Marco Pantani leaned his body backward, pressing his abdomen against the back of the saddle. Chris Froome preferred to shift all his body weight forward, lifting off the saddle and tucking his body. Vincenzo Nibali lowered his back without getting off the saddle, placing his chin on the stem. And Peter Sagan tried to align his body with the top tube of the frame. These are some of the different positions that great riders adopt on the bike to achieve a more aerodynamic posture during mountain pass descents, whether competing with road bikes or, in other cases, exploring techniques also applicable to cycling on mountain bikes.
Less effort and greater aerodynamic advantage
The goal of all these techniques is to cover more distance with less effort and gain valuable seconds over rivals. But which of them is really the most effective posture? Bert Blocken, professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, along with other scientists, published a study comparing six different descent techniques to determine which offers the greatest aerodynamic advantage.
This analysis was inspired by Chris Froome’s spectacular descent during stage eight of the 2016 Tour de France. The Briton sped down the Col de Peyresourde at full speed, pedaling intensely while pressing his torso against the handlebars of his bike. Although many cyclists tried to imitate this maneuver in later races, the study’s results—carried out through computer simulations and wind tunnel tests—show that Froome’s posture was not the fastest.
According to the data, the most efficient position is the so-called Top tube safe, popularized by Peter Sagan on the descent of the Col d’Eze in 2014. In this technique, the cyclist rests their torso on the top tube of the frame, allowing a more balanced distribution of weight over both wheels. It is a position that not only improves aerodynamics but also provides greater control and safety, key aspects for users of road bikes in high competition as well as for those who enjoy technical downhill on mountain bikes.
Specifically, with Sagan's style you can descend up to 17% faster, compared to the 9% improvement offered by Froome's position. However, the fastest position is known as Superman, in which the cyclist stretches their body completely horizontally with their feet off the pedals. Although extremely aerodynamic, this technique is also the most unstable, especially in tight corners.