{"id":273974,"date":"2025-07-19T05:59:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T05:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/273974\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T05:59:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T05:59:20","slug":"tech-gallery-the-weird-wonderful-and-downright-fast-from-the-tour-de-france-mountain-time-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/273974\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech gallery: the weird, wonderful and downright fast from the Tour de France mountain time trial"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ordinarily, a Tour de France time trial offers up slam-dunk picks for kit choices, but for a mountain time trial like today\u2019s stage 13 to Peyregudes, things are very different.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here, a balance between light weight and aerodynamics needs to be struck with more precision \u2013 usually, aerodynamics rule the roost.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve dedicated a whole article to the choices made by the \u2018big three\u2019 already \u2013 Tadej Poga\u010dar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel \u2013 but the choices by the rest of the peloton are as diverse as the landscape the Grand Boucle covers through its three-week duration.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

Lightweight versus aero versus TT helmets
\n\"TeamJonas Vingegaard opted for a full time trial setup, including helmet. MARCO BERTORELLO\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

We saw riders’ choice of headwear diverge from the full-bore TT helmet, to the aero road helmet, and even lightweight lids.<\/p>\n

Notably, Jonas Vingegaard took the fight to Poga\u010dar donning his Giro Aerohead II TT headwear, clearly hoping that aero gains would outweigh any cooling issues, while the Slovenian phenom (and, spoiler alert, stage winner) opted for his Met Manta Mips road lid.<\/p>\n

\"TeamThe sheer number of options Visma Lease-a-Bike riders had on show hints that they may have been attempting to keep UAE Team Emirates-XRG guessing. MARCO BERTORELLO\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Visma Lease-a-Bike\u2019s Simon Yates took the stage relatively easily (being caught by team-mate Matteo Jorgenson), but wore a smaller Giro Aerohead TT helmet, perhaps in a bid to keep UAE Team Emirates guessing, or simply to offer their riders all of the available options.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sepp Kuss, meanwhile, wore an unreleased Giro aero road helmet.<\/p>\n

\"PEYRAGUDES,Some riders, like Alex Baudin, opted for a more well-ventilated helmet. Tim de Waele\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Of course, for many riders out of the running for a GC placing or stage win, the choice simply came down to relative comfort. Enter, the lightweight lid.<\/p>\n

Disc wheels on a road bike
\n\"TeamLuke Plapp set the early pace, riding a disc wheel. MARCO BERTORELLO\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

We often see disc wheels on a TT bike, of course, but it\u2019s less common when fitted to a road bike frame.<\/p>\n

However, that\u2019s exactly what long-time pace-setter Luke Plapp chose to run (as did King of the Mountains classification leader Lenny Martinez), before his time was beaten by the class of the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His Cadex disc wheel is heavier than a standard rear wheel, but can offer aerodynamic gains as airflow is controlled to a greater extent \u2013 and doesn\u2019t interact with moving spokes and the internal edge of the rim.<\/p>\n

Non-TT tyres, but why?
\n\"PEYRAGUDES,Lenny Martinez opted to use Continental Archetype tyres, even though they’re arguably not the best match for his wheelset. Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lenny Martinez used a disc wheel to good effect, placing 9th on the stage, but opted for 30mm-only Continental Archetype tyres, rather than Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tyres.<\/p>\n

Typically, the Grand Prix 5000 TT TR tyres are a logical choice \u2013 these are available in 25 and 28mm sizes, and are generally considered to be the fastest choice when matched to rims measuring less than 25mm wide internally.<\/p>\n

Martinez\u2019s front wheel, a Vision Metron 60 RS, features a 23mm internal, hooked rim, making the TT TR a realistic choice. It\u2019s worth noting that Poga\u010dar opted to run the TT TRs for his stage-winning setup.<\/p>\n

New Roval Alpinist CLX III wheels
\n\"RedPrimo\u017e Rogli\u010d chose to debut the unreleased Roval Alpinist CLX III. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

We caught a glimpse of a Roval Alpinist CLX III wheelset at the Grand D\u00e9part \u2013 well, technically, the boxes for a set of Alpinist CLX III wheels, anyway.<\/p>\n

This is the first time we\u2019re confident that we\u2019ve seen the wheels in the race, though, with Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d\u2019s rear wheel notably shallower than his front wheel.<\/p>\n

\"RovalThese boxes left around at the Grand D\u00e9part were definitive evidence that new Alpinist wheels were knocking around the Specialized-sponsored teams, ready to be debuted. Ashley Quinlan \/ Our Media<\/p>\n

This, of course, is the latest aero trick Roval has pulled with its Rapide CLX III wheels, which Remco Evenepoel chose to use, but the rear wheel for Rogli\u010d is notably shallower than the Rapide CLX III alternative.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if Rogli\u010d chose to pair a new Alpinist rear wheel with a Rapide front wheel (the front wheel profiles are very similar), but we\u2019d expect Roval to unveil its new lightweight wheelsets sooner than later, now.<\/p>\n

Carlos Rodriguez\u2019s tri-spoke front wheel
\n\"INEOSKudos to Carlos Rodriguez, though, whose setup was arguably the most striking of all. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Not satisfied with the Plain Jane choices of his competitors, Ineos Grenadiers\u2019 Carlos Rodriguez chose to run with a tri-spoke Princeton CarbonWorks 7580 TSV2 front wheel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Interestingly, he paired this with an Alta 3532 rear wheel \u2013 the lightest Princeton CarbonWorks makes, according to the brand.<\/p>\n

This is the starkest sign yet (beyond Roval\u2019s launch of its Rapide CLX III wheels) that brands might be cottoning onto the theory that an aerodynamic front wheel and shallower, lighter rear wheel may be a faster setup than the reverse.<\/p>\n

No sunglasses and visors
\n\"TeamVingegaard binned his helmet’s visor on the course \u2013 presumably it’s now in the hands of a lucky spectator. ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Given riders can\u2019t make contact with their team car while in motion in a time trial, it\u2019s likely one lucky roadside fan has a special souvenir.<\/p>\n

While the likes of Messrs Jorgenson, Rogli\u010d and Evenepoel started the time trial without sunglasses, perhaps knowing they\u2019d only discard them, Jonas Vingegaard kept the visor on his enormous time trial lid for the first couple of rolling kilometres, before opting to ditch it in favour of greater airflow on the climb.<\/p>\n

\"PEYRAGUDES,No sunglasses for teammate Matteo Jorgenson, though. Tim de Waele\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Of course, Vingegaard is currently in the process of securing his position as \u2018best of the rest\u2019, and while his competitors for that perhaps-unwanted mantle all went without, Poga\u010dar kept his sunnies firmly planted on his face. Of course he did.<\/p>\n

Flashy cassettes
\n\"LennyLenny Martinez ran a special lightweight cassette on his rig. Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Riders with a concern at the top end of the standings were clearly searching for every small gain, with the flashy blue-sprocketed cassette used by (that man, again) Lenny Martinez on his way to the top of the mountain.<\/p>\n

The cassette in question, first spotted by CyclingSpy<\/a>, is a Sixwheel 12-speed cassette. Martinez looks to have used the 11-33t version, giving him the smaller gears needed for the final ramp to the Peyregudes Altiport, and is claimed to weigh just 209g.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By comparison, the 11-34t standard Dura-Ace cassette is said to weigh 253g.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Long or short sleeves?
\n\"PEYRAGUDES,If you thought a hot summer’s day would prompt riders to prioritise cooling, think again. Tim de Waele\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

A mix of clothing choices were also on show \u2013 but most striking was the choice between short and long sleeves.<\/p>\n

In the French summer, with temperatures on the climb to Peyragudes in the thirties, the automatic choice might have been to opt for short sleeves.<\/p>\n

\"BritishGeraint Thomas commented on the finish line to British television’s ITV4 that he just wears what he’s told to wear. JASPER JACOBS\/BELGA MAG\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

But not so for some, including Ineos Grenadiers veteran Geraint Thomas, who \u2018chose\u2019 to ride up the climb in long sleeves, commenting at the finish that he wears what the aerodynamicists tell him to wear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thomas was relaxed at the finish, partially joking, but he wasn\u2019t alone with the choice \u2013 Movistar\u2019s Einer Rubio also opted to cover his arms, as did team-mate Will Barta and long-time stage leader, Luke Plapp, among others.<\/p>\n