After that particular position with the brake levers closed in a very marked way that we had seen used by Remco Evenepoel and then also by many others (not least the solution was adopted at Tour Down Under race with traditional bicycles for logistical reasons) here is the handlebar with a flare evident used by Tadej Pogacar at the Paris Nice.
What does it mean?
That handlebar that widens downwards
The Slovenian rider, winner of the French stage race, used handlebars with a few degrees of “flare” compared to traditional racing handlebars. The lower support is therefore wider than the upper bar of the handlebar. Why this location?
Evidently Pogacar finds it more comfortable this way, on the other hand with such a handlebar, even without the marked inclinations that can be reached with some gravel handlebars, you can rest your hands better with less effort on the wrists and, ultimately, with an even more aerodynamic since you can keep your elbows tighter. Although it is a “road” handlebar, there is a tendency to seek greater comfort by widening the lower support.
In the case of today’s stage, Pogacar did not use the official handlebar supplied by Colnago to Team UAE (the CC.01 model which also has a geometry that leads to a slight widening), but a system made up of separate stem and handlebar from another brand . Colnago currently only supplies the CC.01 integrated handlebar to the team but it is said they are also working on a new solution to be supplied to the team.
The right size of bicycle handlebar
