I would go with 404 front 808 rear. That was my set up

Agree with Paul. This is one of the most technical IM bike course, with a fair amount of climbing and fast descending. Be aware that a shower during the race cannot be excluded, especially now that the date has been moved forward to early June. On the other hand, the temperature could be cooler for the run.

---

Francois-Xavier Li @FrancoisLi
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." George Bernard Shaw
http://www.swimrunfrance.fr
http://www.worldofswimrun.com

I wouldn't say technical. The descents are quite easy if it's not raining. Depends in what one is used to. I would use 404 on the grounds that they are lighter, though.

It is technical "enough" to consider it a factor. I am a good technical rider (I passed something like 200 people on the descents in Nice) and while this is not like going down Col de Sarenne or down the Angliru (sp?), you still need some caution. The deeper front wheel has more angular momemtum pulling you out of the switchbacks (just like a heavier rider has more linear momentum pulling them out of the switchbacks). It's just harder to "turn" a heavier wider deep rim in the front. It's just physics. Telling people the course is not technical would do the bulk of riders a disservice given that only a small percentage of tri riders live close to switchbacks "next door" (even in Europe, they are not everywhere, although more prevalent than North America.

It's tricky enough to catch out poor bike handlers. If you're a roadie then it's fine.

I'm assuming it is not technical enough to ever consider using a road bike over a tri bike ?

I used tri bike and was fine, but frankly I think the weight distribution of an aero road bike would be better and you only get penalized "a bit' in the final 30K. Have a look at the front page article on Mike Coughlins Cervelo S5 set up for Ultraman Hawaii (he just won it) and that could be pretty sweet at Nice. I know there were years when Fredrik Van Lierde when he was on Cervelo P4 went with the S series road bike (i heard mainly due to braking). But with Cervelo's lower bottom bracket on the P5/P3, that is an awesome handling bike. I'd certainly use my P3 over my Cannondale Supersix for sure. But if I was on an aero enough road bike, I'd take that first.

Here is my set up I used at IM France 2010...memory was bad...front was Stinger60 (this is from a recovery ride 2 days post race):

Funny, I was just reading the Ultraman articles thinking that I would much prefer to be on my road bike in the conditions described.

If you see my tri bike on this thread, I kind of had it set up like more of a road bike. Saddle in most rearward position, slightly up turned and short reach stem. The Airfoil pro also has a slightly steeper head tube angle like some road bikes so it can turn well. I also added 2 spacers for this race, since i felt I would be sitting up and climbing and did not want to be too hunched over and also have my base bars too low for sustained out of the saddle climbing. Finally I would use a basebar with an upturn to have something to push against into switchbacks and counter steer. Those level base bars will be pointing downhill with your hands sliding off the front in the event of emergency braking. Not fun.

Boris stein : 808 and super 9 ....
Maybe 808 for me in 2016... or 404.
and wich helmet?

Fredrik Van Lierde also used his P5 in 2013.

The difference between a pro and us is that they will not come up to corners and switchbacks with big speed differentials compared to people around them, so the scenario is slightly different. The top pros have a completely open road.

I use my canyon speedmax in all triathlon i did ( Alpes huez etc with a lot of D+ : around 1800 D+ for all my half ) and the speedmax was THE bike for all those profile !

It was technical enough in 2013 when i did it for one 35 yr old to die by not making a corner. Don't underestimate this course. Many were down and looked bad in addition to the death in 2013. It was not raining. No one should not come home from a triathlon.