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FEATURES: TOUR DE FRANCE TECH: WHEN THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD
Richard Cunningham
July 14, 2010
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Stages 5 and 6 were flat, and long. The race from Montargis to Guernon was 227 kilometers in length - the longest stage of the 2010 Tour de France. Due to the length the race started an hour early and the tight schedule gave us just enough time to get some photos of the tires and wheels that teams were using for the flatter stages of the Tour. Almost everyone was riding 55 to 60 millimeter profile rims, and without trouble, because the vicious winds that normally taunt racers in central France were strangely absent.
Tour leader Fabian Cancellara’s all-yellow Specialized was set up with larger-volume Veloflex tubulars that appeared to be 24 centimeters in diameter.
Team Saxo Bank’s choice were Italian-made Veloflex tubulars with Specialized logos printed on.
And we saw one Columbia Highroad bike with a Shimano Dura-Ace tubeless clincher wheel sporting a Hutchinson Fusion tubeless tire up front and a 60-millimeter Shimano tubular wheel in back.
Cadel Evans and Team BMC rolled out on Continental Pro Competition tires with Easton EC 90 SL wheels.
RadioShack is officially on Hutchinson tires. Reportedly, Armstrong has won every Tour on Hutchinsons. The 22-millimeter tubulars are hand-made by a subcontractor who uses a Hutchinson tread. A limited production run will be sold to the public this year.
HTC/Columbia ran 22-millimeter Continental Pro Competition tires across the board, on Zipp 404 and 808 wheels.
B-Box team leader Thomas Voeckler had Campagnolo Dora Ultra Two wheels in French colors. The B-Box team rides Hutchinson tires. Hutchinson arranged a ride for us in the B-Box team car for the Montargis stage driven by multi-time French National Champion Didier Rous -it was quite a ride!
Footon-Servetto’s Gold Fuji's rolled on Reynolds DV 45UL Tubular wheels and Challenge Forte 22-millimeter tires.
Cervelo Development Team’s monster lead-out man Australian Brett Lancaster upped the aero ante with deep-profile Zipp 808 wheels on his S3. Cervelo riders use Vittoria Corsa Evo CX tubulars.
Team Liquigas was one of the many teams using full carbon wheels on the flat stages. Their Cannondales ran Mavic Cosmic Carbon Ultimate wheels with Schwalbe tubular tires.
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