Riders on the Tour de France had been operating tyres as skinny as 25mm, and as vast as 32mm, as they took on the gravel roads on stage 9.
Sunday’s stage round Troyes, gained by TotalEnergies rider Anthony Turgis, counted 14 gravel sectors, totalling 32km of the 199km route.
To be able to maximise consolation, and cut back the danger of punctures, a handful of groups determined to dimension as much as 32mm tyres, 4mm wider than the set-ups they’ve been utilizing over the primary week of racing. Amongst these driving 32mms had been Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek, Alpecin-Deceuninck and TotalEnergies.
Lidl-Trek are utilizing prototype 32mm tyres, the identical ones they used at Paris-Roubaix.
(Picture credit score: Future / Tom Davidson)
Chatting with Biking Weekly forward of the stage, Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe mechanic Kevin Grove defined the workforce’s resolution got here after doing 5 recons of the stage route.
“It is undoubtedly a special gravel from what persons are used to. I feel it might catch some groups off guard in the event that they have not actually executed a full reconnaissance of it. The gravel is totally different from Strade Bianche gravel. That is why we selected the 32mms,” he mentioned.
Each rider on Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe is utilizing 32mm tyres.
(Picture credit score: Future / Tom Davidson)
The bikes of the Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe riders had been fitted with S-Works’s Mondo tyre, at a decrease stress than ordinary, down from 5 bar (72psi) to round 4.5 bar (65psi).
“It is somewhat extra protected driving over the sharp stones,” Grove defined. “You’ll be able to hopefully take extra of the bumps somewhat quicker. In the event you selected the mistaken line, you are somewhat safer having a 32mm, having decrease stress.”
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(Picture credit score: Future / Tom Davidson)
Alpecin-Deceuninck, the workforce of world champion Mathieu van der Poel and former gravel world champion Gianni Vermeersch, additionally sized up; as well as, they swapped tyres, from Vittoria’s Corsa Velocity, to the model’s Corsa Professional Management.
“This is identical tyre we use for Paris-Roubaix,” workforce mechanic Stijn Vandenberghe mentioned. “That is extra of a gravel tyre than the opposite one. On the street, it has a bit much less rolling [speed], however for all of the sectors, it is going to be okay. The Management tyres have somewhat bit extra grip on the aspect.
“On the gravel, you possibly can have much more flat tyres,” Vandenberghe continued. “We attempt to minimise this with the 32mm tyres. At Roubaix, we had no flats, in order that’s why we’re doing this once more right here.”
Vittoria’s Corsa Professional Management provides extra grip across the high of the tyre.
(Picture credit score: Future / Tom Davidson)
Not all groups determined to run 32mm tyres, although. Wandering by way of the workforce paddock, Biking Weekly noticed a lot of groups utilizing 30mm tyres, reminiscent of EF Schooling EasyPost, dsm-firmenich PostNL and Bahrain Victorious.
Remco Evenepoel’s Soudal Fast-Step selected to stay with their ordinary set-up, trusting within the 28mm tyres that they’ve been operating all through the race. One of many workforce’s mechanics defined this resolution got here after a recon of the gravel, when it was agreed to favour the tarmacked sections, which make up nearly all of the stage.
Cofidis rider Axel Zingle likes his tyres skinny.
(Picture credit score: Future / Tom Davidson)
The skinniest tyres Biking Weekly seen within the paddock belonged to Cofidis rider Axel Zingle. Whereas his team-mates ran 28mm set-ups, the Frenchman went for 25mms, leaving a hefty distance between his tyres and forks.
“I favor them like this,” he mentioned as he made his strategy to the beginning line. “It is to go quicker!”
A small ’25’ signifies the width of Zingle’s tyre.
(Picture credit score: Future / Tom Davidson)
