Tour de France 2024: tyre choice on gravel stage: 30 and 4 ...
... are the numbers of the day. There was much discussion about tyre choice in the run-up to the stage. Most of the teams are relying on tyres that are nominally 30 millimetres wide today, which can bulge up to 33 millimetres depending on the rim. However, there are also outliers, both upwards and downwards.
Cofidis, for example, is once again taking a step out of the norm. The French team mainly rides on 28 millimetre narrow tubular tyres and relies on the emergency running properties of the system in the event of a puncture.
Frenchman Alex Zingle even dares to take to the track with just 25 millimetres of tyre, the only one in the field to do so. Other teams are more cautious. Lidl-Trek, Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe and Alpecin-Deceuninck are all riding on 32 millimetre wide tyres.
Tadej Pogacar drives these tyres
Some of the tyres used are also more robust than usual. The Intermarche-Wanty team around Biniam Girmay and the UAE Emirates team around Tadej Pogacar, for example, use the classic Grand Prix 5000 S TR tyre from Continental. On good roads, the Grand Prix TT time trial tyre is usually fitted, which is lighter and somewhat faster, but also more prone to punctures.
Most tyres, apart from Cofidis, are run tubeless. Many teams today also have an insert fitted that prevents punctures and keeps the tyre on the rim in the event of a puncture. Even the Specialized teams, who usually ride soft cotton tyres with latex tubes, have now completely switched to tubeless models in 30 (Soudal - Quick Step) or 32 millimetres (Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe).
What air pressure on gravel sectors?
The air pressures are set to around 4 bar at 30 millimetres, depending on the rider's weight, and sometimes a little more (up to 4.5 bar).
Tyre choice on a gravel stage: Interview with Rolf Aldag
TOUR also spoke to Rolf Aldag about the choice of tyres at Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe.
TOUR: Rolf, you switched from cotton tyres with latex tubes to tubeless models for today's stage. Would you like to briefly explain the reasons for this decision?
Rolf Aldag: We mainly want to get through this stage in one piece. Tubeless tyres are proven to be less prone to punctures. We always ride a mix, sometimes different tyres for different riders. But for today the decision was relatively clear.
TOUR: The Mondo is a robust long-distance tyre in the Specialized range and, at 32 millimetres, is also relatively wide compared to its competitors and therefore also heavy. Why the big leap?
Rolf Aldag: The surface is treacherous. It's different to Strade Bianche. The stones are very sharp-edged and large, so you can quickly tear up your flank. We just hope that this will work in our favour today.
TOUR: So the rolling resistance and weight hardly played a role in the considerations today.
Rolf Aldag: We don't want to win the stage today, but to secure the overall classification. Safety has more priority here. If a van Aert starts, we don't have to go after him.
TOUR at the Tour de France: Exclusive live blog
Jens Klötzer
Editor
