team Sky at? Top 5 GC positions are held by Astana and Tinkoff. What a disappointment so far. Guess those saying Sky didn't look right at the beginning of the Giro were right.

That's a touch unfair. Porte looked on form in the first week, though his teammates weren't protecting him as tightly as TS and Astana were for their respective leaders. Him losing 5 minutes in 3 days has been down to bad luck (and perhaps a poor decision) than lack of form or any supposed implosion. Nor can I fault him for rolling across the line today, I would be just as demoralized.

[nathanong87]

I think I told you about this a long, long time ago.

Sagan and lots of other riders actually spent hours in the Speci WinTunnel before ToC working on their TT positions so whatever tweaks they made, it worked.

wiggins has stack on his bars but wiggins position is not sagan. Wiggins' position also has been not 'as' drastically changed over the years since probably his years on sky. The change with porte was last season to this season, so that's what i referenced. Going fast is going fast, and dudes be going fast with varying positions fo sho. Not really inferring anything from the observations....just adding pictures to this thread.

cavendish went from wide post team sky to narrow specialized.



and here's a super skinny mark


is this 2015? cuz hansen looks han so low.

[KWalker]

You're not listening to what I am saying and you miss the point of that the top TT guys have done this for a while for the reasons I've stated. Guys who never challenge for GC have no real need to and prologue specialists are also usually more limited by power and bike handling in a short event than pad stack.

Plus riders try things out a lot and are constantly changing. Its only the past few years where more non-GC riders are paying attention to fine tuning their TT setups and using things such as lactate monitors and power in appropriate wind tunnels to make changes. Back even a few years ago guys were often using tunnels that did not mimic cycling conditions or would take the most aero position and assume they could hold it. Or a rider might get fit in December, but then crash, lose weight, or obtain more flexibility throughout the year and never change their position.

[Jhomewood]

I think it depends on the rider, somebody like Wiggins Froome have very flat backs, these guys seem to operate best in much longer TTs, so perhaps more of a power / drag compromise comes with a tighter hip angel. It could also be that Sagan knew it would be a short TT so didn't slap the arm pads to lay some mega power down instead. Any other TT shots of him this year? As far as I am aware the stack on the Shiv TTs are the same they just get longer, looks like the old Slice would be like an XL Shiv TT.

[djconnel]

When I went to 3D Bike Fit the biggest surprise was moving the bars up kept my back in the same position, but put my shoulders in a more comfortable angle. So what kwalker said.

[lippythelion]

Froome definitely doesn't have a flat back.

[nathanong87]

grosu 5th in today's stage. first ever romanian professional rider (allegedly? is that true? professionally meaning....UCI?)


anyone know off hand the most professional riders (lets say world tour) per population? my first guesses are....norway and luxembourg haha.

[tymon_tm]

^Monaco

[Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez]

I'd say Australia except if there are a lot of small norvegian teams I don't know about

[nathanong87]

^Monaco

haha i know what u were getting at but i meant nationality wise =P

[HillRPete]

Gutted for Richie Porte. This Giro might show what sort of wood he's been carved out of, as we say here. Does he have the determination of Cadel Evans who did quite a number of Grand Tours until taking top spot? And will he have the team to send him as leader?

[LeDuke]

I'm not going to lie. I genuinely don't understand how, short of suffering a serious injury, destroying a wheel or snapping a chain, you can lose 2min in 3km.

Get back on your bike and ride it to the finish line. Don't be such a Nancy.