BMC Racing spent a few days in sunny Alicante, Spain, getting the bikes (and legs) ready for another succesful season. Setting up the bikes right is an important process, especially since the whole 3T handlebar range has been updated for 2018 with the arrival of the ergonomic Superergo and the superlight Superleggera (and the adventure-specific Superghiaia but that’s not for road bikes). Always good to see the riders discussing options and getting our 3T handlebars set up to the millimetre in the hands of their amazing mechanics.
Not all riders showed up, as half of the squad was already in Australia for the “Santos Tour Down Under” race,
It was interesting to see how these pros get in shape so fast , logging incredible amounts of low speed (well, not so slow…) miles in a couple of weeks. Two groups were made, with different training programs, some of them more focused on the Classic races, while others were already thinking about the grand tours.
A big display of massive trucks, mobile workshops, beautiful bikes , new clothing and a crew formed by 4 mechanics, 4 masseurs, 1 biomechanic, 2 physical coaches, 1 social media manager, 1 chef, 2 sports directors, and one doctor. The show is ready!
We had also the opportunity, with the help of the BMC crew, to sit for a few minutes with Greg Van Avermaet, and shoot him a few quick questions before heading for the massage of the day, a moment you cannot delay too much!
3T: Hey Greg, nice to see you again, so, what’s your feeling for this next season?
Greg: Feeling pretty good, I’m in a good condition I want to do the same as last year, do a good classic season but also perform well in the rest of the calendar that suits me. But of course that my main goal is the classics calendar, and the highlight of the season will be
3T: Which handlebar will you use this season?
Greg: I still use the classic 3T Rotundo, I like it, it’s a classic handlebar that fits well in my hands and it’s aggressive. As a classic guy I go for a classic handlebar, it’s a good match on how I feel on the bike.
3T: Regarding the aerobar, it uses a ski-bend, what do you like about that?
Greg: The aero bar has to be comfortable because you are in a aero TT position, but also need to bring support in order to bring power to your bike, ski-bend it’s my favourite one, but this is different from rider to rider.
3T: Are you picky with the handlebars, cockpit settings?
Greg: I’m pretty picky, we have 3 contact points on the bike, saddle, shoes/pedals and the handlebar, so the position its super important both in comfort and handling-wise.
Thanks Greg and good luck to you and your team for this season!
