Most will be on their regular "climbing" bike. The UCI has mandated a minimum weight limit (6.8 kilos), and most of the contenders climbing machines are right at that limit anyway, so I wouldn't expect to see anything different for that event in particular.

I wouldn't expect to see anything remotely resembling an aero bar. The last time there was an uphill TT in the tour, in 2000, I believe, many did use clipons, but that course was not nearly as difficult as the Alpe d"Huez course will be. The last time, IIRC, there was a significant flat section as well as the climbing.

Does this look like a course that will allow a lot of time on the aero bars??

When Jean Francois-Bernard won the time trial up Mt. Ventoux he used a low-profile TT bike to the base of the climb, then abandoned that bike and did a bike switch for a lightweight climbing bike.

I wonder how much flat section there will be before the climb up the Alp?

At any rate, I agree, I predict there will be some lightweight (albeit UCI legal) road configuration but with some possibly interesting wheel configurations. You have to believe several companies are viewing this as an opportunity to showcase some conspicuously unusual technology.

My prediction: Lance by 1:30. Everyone else is a pretender.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

From the profile, it looks like there's about 500 metres of flat before the road tilts upward. I don't expect to see any TT bikes out there.

The order of the day will be very lightweight carbon rimmed wheels. Lightweight (ADA), Hyperons, Bontrager Race XXX Lites, etc. The major players missing from this category are Mavic and Shimano. The Ksyrium SL's and Dura Ace 7800's are pretty light, but are porkers compared to the wheels above. Given the number of teams those 2 manufacturers sponsor and the noise those teams must be making, I would expect them to come out with something special around the 1100g - 1200g mark.

You have to wonder though, Tom, if they might bust out some crazy light stuff so that the team bikes will be right at the weight limmit with the clip ons on the bike. 500 meters is long enough to gain a few seconds, and it seems like lance buys into aero positioning more than most. I certainly don't expect to see any wheels from HED, mavic, or shimano used by the contenders.

I remember hearing a simliar story, in which there was a big climb followed by a long descent to the event of the stage. Bernard (i think) used a very very light bike to go up to climb, and at the top he stopped, yelled "my derailleur!", and since you are allowed to switch bike for a mechanical, he hopped on a heavy aero bike. As for the derailleur, his mechanic quickly broke or cut one of the cables when he got in the car.

Not sure if this is true though, just read it a while back.

At the '03 Vuelta, the guys all rode their regular road bikes on the mountain time trial on the next to last day (Roberto Heras took the gold jersey from Isidro Nozal on the stage and went on to win his second Vuelta). One of the Postal riders, can't remember which one, did have some clip on aerobars on his bike, but I don't remember who he was. And he didn't use them. Almost certainly the guys will ride their regular climbing bikes. Some may use clip ons, but I bet most don't.

RP

I agree that Ben is spot on for the wheel selection. Lightweight or ADA will likely be the wheel of choice. I read that Armstrong pays a $1,000 "fine" every stage he uses non-sponsor wheels. I guess there goes another $1K. Do you think the sponsor congradulatory ad in VeloNews will be the actual stage photo or something from the training camp before they modify his bike?

A couple of years ago there was a great article analyzing this delima at the Redlands prologe uphill TT. The field was split 50/50. The conclusion was aerodynamics over weight was the larger time savings. The guys who opt for a TT bike at the UCI limit should have the best of both worlds. The pros, with their extremely aerodynamic setups, may need to be set up in a more slam position, but regardless of what they ride, it should be the most exciting stage to watch!

Prediction: as much as I would like to see a Botero or other unknown take it, I think Armstrong will key on this as a message and will pull out all the stops. It will be close and he'll have to work for it.

It will be an Epic stage! I hope Lance takes it with authority. I imagine that Lance and others smart contenders will be riding this stage many times before the TDF.

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-----------------------:)
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Kestrel Syndicate
Macca Fan Club

Lance is using the new Bontrager Race XXXLite wheels. They are similar to the Hyperons and Winiums out there. Shallow cross section with a carbon rim and 300 gram hubset.

I don't think Lance will be using his ADA wheels for such an event, the Bontrager's are within a few grams of the ADAs and keep his sponsors happy.

I'd bet that a smaller climber wins that TT, I'd also bet that a rider on a Giant will be using 650c wheels and pose a serious threat to Lance's victory up d'Huez. If it were my bike, I'd look into some Deda Synapse style bars or at least a "slam" type aerobar for those sections where they are travelling 20 mph or greater. I'd also be you see some cassettes with 19,20,21,22,and 23 t cog sizes on their cassettes.

How about the helmet? What would you use?

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

Anyone who has ridden Alpe d'Huez can tell you there is NO PLACE on that climb for aero equipment. No slam position. No aero anything. I rarely use the word never, and I won't here. But the contenders will all be on standard, albeit right at the weight limit, road bikes. And IIRC, helmets will not be part of the equation either, just as last year's Vuelta mountain TT. If they don't have to wear a helmet, they won't.

According to Bontrager's website and the July 2003 Popular Mech article, the tripleX wheels weigh in at a portly 3.75lbs (1,698gm) compared to the Lightweight wheels in a 1,000gm (2.2lbs). When the race counts, Lance always goes with the Lightweights. I'm sure the Bontrager wheels are great, sturdy, and give the user countless miles of enjoyment, but it's tough to beat the Lightweight's ceramic bearings for rolling resistance and the kilo weight. Only Zipp's Z3 wheels come close, and they still have a couple hundred grams of rotating weight to shave. He'll use the Bontragers on stages where he's sitting in the pack, and photo ops. When the course goes up, the Lightweights come out. What's $1,000 'fine/pentaly' when a stage win is on the line. It's just too important to run anything but the best wheels.

To be blunt you are incorrect.

The Triple X from Bontrager is much lighter than that. It does not weigh as little as the ADA's but it is close.

He'll be on Bontragers, they'll look like this:

http://www.bontrager.com/roadwheels/detail.asp?id=139&pt=10&ck=0&fl=1

-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

I think we might see lance on this wheelset, as it's reasonably light 1200 grams, (you can still find alloy clinchers competing in that weight category though), it doesn't seem particularly aero either

"Wind tunnel tested and proven (in all but the most extreme crosswinds) to be as aerodynamic as any climbing wheel Lance has used in the past"

I don't know about that, paired spokes and a low rim profile vs the standard lacing and deep profile of lightweights. I wonder why they aren't specifying the exact yaw angles, so we can determine how extreme they are.

Actually, the Bontrager XXX Lites weigh a hair under 1200 g for the set. The Popular Mechanics article, I believe, referred to the complete wheel weight, ie with cassette and tires mounted. Also, Armstrong used the XXX Lites in all of the crucial mountain stages in 2003, and I don't believe that will change for '04.

I stand corrected on the weight. 1,190gms for a low-profile, paired spoke wheel. Less aero than a deep dish rim, and if John Cobb has any input, he'll likely steer Lance away from the paired spoked set-up as they were less aero than a wheel of same spoke count not-paired. They are attractive though. I guess we'll have to wait until July 21st to find out.

Have any of you climbed Alpe d'Huez? Aero isn't going to matter at those speeds. Throw aero at that mountain and it'll laugh at you.