Riders on the Tour de France are operating tyres as skinny as 25mm, and as large as 32mm, as they tackle the gravel roads on stage 9.
At this time’s stage, beginning and ending in Troyes, counts 14 gravel sectors, totalling 32km of the 199km route.
So as to maximise consolation, and scale back the chance of punctures, a handful of groups have 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 are 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)
Talking to Biking Weekly Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe mechanic Kevin Grove defined the workforce’s determination got here after doing 5 recons of the stage route.
“It is positively a special gravel from what individuals 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 stated.
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 are 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 just a little extra secure driving over the sharp stones,” Grove defined. “You possibly can hopefully take extra of the bumps just a little quicker. In the event you selected the incorrect line, you are just a little 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, have additionally sized up; as well as, they’re 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 stated. “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 will likely be okay. The Management tyres have just a little bit extra grip on the facet.”
“On the gravel, you may have much more flat tyres,” Vandenberghe continues. “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 prime 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, resembling EF Training 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 determination got here after a recon of the gravel, when it was agreed to favour the tarmacked sections, which make up the vast majority of the stage.
Cofidis rider Axel Zingle likes his tyres skinny.
(Picture credit score: Future / Tom Davidson)
The skinniest tyres Biking Weekly observed 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 want them like this,” he stated as he made his approach 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)
