Cyclelicious: Ullrich's loss: backward wheel?

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Ullrich's loss: backward wheel?

American Levi Leipheimer, riding for Team Gerolsteiner, won the Tour of Germany earlier this week just 31 seconds ahead of German Jan Ullrich. Xentis, which makes the carbon-fiber aero wheels used by Ullrich in the Stage 8 time trial, believes Ullrich could have won if his front wheel was installed properly.

Yes, you read that correctly. Ullrich's wheel was apparently installed backwards. While Ullrich won the time trial, Xentris believes a correctly installed wheel could have made up for his 31-second deficit to Leiphiemer.

Via HumanPowered Transport.

1 comment:

Guitar Ted said...: Hi! Thanks for the e-mail! You guessed rightly, I am a Christian! In fact- going to play today! Anyway, here's another amazing story. Laurent Fignon lost the overall in the '89 Tour de France because (some Frenchmen believe) he had a ponytail, and therefore was less aerodynamic! Actually, it was probably the aero bars that LeMond used, ( a first) that did him in. Interesting that the French didn't believe that it could have been the Americans superior talents and technology, isn't it?; 8/28/2005 05:09:00 AM