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Lance's new time trial position
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I came across this article on cyclingnews.com discussing Lance's new time trial bike and a new position he will try at the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal next week. Here's an excerpt:

"Armstrong will be using the race to test out a new bike and a new position, which he has been developing in the Seattle wind tunnel. "It's a more aerodynamic position, lower and more forward," added Bruyneel. "The best test is racing and there are not many time trials this year where we can do these tests. The objective is not to win now, but to try out new things."

Interesting implications no? That's gotta be a nice affirmation for all those steep and low types out there. I think it will be interesting to see what the pro cycling interpretation of "lower and more forward" as opposed to the triathlon version. Especially since I believe there UCI regulations which prohibit the tip of the saddle from being more than a centimeter or two behind the bottom bracket. I recall seeing a photo of Abraham Olano's bike in which he actually cut off the nose of the saddle in order to be in compliance. Perhaps we'll see a new "lance" saddle with similar alterations.
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Re: Lance's new time trial position [mostly fast] [ In reply to ]
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To me the irony is how long it has taken "experts" to figure this out when Dan and others had it figured out ten years ago.

Another irony is that a primary benefit is the ability to run better off the bike, something that is not important to Armstrong.

Yet.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Lance's new time trial position [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]
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Don't expect anything too radical. i just had a quick peek at photos from the '03 Tour of Murcia TT on lance's website, there is a good side on shot of his TT bike there. I haven't done any measurements, but from eyeballing the photos of his road and TT bikes, it appears that the saddle position is set the same on both. So he might move the seat forward to the UCI limit (5 cm behind the BB) and lower the bars slightly.

My prediction, the new bike he's gonna use will have a 76 degree seat angle.
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Re: Lance's new time trial position [jasonk] [ In reply to ]
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It seems Lance has, literally, gone back and forth on this issue a few times in his career. Remember he originally came from a tri background and I believe was riding a QR at one point. He switched to a traditional "roadie" position early in his cycling career and really sucked in the TT's. Watch the video of the 94 or 95 tour, I believe, when Indurain goes by him like he is standing still. That fall I remeber an article in, Bicycling I think, about Lance going back to his tri roots with a lower, steeper position in order to improve his TT performance. There were shots of him circling the velodrome on his Merckx with a profile fast forward post. He seems to have drifted back to a slacker set up over the last few years. Now he is going forward again.

Maybe just making a slow transition to get ready for Ironman ;)
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Re: Lance's new time trial position [paul cusick] [ In reply to ]
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I think that's totally true and probably as it should be (going back and forth). Look at the way he has physically changed, his "hump" is going away, his musculature has changed, it only makes sense that he would need to change his positon. Also, next years tour is all about the flat time trial for him. It doesn't really make sense to leave it all to chance on the Alp d'huez when there are so many awesome climbers who are usually disadvantaged in time trials.
I actually change my position all the time, for some reason I seem to get stale in my position after about 5-6 mos. and a slight changeup does me good and it's not always lower and more forward.
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