Bicycle Tire: NEW CAMPAGNOLO CLIMBING WHEELS ON BLOCKHAUS
Is this the go back of the Hyperon?
The Giro d’Italia GC
The Giro d’Italia GC conflict subsequently sparked into existence at the degree 9 summit at Blockhaus. Riders have had one eye in this degree because the in large part uneventful climb to Mt Etna on degree four, with maximum opting to store their legs at some stage in degrees seven and 8 in advance of the primary massive showdown on Sunday. Saving legs is one factor however, as is frequently the case, many groups attempt to store a few weights for the essential mountain degrees.
Team UAE-Emirates isn’t any one-of-a-kind and frequently reverts again to the rim brake Colnago V3Rs for the excessive mountain degrees, however Blockhaus become one-of-a-kind. Team chief Joรฃo Almeida located 5th at the mountain pinnacle end, transferring as much as 2d standard and did so on a disc brake bike geared up V3Rs. Rather than flip to the rim brake Colnago, UAE seems to have had new light-weight hiking wheels from group sponsor Campagnolo handy to assist weight saving at the disc brake bike.
A sizeable step withinside the sidewall profile is seen from this perspective and now no longer assorted to the brand new DT Swiss rims designed in partnership with aero authorities SwissSide. Note the splash of purple at the tyre warm patch.
Reduce weight?
The UCI minimum weight restriction is about 6.8kg and withinside the beyond has compelled mechanics to feature weights to bikes simply to hit that minimum. But with a growing attention on aerodynamics and the creation of disc brakes, tubeless setups, and digital shifting, many groups now conflict simply to get right all the way down to the 6.8kg minimum. We weighed Tadej Pogaฤarโs disc brake Colnago V3Rs at 7.4kg at the eve of the Tour of Flanders, a few 600g heavier than the mentioned weight for his rim brake V3Rs. Or in different words, a growth of simply much less than 1% of general rider and bike blended weight.
Still, 1% is 1%, and with disc brakes and aerodynamics right here to stay, each gram is a prisoner for producers and groups constantly chasing that 6.8kg restriction. Presumably, thatโs wherein those new wheels from Campagnolo come in. While Team UAE-Emirates riders have opted for a combination of Bora Ultra WTO 33, 45, and 60mm deep rims for each degree previous to degree 9, all bar one of the group raced with those unreleased wheels for the maximum mountainous take a look at but on degree 9.
With a Campagnolo sticky label on show, there may be no clean indication as to the brand new wheelโs identification and at the same time as Campagnolo has now no longer but spoke back to our request for touch upon the brand new wheels. However, we will spot numerous thrilling capabilities from pics taken in the course of the degree.
The wider rim and new hub are sincerely seen on this head-on shot of Davide Formolo ascending the climb to Blockhaus.
Interesting factors
Perhaps most apparent is the brand new rim, which seems totally one-of-a-kind to Campagnoloโs cutting-edge rim services. Campagnolo has retained the inner spoke nipple layout from the Bora Ultra WTO progressed aerodynamic performance, however thatโs wherein the similarities cease. The new rims seem barely deeper than the Bora Ultra WTO 33, that’s presently Campagโs lightest disc brake supplying at a claimed weight of 1,385g. Our great wager places those rims at ~35-40mm deep, however itโs the rim form this is extra thrilling.
The new rims seem a whole lot wider than the cutting-edge WTO services and feature a huge and nearly flat sidewall with an extraordinary step-like transition right into a U fashioned profile toward the spoke bed. The new rim layout isn’t assorted to the DT Swissโ Aero rim profile on its ARC rims which can be stated to provide extra strong coping with and progressed integration and aerodynamic performance with wider tyres.
Notable with the aid of its absence is Campagnoloโs long-status G3 spoke sample which locates two times as many spokes at the force facet of the rear wheel and rotor facet of the the front wheel in a bid to counteract the uneven drivetrain and braking forces. The G3 lacing sample has been regarded on nearly all Campagnolo excessive-cease wheel services for the beyond decades, besides for the now-discontinued light-weight Hyperon wheelset. The shift to a extra conventional 2-move and radial spoke sample might be an attempt to shed a little weight and might be tuned to weight-weeniesโ ears.
The hub is likewise extensively redesigned with a far extra uniform form at some stage in. Thatโs an awesome extrade from the hourglass-like layout of the hubs withinside the Bora WTO and withinside the more recent Bora Ultra WTO wheelsets.
Interestingly, and once more in step with the load weenie fashion, Team UAE-Emirates is regarded to be racing the brand new wheels with tubular tyres. While it’s far hard to be positive with those pics, the group seems to be rolling at the Pirelli P-Zero Race SL tubular tyres. One might expect any new wheelset can even seem with a tubeless, or at least, clincher supplying, however the very lifestyles of a tubular choice is a shift in fashion now no longer only for the broader marketplace however additionally for Campagnolo specifically. The Italian emblem has efficiently phased out its tubular services because of the creation of the WTO variety in 2018. Whereas as soon as Campag riders had the Bora One, Bora Ultra, and Hyperon Ultra tubular services to pick out from, Team UAE has had handiest the so-called โlower-supplyingโ Bora One 50 in recent times. The complete WTO variety and the brand new Shamal Carbon, now a gravel wheel, all characteristic Campagnoloโs Two-Way Fit clincher and tubeless like minded rims.
Again, it’s far hard to inform from the pics to be had whether or not the brand new rims are genuinely tubular, UAE may want to have opted to run a clincher setup. That stated, a tubular supplying would possibly offer a few 100-200g of weight saving as compared to a like-for-like tubeless like minded choice and so suits with the load saving targets right here.
With all of the symptoms and symptoms pointing closer tos the brand new wheels being a light-weight nearly hiking-precise wheelset, may want to this be the go back of the well-known Hyperon call from Campagnolo? Only time will tell, we’ve reached out to Campagnolo for touch upon the brand new wheels and we are able to convey you any reaction if/whilst we obtain it.
sources CAMPAGNOL
