An all-new tyre has been noticed on the Tour de France, utilizing some uncommon tread sample and with an obvious aero profit.
Noticed on the Van Rysel bikes of Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale on the Groups Presentation in Florence, Italy, the crew’s SwissSide wheels had been wrapped in a tyre with no demarcation in addition to the phrases ‘Continental Aero 111’ and ‘Aerodynamics by SwissSide’.
Not all bikes had been fitted with them, and apparently, they had been solely used on the entrance wheels, quite than in pairs. A combination of GP5000 S TR and GP5000 TT TR tyres had been used on the rear.
Given the entrance wheel is the very first thing to hit the air when travelling, it’s the space of biggest significance regarding how a lot of a distinction a discount in drag could make. Any air that hits the rear wheel has already hit the seat tube (and earlier than that, the down tube and the entrance wheel), so the air is already turbulent, whereas the airflow hitting the entrance wheel is laminar.
The tyre has an uncommon tread sample that, put merely, seems as if somebody has taken a chisel to the tyre and brought chunks out of the tread at common intervals on both shoulder. It is a important distinction from the intricate tread sample discovered on the prevailing GP5000 tyres.
We all know from the Enve SES Street Tyre {that a} well-designed tread sample can supply an aero profit. As air flows across the tyre, that tread provides turbulence that retains the airflow hooked up. As an alternative of pushing the air away leaving the remainder of the wheel within the wake of soiled, turbulent air, it helps the air keep hooked up lengthy sufficient to movement into the rim floor of the entrance wheel.
We are able to solely assume that the identical tactic is being employed right here, and given the crew is barely utilizing it on the entrance, it is seemingly that this tyre is designed particularly as a entrance tyre. Nevertheless, we’re not ruling out the likelihood that the distinction made to the rear may not be large enough to warrant the change. Making an allowance for that this can be a crew that will get its tyres without cost, it is in all probability sitting on a stockpile of the GP5000 fashions, whereas the brand new Aero tyre is probably going scarce.
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Whereas the Critérium du Dauphiné is the widespread launchpad for brand new bikes, giving groups and riders an opportunity to get used to a brand new bike earlier than bringing it to the largest race on the earth, the Tour de France is an everyday launchpad for the smaller gadgets. Having spent a few days in Florence thus far, bouncing from crew lodge to crew lodge, we have noticed a handful of latest issues.
There have been numerous new paint jobs, comparable to Mark Cavendish’s new Wilier Filante and naturally the Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe bike, however we have additionally seen new pc mounts, helmets and extra, which we’ll put into an enormous tech gallery within the coming days.
New tyres is probably a dangerous transfer in a race the place the primary stage finishes with a twisty descent, however we’re positive the crew has been testing them in coaching over latest weeks, if not longer.
