http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/tech/articles/6678.0.html
Says he ran a 39/53 up front and 14-23 in back.
23 in back? Jesus he’s strong.
I had no idea that 20t and 22t cogs even existed, very interesting…
A few years ago he was using Marchisio cogs so I assume that’s what he is still on.
Basso apparently used a 36-21 low because it worked best in training but got bogged down with it after 2 weeks of racing.
Thanks for the post. I cannot imagine turning a 39/23 (if he dropped that low) at a cadence of 105 on a 8-11% grade.
I rode up Alpe d’Huez in 93 with 38x24 and had to stop once because I couldn’t turn over the gear. I was extremely fit that year but also had about 12,000 feet and 120 miles already in my legs.
Went back for more in 95 with 38x26. Had to stop once again, this time with only two smaller passes in my legs. Both times I was lucky to spin 60 rpm, especially at the bottom.
It’s steep but if you were to do it with fresh legs then it would not be that tough. I think the difficulty comes in attacking it as the last climb of a hard day in the mountains. If Armstrong was riding 39x23 and spinning 100+ rpm then it would explain why he was flying. Just incredible …
Chad
Yeah - a quick calculation shows that a 39/23 at 105 rpm is roughly 10.5 mph, assuming he’s even using the 23. I think he averaged something a bit higher, but that includes the flatter parts as well…
Armstrong’s average was around 14.6mph over the whole stage (assuming my math is right, he did the 15.5km in 39:41)
.
That number sounds right, and fairly incredible. Although to be fair, incredible for all the top riders.
I did the climb on my Computrainer using a 39/23. The first two times I tried I didn’t make it. I made it the third time, but my time is more than double Armtstrong’s. 
(My time is also a state secret.)
-Robert
A friend of a friend (who happens to be a rider on the Credit Agricole development team) figured out lance was averaging between 460 and 480 watts for that 39 and change minute ride! Anyone done the math on analyticcycling.com?
I got it at 431. Subtracted around 2 minutes from his overall time as well as 1500 meters from the overall TT length.
I had no idea that 20t and 22t cogs even existed, very interesting…
Marco in BC,
Believe me, if Lance wanted them (20t and 22t cogs) and no one made them, money would find a source that was reliable.
As far as cycling goes, if Lance wants it, Lance gets it!
Says he ran a 39/53 up front and 14-23 in back.
23 in back? Jesus he’s strong.
Back in '99 I rode Alpe d’Huez (plus a whole load of other Alpine climbs) with a 39x23 bottom and it was not that hard, neither am I anything like a pro-standard cyclist. (Think the climb took my friend and me around 50 mins, on fresh legs.) In fact, I can’t imagine Armstrong even touched the 23 tooth.
Duncan
(Right now I suspect Alpe d’Huez would seem insignificant to me - just come back from the Transalp Challenge, mountainbiking up 22,000 vertical metres of climbing in eight days. Any climb lasting less than an hour is nothing!)