So if the deep dish type wheels like Zipps are supposedly the fastest, why are only a small percentage seemingly using them on the tour? Just curious.
Because comfort and durability trump all in a race like the Tour - although a set of zip 303’s is probably a very durable wheel, Zipp did make a special set of new wheels for team CSC to ride in the tour and they are NOT aero. The do use discs, etc. in the TT of course
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Some riders don’t like using carbon wheels on mountain stages. They’re light going up but the braking surface isn’t as good as an aluminum rim. So it can get scary going down at 60 mph.
Trev…remember in 2002, when Ullrich dumped himself in a ravine descending with Carbon braking surface ?
Last summer I was descending Col de Croix de Fer in France on a super hot 38 degree C day. Lower in the descent, after 30 min of free fall (with minimal braking I might add) I smelled something burning as a car passed. It persisted as I descended, several minutes after the car passed. At the foot of the descent, I got off my bike to wait for my buddy who was still descending and I touched the back wheel rim and nearly burned my hand. It was my rear wheel that was “smoking” from the hot temps and the braking. I am surprised the tube did not blow the tire off the rim. There must have been 160 psi in there (tire rated to 120). In any event, I’d hate to descend on a carbon rim, potentially melt the glue and then do a Beloki !
Dev
Oscar Pereiro had a scare also this year on I believe stage 11.
I don’t know if it was taking a drink at 50 mph or the zipps that did it. 
Oscar Pereiro had a scare also this year on I believe stage 11.
Looked to me like he simply found a short cut to the next ledge of the descent! :^>