Aero tech on present at Milan-San Remo: A tech gallery from the season’s first Monument
Whereas the early season races are definitely of curiosity, particularly with all of the tech we noticed at Opening Weekend, nothing alerts the beginning of the racing season fairly like the primary monument of the 12 months, Milan-San Remo. At over 300km lengthy it is a hefty enterprise, however because the well-known adage goes: “It is the simplest to complete and the toughest to win”.
In contrast to races like Paris-Roubaix, or the Tour of Flanders, the place the motion is peppered all through, at Milan – San Remo the true motion virtually at all times takes place over the ultimate two climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio. They don’t seem to be overly lengthy, or overly steep, so no want for the most effective light-weight bikes. Furthermore, there are a whole bunch of kilometres of build-up beforehand, the place saving each final watt counts. That, mixed with a flat end that usually comes right down to a dash, means riders are inclined to go for the most effective aero street bikes for the day.
We managed to seize just a few snaps earlier than the beginning of the race to see what setups the professionals have been operating forward of such a protracted day within the saddle.
Kicking off with UAE Workforce Emirates, and sizzling favorite Tadej Pogacar, who opted for lace up DMT sneakers to save lots of weight, together with aero socks (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Not aero, that we all know of but, however he was additionally carrying a brand new unreleased set of Scicon sun shades (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Whereas some UAE riders opted for the built-in Colnago cockpit, others went for a two-piece ENVE bar and stem combo (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
The aero high cap of the brand new Colnago V4Rs homes a multi-tool, although we count on this has been eliminated to save lots of weight (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Additionally hinted at in the course of the V4Rs launch was this aero Wahoo mount, claimed to save lots of 0.75 Watts. We did not see Pogacar utilizing it within the finale, however that is suspected to be right down to a motorbike swap in the course of the race (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Right here it’s with the pc put in; every little thing is flush and clean (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
The riders appear to be utilizing ENVE wheels reasonably than the thriller, debadged ones we have seen them on not too long ago (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Pogacar will get a personalised saddle; solely becoming for a 2x Tour de France champ (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Tubeless Continental GP5000 S TRs have been mounted to the ENVE wheels. A center floor between the brand new Continental GP5000 tyres for TT and moist climate makes use of. The white patch on the white fork leg is because of the part of inside tube normally housing the race timing chip. Be aware the blacked-out information subsequent to the ‘5000’ emblem (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Over with the Ineos Grenadiers, Filippo Ganna had a comparatively regular cockpit. He additionally wore a skinsuit, the one race he’ll apparently use one for all season. Given his podium place, he could properly rethink this although (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
50mm deep Dura-Ace wheels appears to hit the candy spot for Ganna, together with 28mm GP5000 S TR tyres (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
No aero bike to change to for TotalEnergies, the Tarmac SL7 is the one race bike for Specialised sponsored groups (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Likewise for the riders from Soudal-Quickstep. Apparently Julian Alaphilippe nonetheless opts for spherical bars regardless of the aero drawback (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Due to a small stem and a really lengthy race, his race notes are on the highest tube reasonably than the stem (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Kasper Asgreen as an alternative opts for a extra aero cockpit (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Right here we’ve got one other rider choosing a hybrid aero setup of a two piece cockpit, however an aero handlebar (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Deep part Roval Rapide wheels hold the staff rides at race tempo for fewer Watts (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Over at Trek Segafredo, Jasper Stuyven opted to run his Trek Madone with a single entrance chainring and a series keeper. Apparently, Mads Pederson wished to, however Sram do not make a chainring large enough for him #ProRiderProblems (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
The Ok-Edge chain keeper clamps to the entrance derailleur mount (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
The massive backside bracket space is enlarged to be each stiffer and extra aerodynamic (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
The rear gap of the Madone is there to form the airflow for higher aerodynamics (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Bonmtrager Aeolus RSL wheels shod with Pirelli P Zero Race tyres. From the brief valve extension these do not look tubeless, although his teammates wheels within the background do seem like so (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
A combination of the Canyon Aeroad and the brand new Canyon Final on the Alpecin-Deceuninck paddock (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
The rear wheel launch on the Aerod isnt vastly aero (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
It seems eventual winner Matthieu van der Poel had been utilizing the brand new light-weight, 17g 3D printed pc mount from the brand new Final (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Right here we get one more sneak peek on the new Vittoria Corsa Professional tyres, mounted to a Dura-Ace C60 wheels (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
EF Schooling-EasyPost additionally appeared to be on a extra secretive, de-badged model of the tyre on Imaginative and prescient Metron wheels. Apparently, regardless of the LAB71 paint, these framesets are the second-tier Hello-Mod model of the brand new Cannondale SuperSix Evo (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Aero Imaginative and prescient Metron ACR bars, and a multi-purpose Wahoo pc mount function right here, together with a pc shroud in staff colors (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
A 54/40t FSA chainset, prime for a quick, comparatively flat race with a tailwind (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
We did not catch which rider was operating this stem, but it surely’s maybe the longest we have seen within the professional ranks for some time. It is acquired to be 150mm or 160mm (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Equally huge chainrings have been seen on board the Jayco AlUla staff bikes, however Dura Ace, reasonably than FSA (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
If the parcours was a noticed blade you would be chopping away for hours with out a lot luck (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Lotto-Dstny younger star rider Arnaud De Lie opts to show his hoods inwards as we have seen on fellow Belgian, Remco Evenepoel’s bike (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
De Lie will get a bull… We do not know if Lotto-Dstny will probably be driving the Tour of China, but when he nabs an unimaginable, against-all-odds stage win there you’ll want to examine again in for the inevitable ‘Bull in a China shock’ headline (thanks very a lot!) (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Seems to be to us like black walled Corsa Professional tyres on one other staff bike too, on some mid depth DTSwiss wheels (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Movistar additionally opted for the center floor GP5000 S TR, right here on Zipp 353 NSW wheels (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Workforce DSM are additionally utilizing older, extra secretive Corsa Professional tyres (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Their Scott Foil aero bikes have a really tidy, built-in stem association (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Many of the Jumbo-Visma staff opted for a 2x setup (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
However Wout van Aert went for a single entrance chainring, and aero Speedplay pedals (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
Curiously his chain keeper would not encompass the entire chain, simply the highest to cease it from bouncing. It appears a extra aero resolution than the Ok-Fringe of Stuyven (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
63mm deep Reserve wheels, and one other set of Corsa Professional tyres on the Jumbo staff bikes, on the rear… (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
…and a shallower 52mm choice up entrance (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
The Issue Ostro VAM bikes of Israel Premier Tech are aero optimised already… (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
…and {couples} with 60mm deep Absolute Black wheels, shod with Maxxis tyres they’re clearly prioritising wind-cheating (Picture credit score: Stephen Farrand)
