Tadej Pogačar raced in the prologue time trial at the Tour de Romandie today on a prototype Colnago time trial bike.
He rode the new machine to fifth place in the 3.2km test, finishing seven seconds behind stage winner Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers).
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Pogačar was spotted riding a mystery time trial bike in early February, and we speculated on what that bike could be at the time. It would appear it was an early, unbranded version of the TT2 bike which he has used today.
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(Image credit: Colnago )
(Image credit: Colnago )
(Image credit: Colnago )
(Image credit: Colnago )
(Image credit: Colnago )(Image credit: Colnago )
(Image credit: Colnago )
(Image credit: Colnago)Pogačar’s time trials this year
Pogačar will ride a size small bike, and his own model in the images above is built up with a Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, Enve wheelset and Carbon-Ti aftermarket parts such as the large 1X aero chainring. One difference of note compared to his road bikes is the Fizik Aeris split nose triathlon saddle fitted to the bike.
The Slovenian superstar currently has at least four time trials to ride this year, not including any championships he might choose to ride. Today at the Tour of Romandie, one at the upcoming Tour de Suisse and two crucial ones at the Tour de France.
The Romandie prologue is very short, and the Tour de Suisse time trial is flat and fast; both are seemingly different beasts from the tests at the Tour de France, which include more climbing, with the Tour prologue including a new format which should create fireworks.
The goal to save weight on the TT2 is telling that weight at the top level is critical. If a rider of Pogačar’s stature can find a half-kilogram weight saving on the right course, it could provide an advantage that will help him gain time on his rivals come July and in the future.
Pogačar famously chose to use a stripped-down road bike for last year’s mountain time trial at the Tour de France, preferring a lighter drop bar bike to his time trial bike for the stage. Stage 16’s ITT at this year’s Tour includes the Côte de Larringes climb, a roughly 9km ascent at around a 4.3% average gradient. Perhaps this is where Pogačar’s new weight saving will help him this July.