The curtain rises on the final stage: the Tour traditionally ends on the Champs-Élysées, but this year with a three-lap loop over the Montmartre climb, which was also a central element of the Olympic race.
This changes everything. The classic sprint finish becomes a race in which puncheurs can pull away on one of the three crossings of Montmartre. After the 62 metres of elevation gain, the course drops slightly towards the finish. It is impossible for sprint trains to organise themselves here.
Already on the approach to Montmartre, the field will stretch out and tear itself apart on the climb.
In our simulation, we assume an attack on the last crossing of Montmartre. After such an attack, which bilke is mathematically the best basis for an escape?
The fastest bike for the attack on the Montmatre and the extension of the escape to the finish is the most aerodynamic bike in the field: the Van Rysel RCR-F Pro narrowly wins out over the Cervélo S5.
*) The calculations are based on the bikes tested by TOUR in the laboratory and wind tunnel. The bikes at the Tour de France may differ in some details. Of course, we have also not yet been able to analyse last-minute prototypes. Background to the simulation.
Robert Kühnen studied mechanical engineering, writes about technical and training topics for TOUR and develops test methods. Robert has been refining the simulation calculations for years and they are also used by professional teams.