Stefan Küng suspected the brand new UCI guidelines concerning time trial set-ups would play in his favour, and the Swiss star acquired emphatic affirmation with victory on the ultimate stage of the Volta ao Algarve.
Küng altered his place over the winter after the UCI modified its stipulations for time trial handlebar extensions to permit for better selection in line with top. Standing greater than 190cm tall, Küng already had dispensation for the utmost degree of horizontal attain, however now has a 40% enhance in vertical attain.
The earlier rule restricted the peak distinction between the midpoint of the forearm assist and the highest tip of the extensions to 100mm for all riders, no matter dimension.
However riders have now been divided into three top classes, with these over 180cm getting 120mm of vertical distinction, and people over 190cm having fun with 140mm.
“This lets you shut the hole out of your fingers to your face,” Küng instructed Cyclingnews, placing it in layman’s phrases.
“It is extra aerodynamic like this. You see with Remco Evenepoel, he may already do that as a result of he is so small. Now it ranges the taking part in discipline a bit extra.
“We spent plenty of time on it within the wind tunnel and we had been in a position to get some positive factors out of it, that is for certain. It is a bonus already.”
Küng initially did not appear too happy along with his journey on the ultimate day of the Volta, noting that the primary time trial of the season is all the time a shock to the system. Nonetheless, as he watched the likes of Filippo Ganna and Tobias Foss roll house exterior his time, he was in a position to take nice coronary heart from the day.
“It was actually difficult, the primary TT of the season. We have now the brand new place and it is a exhausting one to get into the season,” he mentioned earlier than his victory was confirmed.
“Sadly, within the recon, the course was not closed so the left-hander with 5km to go on the roundabout, I virtually did not take it. It was actually tough however general I believe I did time trial.”
In the long run, Küng’s storming time catapulted him 13 locations up the overall classification and he completed the race fifth general.
“It is all the time good to have consequence on GC right here in Algarve to start out with,” he mentioned. “This race was good preparation for me for the Classics and now I positively really feel extra prepared for the Classics than earlier than.”
