Tech Talk: Uphill time trial bikes

Here's a look at the bikes prepped in Grenoble for Stage 11. Lance Armstrong's uphill time trial bar was cobbled together by Louisiana aerodynamics guru John Cobb. They featured Profile Carbon-X extensions and hardware of his own making to position the pads out of the way of the hands, and the extensions at the right wrist angle. Note the non-STI left brake lever (he uses a down tube shifter for the front derailleur to save weight on his climbing bike). In the uphill time trial, Armstrong also used Munich-made Lightweight composite wheels, which have carbon-Kevlar spokes and carbon hub

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By Lennard Zinn

Armstrong’s bars, built by Louisiana aerodynamics guru John Cobb.

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Here’s a look at the bikes prepped in Grenoble for Stage 11.

Kelme’s best young rider Oscar Sevilla rides an sloping-top-tube aluminum Look.

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Lance Armstrong’s uphill time trial bar was cobbled together by Louisiana aerodynamics guru John Cobb. They featured Profile Carbon-X extensions and hardware of his own making to position the pads out of the way of the hands, and the extensions at the right wrist angle. Note the non-STI left brake lever (he uses a down tube shifter for the front derailleur to save weight on his climbing bike). In the uphill time trial, Armstrong also used Munich-made Lightweight composite wheels, which have carbon-Kevlar spokes and carbon hub shells and carbon rims and weigh just over a kilogram per pair.

Kelme’s revelation, baby-faced best young rider Oscar Sevilla, rides an sloping-top-tube aluminum Look, rather than a bonded carbon one like the rest of his team. It does allow him to use an aero’ seatpost. This bike is his spare which is equipped just like the bike he used except for the wheels, which were Shimano carbon for the race, in which he placed fifth. The aero’ bar is an ITM copy of a Cinelli Spinaci and has no elbow pads.

Second-placed Andrei Kivilev of Cofidis could only close 53 seconds on the yellow jersey with this MBK equipp …

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Kelme’s Santiago Botero placed seventh up to Chamrousse on this carbon Look equipped with carbon Shimano wheels and an ITM clip-on aero’ bar. Interestingly, even though he is taller than his teammate Oscar Sevilla, Botero uses 172.5mm cranks, while Sevilla uses 175mm. Both of them used 41-53 chainrings with 12-23 cogsets.