Cycling UK Forum

From what i saw it wasn't the zips they had problems with, it was finding the other hole to stick the 2nd arm up, and while cycling up hill in a breezy wind.

While ascending they didn't need to do up the zips, just get the jackets on ready for the summit, and zip up for the descent.

I always cringe when i see it, and wonder how many emulate them and come a cropper.

Debs wrote:From what i saw it wasn't the zips they had problems with, it was finding the other hole to stick the 2nd arm up, and while cycling up hill in a breezy wind.

While ascending they didn't need to do up the zips, just get the jackets on ready for the summit, and zip up for the descent.

I always cringe when i see it, and wonder how many emulate them and come a cropper.

well it is what did for Froomy, wasn't it...? And he wasn't even racing at the time.

cheers

Down to the wire. Fantastic finish today.
Tomorrows going to be

It's strange how it's turned out to be a level pegging last day ITT shoot out between two support riders.

Who'd of guessed that!

Hi,

reohn2 wrote:A velcro front full length jacket is harder to do up than a zip.

It didn't go unnoticed (by me at least)that both INEOS riders found it easy to ride no hands and zip up their jackets than either Sunweb rider,better bike steering geometry or better easier zips perhaps?
Maybe one of the small details that all add up to a less stressful ride?

But did you see the newspapers?
Can't remember the day or even the tour because they're both on at the moment?

With the GC this close TGH might now regret that he sat up early to celebrate last Sunday's stage win in Pinacavallo. If he'd sprinted through the finish he might have pinched an extra second or two.

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,

reohn2 wrote:A velcro front full length jacket is harder to do up than a zip.

It didn't go unnoticed (by me at least)that both INEOS riders found it easy to ride no hands and zip up their jackets than either Sunweb rider,better bike steering geometry or better easier zips perhaps?
Maybe one of the small details that all add up to a less stressful ride?

But did you see the newspapers?
Can't remember the day or even the tour because they're both on at the moment?

In a word no,but I've only watched the fantastic Giro stage yet,and missed some of that .

They're both going to have nervous waits, one of three minutes, one of around three minutes.

I'm not a fan of watching time trials but had to watch this one.
I'm also glad it wasn't wet as that would have been a lethal finish over the cobbles and paving.
It's been a grand race with so many twists and turns throughout. And a few climbs as well.

Considering stage 21 was almost a 10 mile time trail [less than a quarter of a mile under?] those times were super rapid!

The times must of been favoured with a slightly downhill course and with a kindly wind direction.

Be great to have a go on the same course just to satisfy my curiosity,
recon i'd do a quick 27 minute,
perhaps under ten minutes more than Ganna!

Hi,
https://cyclingtips.com/2016/09/how-to- ... ble-power/

"CONCLUSION
Studies have shown that in simulations of a flat, windless time trial, employing a constant application of power is the pacing strategy most likely to produce the fastest time. However once a time trial course incorporates gradient changes, variable power application — in sync with the increases in gradient — is a superior strategy to constant power application.

However, the key to this is consistency with the power increases, especially as the gradient increases. Wind, by extension, also needs to be considered in the same light as that of increases in gradient if an optimal time trial time is to be achieved."

How is Ganna so fast? I wonder whether he naturally somehow has a more aerodynamic body giving him a slight advantage over everyone who has gone before. Excellent tour though it is a pity two teams withdrew due to covid, Sunweb, who also had a positive test, didn't withdraw and took the remaining two spots on the podium.

Hi,
Difficult sometimes to examine profile of riders like celebs all is not known, depends what they want to reveal.
Gana is massive which will equate to lots of power, helps on the flat and downhill.

You can see a lot of stats here, you can see individual riders stats as well as teams and the rest in Giro-
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gi ... es/winners

Geoghegan and Hindley were talked about in the giro last stage.........worked in a bike shop.............Pro rider parents partners etc etc, it must help?

Postboxer wrote:How is Ganna so fast? I wonder whether he naturally somehow has a more aerodynamic body giving him a slight advantage over everyone who has gone before...

Ganna has, er, 'naturally' spent much time in the wind tunnel and is still young enough to be able get into -and hold- some "proven good" aero position. This process will have been aided by the knowledge which will have been transferred from British Cycling to team Sky/Ineos; remember that the rest of the world has been 'playing catch up' with the whole marginal gains thing for the last decade, and Ganna will have landed himself in a hotbed of that philosophy.

It is also notable that many of the more seasoned pros clearly don't/can't maintain the most efficient aero position. And many of the pro teams do so little TT work that they are not immune to making absolute howlers; for example having a radio down your back might be OK on a road stage (rather less so if you crash and land on it I suppose) but it is guaranteed to slow you down in a TT. Yet this exact thing is seen often in what is meant to be the pinnacle of professional cycling.

So part of Ganna's speed comes from technology and riding position. Those things will make him faster than those that have gone before with the same power; 'twas ever thus; it was reckoned that Moser took the hour record with a power output that was about 100W less than Merckx managed, so great was the advance in aerodynamic understanding. The real question is why other professional cyclists don't spend more time optimising their setup, riding position and tactics for time trial stages in grand tours; it can clearly make the difference between victory and defeat.

I expect that Jai Hindley will be spending more time working on that; he must be gutted.

cheers

On a similar theme a lot of wind tunnel testing goes into skin suit designs. As I understand it the holder of the Maglia Rosa is obliged to wear the skin suit provided by the organisers.
TGH may have been relieved that he didn't inherit the jersey at the end of stage 20.