TNP’s partnership with the French Cycling Federation (FFC) marks an innovative alliance between technology and sport. Franck Giraud explains how this project aims to develop tailor-made shoes to optimize sprinters’ performance in competition. TNP contributes its expertise in analyzing behavior and reducing injuries. This promising partnership embodies the firm’s quest for excellence, combining advanced technology with respect for athletes’ health.
An article by Emmanuel Brunet, Manager Research & Performance, French Cycling Federation (FFC).
In track cycling, speeds vary between 50 and 80 km/h, depending on the event and key moments of the competition. In peloton events, average speeds for men approach the 60 km/h mark. While the physical strength required to transfer colossal energy to the pedals is undeniable, strategy and aerodynamics are just as crucial.
The importance of handlebars in the quest for performance
Indeed, 90% of the energy expended by cyclists is used to overcome air resistance, most of which is caused by the cyclist’s own position. This is why an optimized posture becomes essential, not only to maximize speed in decisive moments, but also to save energy during calmer phases of the race.
The choice and adjustment of handlebars are therefore essential aspects in improving performance. With this in mind, TNP, as the study funder and scientific contributor, collaborated with the French Cycling Federation (FFC) to support research and development focused on the ergonomics of the equipment used by athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Understanding the athlete to choose the right equipment
The FFC’s performance unit did not limit itself to selecting the most aerodynamic equipment available. It also sought to better understand how athletes behave and feel, and to anticipate the impact of using different equipment.
The wind tunnel studies did not conclude that one handlebar design was systematically more aerodynamically efficient than another. In fact, in an endurance race, the design of the handlebar is not crucial as long as the position remains identical. However, handlebars fitted with appendages allowing the rider to rest their hands and adopt more aerodynamic positions proved to offer a different feel and a better ability to maintain these positions during prolonged efforts.
Wind tunnel tests to validate choices
This research was conducted twice with two athletes from the French team, one of whom was a substitute for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The athletes had the opportunity to compare different handlebar configurations in the wind tunnel at the Institut Aérotechnique de Saint-Cyr-l’École, a partner of the FFC.
The results showed that adopting more aerodynamic positions effectively reduces drag, while straightening up increases it. While top-level athletes are already aware of these aspects and instinctively adjust their position according to the phases of the race, they were surprised to find that handlebars with appendages are not always more aerodynamic, although they do facilitate these positions. The real impact on performance can only be measured under real race conditions, especially over time.
A strategic choice for French cyclists
In light of these observations, the French team, in consultation with their staff and the FFC’s performance unit, decided to use handlebars with appendages. This choice aims to facilitate the adoption of aerodynamic positions at strategic moments in the race while allowing necessary adjustments in other phases, such as relay hand-offs in the madison, using hands in the handlebar drops during sprints, or more relaxed positions during transitions.
The adoption of these more ergonomic handlebars not only reduces energy expenditure but also fatigue, which are crucial elements in peloton racing. This meticulous work enabled Benjamin Thomas, for example, to add the Olympic title in Paris to his impressive international record, thanks to a “perfect” position in the omnium.
Benjamin Thomas, champion olympique de l’omnium
Benjamin Thomas, Olympic omnium champion
Benjamin Thomas is a cyclist who excels both on the road and the track, two disciplines he practices simultaneously during the season, setting him apart from the French peloton of his generation.
On the track, he competes in endurance events such as the points race, the Madison, and the omnium, three specialties in which he has at least one world title. He is nicknamed “the calculator.”
His list of achievements includes five world championship titles: omnium in 2017 and 2020, Madison in 2017 and 2022, and points race in 2021. He is also a nine-time European track champion. On the road, he was French time trial champion in 2019 and 2021. He also won stage 5 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. That same year, he won the omnium at the Paris Olympic Games.
