What does a professional cyclist's time trial bike look like? The European champion Stefan Küng and his team Groupama FDJ have given TOUR exclusive insights into time trial tuning. The Lapierre Aerostorm in its original setup, explained by Küng's trusted Groupama FDJ technician Jurgen Landrie:
The drive of Küng's time trial bike
The Lapierre Aerostorm is equipped with Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2. The front derailleur and rear derailleur are electronically controlled, Stefan Küng normally rides a chainring combo with 58/44 teeth and a 11-28 cassette. "The aim is for the chain to run as close to the centre of the cassette as possible in order to achieve a straight chain line with as little friction as possible," explains Landrie.
The frame of the Lapierre Aerostorm
The centrepiece of the new Lapierre Aerostorm. "We have not only thought about the aerodynamics in every detail, but also paid a lot of attention to the carbon structure. I am convinced that this is one of the fastest bikes on the market that combines extremely high power transmission with comfort and good handling - and yet is not too heavy," says Landrie.
7.9 kilogrammes High-tech: The Aerostorm from Lapierre, with which Stefan Küng and the pros of the Groupama-FDJ team battle against the clock, is a spectacular time trial bike. "It took a lot of time and energy to develop the new Aerostorm," explains Jurgen Landrie, team mechanic and close confidant of Stefan Küng. "We already had an excellent basis with the previous model, which we were able to build on and turn a very good bike into an even better one," says Landrie. He is regarded as one of the best mechanics in the peloton, especially when it comes to time trial bikes. For the Belgian, trust built up over the years between rider and mechanic is part of the recipe for success. Laudrie says that he has already celebrated many successes together with Stefan Küng and the team: "But I was always there for the riders, even on the bad days." Landrie switched from the BMC Racing Team to Groupama-FDJ together with Küng in 2019.
The tyres of the Lapierre Aerostorm
On the disc rear wheel and three-spoke front wheel from Shimano are 25 mm time trial tyres from Continental mounted. There are no special rubber compounds for the team. The pros ride the tyres that Conti makes available to all teams. The final check on the Lapierre Aerostorm before the race takes around 20 minutes.
The aerobar
An eye-catcher on the Lapierre Aerostorm from Groupama-FDJ. "We are setting new standards with a special bonding technology three parts together in such a way that every rider really can adopt an individual seating position with millimetre precision." It's not rocket science, says mechanic Jurgen Landrie. "But it's more complex than tightening and loosening a few screws. Above all, much more precise."
The brakes
Shimanos Dura-Ace disc brakes combine aerodynamic advantages with better braking performance on the Lapierre Aerostorm. "When a rider is cornering at top speed, it's important that they are perfectly adjusted," says Landrie. The perfect modulation in all weather conditions ideally ensures time advantages compared to traditional rim brakes.
