Wout Van Aert took a daring and progressive determination to journey the 2024 Paris Olympics time trial with double disc wheels and was rewarded with a bronze medal behind fellow Belgian Remco Evenepoel and Italy’s Filippo Ganna.
Riders typically use double disc wheels on the observe however want a spoked entrance wheel for higher bike dealing with within the typically variable situations of time trials on the street.
Different riders had questioned Van Aert’s determination to make use of double disc wheels citing the chance on the corners and lack of acceleration. It appeared particularly audacious on the rain-soaked Paris course, the place quite a few different riders crashed at pace in each the lads’s and ladies’s time trial.
Van Aert might maybe use his cyclocross bike abilities to take further dangers with his double disc set-up. He threw warning to the wind, adopted the science and opted for a double disc set-up. It can absolutely encourage different riders to hunt out an identical marginal achieve in skilled races.
“I believe my set-up was tremendous quick,” Van Aert defined within the post-race press convention, impressing even gold medalist Evenepoel, with the watts he allegedly gained.
“After we examined it within the wind tunnel, there have been completely different wind angles and speeds, however double discs had been 17 watts quicker than a traditional time trial wheel. That is rather a lot.”
Van Aert gained the ultimate time trial stage on the 2021 and 2022 Tour de France and was second to Ganna in each the 2020 and 2021 time trial world championships. But since then had centered on his Basic marketing campaign and different objectives, whereas his 2024 season was massively disrupted by his high-speed crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen in late March.
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“I am actually proud to have a medal once more,” he stated.
“It feels to me a bit as a shock, as a result of in the previous few seasons it was more durable for me to compete towards actual specialists. I used to be formidable however I believed there have been a minimum of three guys stronger than me. “This medal is a shock nevertheless it makes me actually glad to be within the combine once more.”
“I typically had the sensation I had too many objectives to deal with and was by no means capable of prepare one month absolutely for a time trial and to work on all the main points which are essential.
“That is why I used to be additionally probably not assured going to this Olympics. My planning modified over the season after the crash. I accomplished the Tour however I wasn’t capable of prepare correctly on the TT bike. But we managed to get all the main points proper. Now my confidence is again.”
Van Aert spent a number of days in hospital and wanted surgical procedure after he fractured his collarbone, seven ribs and his sternum within the Dwars door Vlaanderen crash. He wanted a month of rehabilitation earlier than he might begin easy coaching and make yet one more comeback from harm and defeat.
“I believe that is a part of my character. I’ve moments when you do not need it anymore however then the following day you need to strive it once more,” he defined.
“My solely expertise is driving a motorbike. There’s only a deep want inside myself to maintain on attempting and I am particularly pleased with my efficiency. This implies loads, not solely after crashing out in spring.
“The Olympics is the most important occasion there may be in sport. For us in biking, it is at all times a bit underrated as a result of it is simply a part of the season. However whenever you’re right here you begin to realise that it is manner larger than all the opposite races you do.
“It’s particularly good for Belgium to start out the primary day of the Olympics with two medals. We’re not a very massive nation, so hopefully it’s a kickstart for all the opposite athletes to comply with us and to convey residence as many medals as doable.”
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