Based also on a few other resources, including but not limited to fast or fiction, and the Tour/ Vuelta riders using the radio to have the jersey fill out the gap.
I didn’t see anyone else going as crazy as me with a bottle that large, but there were a few people using 0.5L bottles and one guy I know of who used cooling packs for the same reason.
Also, I am tall and slender, with a long upper body. I guess the potential for saving on me is larger than on someone, who doesn’t have that big of a empty space below the torso.
So we end up with another discussion about riding head down after Stefan Küngs horrific crash at the European Championship.
Anyone got insight on the communication that usually happens from the team car behind to the rider? Isn’t their main duty to guide the rider through the course? Not trying to blame the Swiss team car, but I do wonder if they told him “street is narrowing down, keep a little more to the right” or something.
My only experience with DS / team car communication is in-car-footage I have from the German TT nationals a team member rode where a friend / coach sat in the team car and all you could hear was, almost like Rally commands, “Next corner left in 200…100…50…look up!”
Great race and write-up, thanks. How much was the entry fee, I can’t find it on their website? I wish there were more events like this, we used to have the Tour of Cambridgeshire TT here in the UK but it ended this year. People say they don’t want to pay huge fees to ride races like this, but one or two a year with spectators, start ramps, closed roads and a beautiful course would be well worth it. I happily paid a lot to run the London Marathon, because of the atmosphere and prestige of it - a TT will never be as big as that but it certainly could be bigger than 4 people clapping at the side of a roundabout in the middle of nowhere!
Not sure about this year, but a few years ago it was a 3Euro registration fee for the ticket lottery and if you were lucky enough to get a ticket in the end it was 70Euro for the ticket.
Which is the reason for my love/hate relationship with the King of the Lake race (not that strong in love or hate, but you get the point). It is quite annoying that its so hard to get a spot there, especially when certain riders, for unknown reasons, seem to get a spot every year. Usually its the Elite riders that finish high up in the overall ranks. And that many spots are apparently reserved for sponsors does not help it either. ← all of this I cannot proof, but its the rumors you hear.
I would really like to ride the KOTL with my TT bike and I am currently thinking of just asking Specialized Germany // my LBS who sponsors the team I ride for and has great connections to Specialized Germany if they can organize a start spot for me. I wouldnt mind paying for it, I just want the certainty that I am allowed to start and not train the whole winter and then be disappointed that I, again, failed the lottery…
Saw some things about that race on instagram that don’t sound too good…apparently there is a male elite category, but no female elite category - elite female riders have to be in the amateur category. There is only prize money for the elite category, so consequently women can’t win any prize money at all (apparently the amateur prize was a turbolito tube). When one of the female riders asked the organisors about it on IG, she got a reply of: “please don’t come back next year, you won’t be happy.” Um…
Just saw they put a statement out about it, basically saying they can’t get enough elite female riders to make an extra category for them. They did apologise for the reply though.
Still seems odd. Why not give prize money to the top female riders, regardless of them being classed as elite or not? Seems pretty simple to solve.
I just saw the statement, didnt even know there was an uproar about a missing female elite category (which I also was not aware of as I didnt check the female categories when I entered the lottery for a start). And, to be honest, the statement is rather weak… “We dont offer money for the females as there is no elite female category as too few female riders start.” Well, this could change if you offered a female elite category. Or just remove the male elite category. The line between elite and amateur males is unclear to me anyway. Anyone can sign up for the elite (and many do as the rumor is that you have better chances to get a start-spot if you declare you are elite), as can almost anyone sign up for the amateurs. I only know that people that won the amateur class multiple times have been asked to sign up in the elite, or have been shifted there.
Rather just have one overall men and women “King” and “Queen” = winner and, if they want to, have age group winners…Just dish the elite category all together. If they get Pro Conti or World Tour riders to start, let them have a elite category.
Agree completely. I don’t see the need for an elite category either. In the UK, there aren’t any categories in (CTT-regulated) TTs. It’s pretty cool to be on the same startline as a pro rider (and chat with them over tea and cake in the local village hall after). They don’t always win either, there’s some very fast amateur riders out there!
I also find it a bit odd that you pay 70 euros entry, but can’t win any of it back, because you’re not “elite”. While the (male) pro riders, who get paid to ride their bikes anyway, seem to have a quite substantial prize pot for the their race.
And this is the problem when us amateurs try and mimic everything the pros do. It is dangerous for them to race this way; it’s even more dangerous for us to race that way. Don’t get me started on some people praising how heroic he was for finishing. That team and race should be fined/penalized for not pulling him.
Did my last TT of the year yesterday and all the hard work I put in during the year (quit multisport, went all in on cycling) came together for me. After the Almere TT in April where I averaged 43.7km/h at 288W avg./293W NP for 42km, I now managed to hold 328W avg./329W NP (5W/kg) for 40km at 46.6km/h avg.
The TT was on Circuit Zolder in Belgium (those who follow CX in the winter will know it), only one chicance where I had to get out of the aerobars for ±50m. MyWindSock estimates a 0.195CdA for the full race.
Not the best picture but it’s the only one I currently have…
5th place… Would have had to average over 48km/h to end up on the podium. 1st place was Brian Megens, guy that competed at the Euro IP champs, finished 6th at the Dutch Elite TT national champs while losing 20" due to a chain drop,… The others were (ex) regional elite or U23 TT champions, so not too bad for a recently “retired” triathlete.
The guy that beat me for the win by 14" on a 13.5km TT 4 weeks ago, kicked his butt by 2 minutes. Felt good.
Now I have to figure out what I can do to get quicker to close the gap (other than to increase the energy in part of the equation). I’m on the Michelin Power Cup Clinchers at the moment, so Vittoria Corsa Speeds could already be an improvement. Not sure I want to risk running the very thin Veloflex Records…
That is quite some gain in raw power! I think you can and should be really proud of yourself for what you achieved in this year.
For gear I cannot say much as its quite hard to see details of the bike for me, but a trispoke front makes me believe you already ticked many boxes there. For tyres: The Michelin Power TT (very low crr) is quite good, for a front tyre the Continental GP5000TT is excellent (low crr and good aerodynamics) or the other two you mentioned.
For me the biggest gains were in position and clothing / helmets. If you have the opportunity to do aero-testing, do it.
Thank you! I’ve averaged around 14h a week since that first TT on April 8th until now, with a handful of “peak” weeks of over 20h. I guess I had a very good base from 6 years of triathlon but did not do much intensity. Coupled with maybe some slight form of talent, I’ve managed to improve quite a lot
I’m looking into doing a 2h session together with a friend. For 300 Euros per person I think that’s where I need to put my money first since everything else I’m doing will be guess work.
This one is from that TT in April but it maybe shows my setup a bit better. I did not have the Nopinz Flow overshoes yet and wasn’t on my 58T 1X yet (54/38 2X), have maxed out the tilt on the stock bars now as well.
I did not test it yet, from next week onwards I should have some more free time so I want to try to test if there’s an aero benefit or not. I think it should have some benefit, but that’s just me guessing. For now it at least has provided some positive placebo effect
Edit:
When I compare myself with the winner, his arms are way higher and his head is almost completely behind his hands. I don’t have much of a gap but I have to shrug and pull down my head quite hard. Next to a possible increase in power (since there’s still a deficit compared to the road bike), should I try to go up 1-2cm? I still have the other spacer sizes lying around.
UR comments are so inspiring, guys
Honestly, i’m taking a break from this rn due to an injury (sprained shin muscle)
but I want to get back on track soon
Your picture near the fence opening looks like you have an amazing position dialed in. You look very sleek and aero. Great way to finish the year. Impressive jump in power… however you worked your butt off to get there. How did you manage training all those hours on the bike for the week. I can see it for a tri, but Nike only makes my butt hurt!
Thanks! It’s my favorite picture from that race as well
I hope to still improve my position for next year… Have ordered a 35 and 45mm mono spacer (currently on the 25mm one) and the Trek/Bontrager mono plug-in so I can mount regular extensions and add pad and extension reach as well to see if I come up a little and stretch out a bit , if I can get faster still and hopefully get closer to my road bike power.
Received a MET Drone in size L last Saturday as well since it should help move air around my relatively wide shoulders. I’m going to try to test them out on Saturday to see if it’s an improvement over the Giro Aerohead in size M that I’m currently using.
And trust me, I’ve had a few instances of pain/irritation in the sensitive areas haha. But being 31, single and living on my own does makes it very easy to plan around those training hours
