Tadej Pogačar won the stage 5 time trial at the 2021 Tour de France.
The young Slovenian rider said he spent time earlier this season improving his on-the-bike position, and “learned a lot” while spending a week before the start of the Tour on his time trial bike.
James Startt offers beautiful details of the stage winner’s Colnago K.one time trial bike.
Colnago is again the UAE-Team Emirates bike partner for 2021.
While a bidon may not have been necessary for a relatively short route, in cool and wet conditions, it may have provided some UCI-approved aerodynamic advantage.
The cockpit of this Colnago K.one time trial bike was fitted to the slipperiest and most powerful position for Pogačar.
The bar extensions were sculpted to not only support Pogačar, but also to provide the least amount of aerodynamic drag.
And to be sure, Richard Mille is the UAE-Team Emirates timepiece partner, not the owner of the bike.
The Campy Super Record time trial brake/shifters have the buttons spaced well apart to prevent miss-shifts.
Yes, that’s grip tape — not unlike what’s used on a skateboard deck — on Pogačar’s bars.
Pogačar uses an SRM power meter and head unit. Below and behind this computer are armrests which have a layer of foam padding to make an uncomfortable position less uncomfortable.
Disc brakes on a time trial bike? Maybe Pogačar would have wanted them for today’s wet route.
Pogačar was running a one-by (1x) drivetrain setup for the relatively flat route. This allowed for a straighter chainline, and presumably fewer watts lost to friction.
No need for massive tire clearance on a time trial bike.
This was the fastest bike on stage 5 of the 2021 Tour de France.