Time trial bikes, Time trial bikes ?

Time trial bikes, a common point between Chris Froome (Israel Premier – Tech) Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Kazakhstan).  These three riders crashed in training on these extremely capable bikes, thus fueling the debate on a possible ban on these bikes, considered far too dangerous by some.

What is a time trial bike??

Real technical gems, these are the most capable bikes there are. Aerodynamics trumps comfort, everything is designed so that no effort of the cyclist is lost during its use. The high speed at which the chrono bike travels therefore influenced the design of the bike. Research has established the most aerodynamic rider position possible, in order to best overcome the friction of the air, which is the biggest obstacle at high speed. The handlebars of the bike are designed to pedal hard on the flat and are rather uncomfortable to use uphill. Big difference with the racing one which allows the cyclist to adopt multiple positions depending on the situation,

Due to his position on the bike, the runner's vision in the distance is also reduced. According to some analyzes, he does not see more than 10 m. UCI standards (International Cycling Union) are strict and allow no largesse in the case of time trial bikes. Everything is scrupulously regulated.. The UCI affirms the primacy of man over machine, but that does not mean that the risk 0 does not exist. Chrono bikes are still very unwieldy compared to other types of existing bikes.  

A bike found responsible in many falls

In the last few years, big names in professional cycling have crashed during training, causing serious injuries. Le 12 June 2019, Englishman Christopher Froome, then at Ineos, hits a wall at the bottom of a descent during the reconnaissance of the time trial of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Suffered from multiple rib fractures, elbow and femur, his operation lasts more than six hours. Luckily, in this shock at more than 60km / h, Chris Froome emerges without brain shock. Froome took more than a year to be able to ride a bicycle, but lost his phenomenal abilities forever.

Le 24 January 2022, Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadier) also falls in training, on his chrono bike. After hitting a bus from behind, the Colombian suffers from multiple fractures taking him away from the races for a while. He was able to get back on his bike this week, but no date has been communicated for his return to competition. Le 30 mars 2022, it's Kazakh Alexey Lutsenko who breaks his collarbone on this same type of bike. These three heavy crashes spark a growing debate in favor of a ban on time trial bikes.  

The time trial bike, Chris Froome's enemy

Since the fall of Egan Bernal, Chris Froome has become one of the strongest opponents of time trial bikes. In a video made for his YouTube channel the 12 February 2022, the Briton clarifies his position: he really appreciates the effort of the time trial but finds the bikes extremely dangerous because of the lack of maneuverability. He points in particular to the lack of an environment conducive to the practice of cycling on these bikes.: “How many roads do you know near you, where you can ride for an hour in suitable conditions ? Considering the dangers, wouldn't it be much easier to do time trials on road bikes ? ».

To avoid the need to train on time trial bikes, Chris Froome's solution is therefore to do time trials using road bikes in competitions. This would make it possible to secure training upstream, but also to first highlight the skills of the runner, relaying the advantages of technology in the background. Few statements from cycling professionals join the Briton, but there is in particular Marc Madiot (manager of Groupama – FDJ), who supports Froome's position: « I agree with Chris Froome who spoke out against time trial bikes. We put a lot of money into it, especially in training, although it can be dangerous, and we continue anyway... »

A highly criticized position in the peloton

But the majority of cyclists who have spoken out on time trial bikes come to their defense. Victor Campenaerts, time trial world record holder, thus challenged the opinion of the four-time Tour champion. For him, «the time trial remains a very good discipline because it brings a lot of innovations ». He even thinks that cycling owes its evolution to time trial bikes: « Yes, on our roads, their use is dangerous, absolutely, does he recognize. But if you do sprint training on the road, it's also dangerous ». His defense is that time trial training is no more dangerous than another specialty of cycling. Philippe Gilbert (Soudal Lotto) fully joins the position of his Belgian compatriot. He explains that cycling is a dangerous sport on the open road (with cars) and that the time trial bike is not more dangerous than others.

The Jumbo Visma, promoting safety around time trial bikes

Slovenian Primoz Roglic, and his team more generally, disagree with Christopher Froome's proposal but do not agree with the opinions of Victor Campenaerts or Philippe Gilbert. Aware of the source of danger represented by training on these time trial bikes, the team staff now organize closely supervised outings when these bikes are used. To prevent accidents, they thus have a car in front of the runners and another to bring up the rear. They can thus anticipate all traffic problems.

Furthermore, they organize these training outings on little-used roads to minimize the latter. Mathieu Heijboer, the performance director of the Dutch team, affirms that the responsibility, in the event of an accident, should not be attributed to the material, but rather to the runners in the choice of their training conditions. He therefore wants it to be up to the runners to adapt their training to the environment and not for the equipment to be held responsible for accidents..

This debate around time trial bikes is only in its infancy, and we are likely to hear about it regularly. Christopher Froome is still rather isolated at the moment but over time it is likely that other cyclists will join him. The UCI has not commented on this subject., but what is certain is that at a time when regulations are becoming ever stricter, time trial bikes remain particularly sensitive and monitored equipment. To finish, we can only agree with the opinion of the Jumbo – Visma by recalling that safety on a bike is essential, whether you are a simple amateur of the little queen or a professional cyclist. Be careful on the road!