The UCI Road World Championships in Montréal impressively show how important aerodynamics and biomechanics are. This is how you can use the pro insights for your own rides.
At the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, the world's best cyclists fight for the coveted rainbow jerseys. While the pros give it their all on the demanding courses in Canada, ambitious recreational athletes can learn a lot from their strategies, positioning, and equipment. Because speed in cycling has long ceased to be a pure question of leg power – aerodynamics play a decisive role.
A look at the Belgian top favourite Remco Evenepoel, according to a report by L'Equipe, impressively shows how important body posture on the bike is. Although Evenepoel, with a height of 1.71 metres, is significantly smaller and lighter than classic time trial specialists like Filippo Ganna or Stefan Küng, he dominates the discipline. His secret lies in his proportions and his extreme flexibility.
Evenepoel has relatively short arms, which allows him to adopt an extremely compact position on the handlebar. The triangle he forms with his hands, shoulders, and head is tiny. As a result, he drastically reduces his frontal area and wind resistance. He manages to pull his head deep between his shoulders and still keep his gaze directed forward. This shows: If you want to sit aerodynamically, you need high flexibility in the thoracic spine and neck area.
Helmet manufacturers are also breaking new ground. As the presentation of the new Sonal helmet by POC shows, an aero helmet is no longer viewed as just an individual component today. Instead, it is analysed how the air flows over the rider's entire body. The helmet is offered in different widths, matching the rider's shoulder width, to optimally guide the airflow onto the upper body. In wind tunnel tests, this holistic design brought noticeable watt savings.
In addition, manufacturers like Shimano are optimising the interface between rider and bike. The new SPD-SLR pedal system reduces the stack height by 2.3 millimetres and saves weight. A lower stack height brings the foot closer to the pedal axle, which improves power transfer and ensures a more stable platform – a detail that also ensures a better riding feel in recreational sports.
In addition to the equipment, race tactics are crucial. Mathieu van der Poel emphasised before the races in Montréal that World Championships are held without radio communication. This makes the races more unpredictable and requires riders to be extremely attentive and react instinctively. In addition, van der Poel prepared specifically by reducing his body weight by two kilograms for the demanding climbs in Canada, which is immediately noticeable uphill.
For your own training, this means: If you want to get faster, you shouldn't just mindlessly accumulate kilometres. Work on your flexibility to be able to adopt a more compact position on the bike. Even small adjustments to your riding position or a well-fitting helmet that matches your stature often bring more speed advantages than expensive system wheels.
Your takeaway: A compact, aerodynamic body posture and targeted flexibility training often bring you more speed than expensive equipment upgrades.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.