What makes a WorldTour bike? It could seem a easy query at face worth, but when most individuals have been requested to clarify it to a good friend in 2024, they’d in all probability say one thing like; ‘Aero, dealing with and stiffness’. Racers wish to go quick and bikes want to have the ability to address the facility of among the world’s strongest bike riders as they thunder down technical mountain passes. But it is one factor to take a position and assume, it is one other to talk with the riders who race these bikes on the highest stage for a residing.
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale has hit the bottom operating this 12 months. It’s too early to say if the Van Rysel RCR has been the bike of the season, however the riders, bikes and total gear bundle appear to have coalesced right into a profitable formulation this 12 months. The Van Rysel RCR appeared to fit seamlessly into the WorldTour ranks and solely seems to have obtained reward since its launch. The crew has claimed 23 victories already this 12 months and presently sits 2nd total within the 2024 UCI WorldTeam Rankings, a bounce of 16 locations in comparison with final 12 months.
We have been capable of chat with crew riders Oliver Naesen and Sam Bennett about pro-level race bikes. Naesen has been an expert for over a decade and may depend a Belgian National street race title, and quite a few different huge Monument and Classics outcomes on his palmares. Bennett is among the peloton’s quickest sprinters and has received levels in all three grand excursions. It’s secure to say this pair know what they’re speaking about on the subject of race bikes.
For any fan of the game, there are some fascinating professional insights right here, from the power to really feel pedal put on and chamois thickness, ideas on the brand new relationship with the Van Rysel engineers and a want for one factor specifically; pace.
So what makes a WorldTour bike?
So what precisely makes a WorldTour bike in 2024? Well, it is in all probability laborious to get far into the topic with out ‘aero’ being talked about, however aero is just one a part of the equation. Naesen and Bennett shared their racer’s views on what makes a current-day WorldTour race bike.
“First of all, there’s the pace, there’s the aerodynamics,” Naesen stated. “And what makes a quick bike? That’s very a lot decided within the lab setting I feel. Van Rysel purchased a bunch of bikes and in contrast them. Borrowed a couple of concepts from this model, a couple of different ones from that model, to make their very own bike as quick as doable.”
“And second is the load in fact. So these two components are crucial, after which afterwards is stuff like consolation and, in fact, the geometry, learn how to get an aggressive place on it, But these days, truly, it is largely pace pushed.”
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It’s in all probability unsurprising, we hear the phrase used quite a bit for a purpose, however Sam Bennett echoed Naesen’s feedback on pace and aerodynamics.
“It does must be a well-rounded bike,” started the Irishman, “however aerodynamics performs an enormous a part of it. Now, climbing at 20k an hour, aerodynamics can begin to outweigh the load of bikes, it must be a well-rounded bike, however I feel primarily the aerodynamics.”
A brand new partnership with Van Rysel
Naesen confirmed that the crew’s riders have been pleased with their gear bundle this 12 months and {that a} sturdy relationship with the engineers at Van Rysel has additionally been fashioned.
“Yes. If riders are sad with the fabric more often than not, in the event that they’re professionals, you will not learn something about it. But in the event that they’re pleased with it, you may examine it, you may hear about it, you may see discuss it on TV.”
“That’s the case this 12 months with us. There’s no person that is sad with the bikes we have now. The partnership with the model is already paying dividends this 12 months in the event you have a look at our outcomes, which have been superb in comparison with different years. We have to essentially thank them for that as a result of because the riders, we simply merely saved doing what we do, what we did final 12 months. It’s actually a tremendous partnership.”
He additionally described a close-knit relationship between Van Rysel and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale crew employees and that there was no clear divide between the 2.
“We name the engineers by their first names now, as a result of we see them on each race. We noticed them on our camps. We’re a part of their crew. They’re a part of our crew. We do not distinguish between Van Rysel individuals and members of the crew. We see one another on a regular basis, and it is actually attention-grabbing.”
“Sometimes when you may have questions, like, for example on the dinner desk in a race, riders voice their considerations to one another, speaking concerning the bike. This may very well be nice, this may very well be much less good and so forth. When you see the engineers so typically, each time you may have a query, you simply merely ask them. And these guys, most of them, are simply so sensible, they only have the reply, numbers-driven or data-driven I imply, to maintain the priority to a minimal, in the event you ask, does this crew have a quicker bike or no matter, it is like, ‘No, we examined it’.”
“It’s particularly good to know that it is going to be till at the very least 2028. It’s good as a result of I do know we’re gonna have these bikes subsequent 12 months. Whereas, in the event you do bike testing work like that, for a sponsor that solely has a one-year contract together with your crew, it is also attention-grabbing to do the work, as a result of it is a job, however you are not doing it. There’s nothing to achieve for your self, now it is very attention-grabbing and so motivating for the long run.”
Sam Bennett echoed Naesen’s ideas on the Van Rysel setup typically however defined he knew he needed to experience a motorcycle for himself to know for certain at first.
“When you discuss to bike manufacturers, everyone says their model is the most effective, and so they must imagine it, I suppose, and so they must promote the product, and we have now to promote the product. We obtained instructed final 12 months it might be Van Rysel and the numbers have been tremendous spectacular. But in my head, I used to be like I actually have to attend until I experience it after which I’ll have the ability to actually inform. But I’m completely blown away by it. Everybody’s tremendous pleased.”
“It’s a well-rounded bike, the climbers are pleased, and the sprinters are pleased. My favorite is the larger depth wheels. Even on the climbing levels, I appear to get a very good response, even at low speeds. So climbing, it feels stiff. The bike feels quick. I can rail the corners with it, the entire bundle is simply implausible.”
Bennett, who was a part of the crew that developed Specialized’s S-Works Ares ‘sprinter’ shoe throughout his time at Bora-Hansgrohe and QuickStep, additionally appeared pleased concerning the clear communication with engineers when requested about it and the optimistic crew setting.
“I really like that a part of it as effectively. I really like the numbers. I really like realizing what is going on into it. And if I can provide suggestions that they really wish to take heed to, it is fairly good as effectively. They’ve been all ears, which is implausible. You know they wish to make the most effective bike they’ll, and that is why it has been nice to work with them.”
Requirements in a race bike
When requested if he had any particular necessities for his personal race bike, Naesen’s response confirmed a single-minded give attention to one factor: pace.
“All out pace, I’m not liable to accidents, so consolation and geometry are much less essential for me personally. Weight can be a bit much less essential. It’s good to have a quick bike, to be as mild as doable. But I’m not aiming to be a climber or something. It’s good to have a light-weight bike launching out of corners and stuff like that, but when it is quick and lengthy straights, most races common practically 50km per hour. It’s simply all concerning the pace.”
He additionally commented on simply how a lot of what professional riders do is identical, and that, in his opinion, materials has an enormous bearing on how races are determined these days.
“I’m below the impression that all of us stay very parallel lives to riders. I imply, we eat the identical stuff, we do the identical coaching rides, we put in the identical hours. Our lives are extraordinarily parallel, and but there are such huge variations in efficiency from crew to crew, and I feel the fabric is the most important consider these higher or worse performances. So the most effective bike for me is simply plain and easily the quickest bike.”
Sam Bennett has sprinted to victory in all three grand excursions, together with to victory on the Champs-Élysées within the Tour de France inexperienced jersey, absolutely about pretty much as good because it will get for any sprinter. He gave an perception into the necessities of the peloton’s quickest riders and what he needs from his race bike to permit him to dash and win.
“For me, an enormous a part of it might be rolling resistance, aerodynamics and stiffness. Stiffness is an enormous factor since you do not wish to be sprinting, feeling such as you’re dropping one thing by way of the bike. And then additionally, for a sprinter, realizing that this bike is among the quickest bikes within the peloton can be good for the top going right into a dash since you do not wish to really feel such as you’re at an obstacle already. Tests are completed at 40 and 50 kilometres per hour, but when we step out from a lead-out prepare or out of the peloton at 69, 70k an hour, you are hitting a block of wind, . And you may actually really feel that.
“So you wish to have the stiffness. You wish to have the aerodynamics. You wish to know the numbers, I suppose. And I imply, , after that, then you definately’re in search of the rolling resistance with the tyres. You’re in search of good bike dealing with, a number of the time it may be raining in sprints, it may be technical last. So, yeah, having a motorcycle that’s straightforward to deal with within the peloton, as a result of it will get fairly aggressive in bunch sprints. You might make pretty aggressive bike manoeuvres. There are a number of issues right here you’re in search of.”
Equipment and professionalism
Naesen disagreed with the concept some riders are capable of simply bounce on any bike and experience it effectively within the present period, that it is merely a device for them and so they can throw a leg over any bike and carry out.
“No one in any respect, not at present. There’s some outliers which have simply genetic benefit, or method larger expertise than others. And in the event you would give them any bike, they’d nonetheless carry out effectively or semi-well. But in the event you put a fantastic rider on a foul bike, it is over for him.
“If I have been a shopper, I’d actually base the model of the bike I’d purchase on the outcomes of WorldTour groups, easy as that. Because, like I stated, all of us do precisely the identical stuff. Everybody on the similar time does the identical coaching camps all through the remainder of the 12 months. We have such parallel lives. It’s unimaginable. The solely distinction is the fabric.”
He additionally defined that riders talk about once they aren’t pleased with issues internally, however within the title of professionalism and sponsor correctness, you’ll not often if ever hear of it within the media.
“Of course, the biking world may be very small, and particularly amongst Belgians, there are such a lot of Belgian WorldTour riders from WorldTour groups, once we communicate to one another, typically the discussions are guided in direction of materials, and there is all the time stuff that the riders are sad or very sad with. I imply, we additionally see from the surface when the crew would not go effectively or goes very effectively, it have to be as a result of they modified this or that.”
“As an instance, final week within the Dauphine, on some descent, we have been descending one among these mountains with our crew within the wheel of one other crew, and so they had some hassle going by way of corners. And, , realizing one another pretty effectively, we have been joking along with them. And then afterwards it was, ‘You guys have these tyres, what would you like from us? We have this tyre.’ Stuff like that does occur, however you would not examine that within the newspaper.”
Pro rider bike really feel
Naesen stated every part needed to be good on his race bike when requested what mattered most to him, however defined that the contact factors of cleats, saddle and handlebars took precedence. He additionally gave an perception into a professional’s really feel for the bike that goes far past what most of us would ever have the ability to discover.
“All of it. But the three contact factors I’d say. For instance, this morning, I modified cleats, and two kilometres right into a coaching experience I turned again residence for an Allen key as a result of one thing was slightly bit off. If my saddle is one millimetre decrease or larger, I’d sense it instantly. If the shifters are turned inwards one diploma kind of, you are feeling it immediately. If the saddle is a little more worn in your bike primary, than your quantity two spare bike that you do not use and you turn bikes, you are feeling immediately there’s one thing totally different with the saddle. Every element. You sense it immediately.”
“But I do not prefer to make a factor out of it, within the Dauphiné final week, I broke my bike primary in that massive crash and needed to take a unique bike. The place is strictly the identical, however there’s zero put on on the pedals and nil put on on the saddle. I sense that instantly.”
Bennett echoed teammate Naesen’s feedback on saddle peak and really feel, this additionally prolonged to having the ability to really feel when a chamois pad is a unique thickness in his biking shorts.
“I’m tremendous, tremendous explicit about my saddle peak and place, I really feel each half millimetre. Saddle angle and peak I’m actually delicate too. Even all the way down to my chamois, they must be in the precise place, if a pores and skin go well with and shorts are barely off, it might throw my place utterly and have me working completely totally different muscle tissue, my cardiovascular system could be high quality, but when the muscle teams are working totally different, I get actually bunged up with that.”
“Sometimes I might take out a brand new pair of shorts, and if I’ve been utilizing a couple of pairs of shorts, and the chamois might have gone gentle after half a 12 months, the saddle may very well be worn, shoe insoles may very well be worn, after which unexpectedly, I feel the bike is off.”