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303Endurance Podcast


Feb 18, 2023

German cyclist Jens Voigt won three stages of the Tour De France--and wore the yellow jersey twice--Voigt. Today Jens is a cycling broadcaster and enjoys participating in cycling in new ways. He was recently in Boulder for Old Man Winter and we are excited to have him as a guest interview on the show today.

 

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In Today's Show

  • Feature Interview - Jens Voigt
  • Endurance News - New 2023 PTO Rankings Revealed & Dissected, 2023 USA Paralympic Team Announced
  • What's new in the 303 - The Evolution of the Modern Bike Wheel
  • Video of the Week - Jens at Old Man Winter

 

Feature Interview: Jens Voigt

German cyclist Jens Voigt isn't a superstar in the traditional sense of the word. Although he won three stages of the Tour De France--and wore the yellow jersey twice--Voigt never claimed an overall victory. He became a star because he embodies qualities that go beyond winning and losing: sacrifice, selflessness, reliability, and devotion. European and American crowds were drawn to his aggressive riding style, outgoing nature, and refreshing realness.

 

Track coach punishing for not giving 100%

Distracting other students

What did the Australian's do that was so "deep and dark"?

Eastern Germany - couldn't listen to listen to western radio and tv; Iron Curtain to protect us

After the border came down, that was all a big lie

27 years old at the first TDF

 

Bobby and Jens Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bobby-and-jens/id1463427673

VeloNews

Cycling’s odd couple is back with an informative, entertaining, and occasionally feisty new podcast. Longtime friends and former teammates Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt shared the agonies and ecstasies of World Tour racing, gaining an unrivaled understanding and appreciation for the sport. Every week, they bring insightful commentary and unique chemistry to conversations with the riders, coaches, and diverse new personalities shaping today’s scene. Tune in for revealing interviews about life at the front—and back—of the peloton, along with behind-the-scenes stories about emerging trends in training, gear, and coaching.

 

Plug: Primal Shut Up Legs

Bill to read out.

 

Endurance News:

New 2023 PTO Rankings Revealed & Dissected

The Professional Triathletes Organization has released an update to their much-maligned pro ranking system. The result is...complicated.

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

TIM HEMING

  

For access to all of our training, gear, and race coverage, plus exclusive training plans, FinisherPix photos, event discounts, and GPS apps, sign up for Outside+.

 

Ever since the Professional Triathletes Organization got some big-money backers and really put down its marker on the sport, one of the key ways to distribute that wealth has been through its rankings system.

 

Being ranked number one in the PTO system is more than just about ego; it’s worth its weight in gold. Last year, Kristian Blummenfelt and Anne Haug scooped $100,000 each as part of the $2 million payout, and the rankings are also used to provide the first four spots for each region in the lucrative Collins Cup, where another $1.5M is forked out in appearance fees. Bear in mind, this is all on top of prize money and sponsorship dollars.

 

With some hard greenbacks to be fought over, it’s little wonder that long course professionals care that the system is fair, and why – after receiving much criticism in its first three years – it’s having an overhaul for 2023.

 

But before we dive into the nitty-gritty of the new rankings, it’s worth a quick recap of the old system and why there was a movement for change.

 

What were the original PTO Rankings?

Introduced in 2020, the original rankings took the average points score from a triathlete’s best three races over the course of 12 months.

 

So far, so easy, but all of those super-important points came from a triathlete’s finish time [not position] that was held up against something the PTO called an Adjusted Ideal Time (AIT) for each race.

 

The AIT was based on an algorithm that took in factors such as previous times on the course and how fast the course was on that specific day. Then, a few days after the race, the points would be issued. The AIT target time was worth 100 points. Go faster, you get more. Slower, you score less.

 

There were a couple of minor tweaks over the system’s three-year run, including upweighting certain races, but chiefly it remained the same time-based format.

 

So, what was the problem?

The problems were multiple, but an overriding issue was one of transparency. Triathletes and fans just didn’t know – and it wasn’t or couldn’t be properly explained – how the algorithm worked. Understandably, this led to conspiracies about how the numbers were actually crunched and to much ire if you scored less than you thought you deserved.

 

USA Triathlon Announces 2023 U.S. Elite Paratriathlon National Team

February 14, 2023

 

11-member team includes six Paralympic triathlon medalists and seven world champions.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – USA Triathlon today announced the 11 members of the 2023 U.S. Elite Paratriathlon National Team, the group of elite paratriathletes who will represent the U.S. at the highest levels of elite paratriathlon competition during the 2023 season, a pivotal year before the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

 

Qualification for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games starts this year with the Paralympic qualification period beginning on July 1, 2023. Automatic selection events in 2023 will be the 2023 World Triathlon Para Cup Paris on Aug. 19 and the 2023 World Triathlon Para World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain on Sept. 20-24. The finalized U.S. Paralympic (and Olympic) qualification procedures will be published and released soon.

 

“The group of elite athletes named to the 2023 U.S. Elite Paratriathlon Team have strong podium potential in the ever-improving elite ranks and are contenders for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games,” said Lindsey Jerdonek, USA Triathlon Elite Paralympic Manager. “Through world-class coaching and access to training resources and facilities, these athletes have what it takes to continue to win medals consistently on the international stage.”

 

The talented roster includes six Paralympic triathlon medalists and seven world champions. The team will compete at World Triathlon Para Series events and World Triathlon Para Cup events throughout the 2023 season.

 

USA Triathlon values its role in helping further professionalize the sport of paratriathlon and continuing to be at the forefront in equitable treatment of all elite athletes. For the second consecutive year, each member of the 2023 U.S. Elite Paratriathlon National Team will receive direct athlete support stipends equal to that of the funding the athletes on the 2023 U.S. Elite National Team receive. The 2023 U.S. Elite National Team will be announced next Tuesday, Feb. 21.

 

What's New in the 303:

 

The Evolution of the Modern Bike Wheel

303 Cycling | The Evolution of the Bike Wheel

Graphics and narrative by: A.V. Schmit

 

Wheels and tires, wheels and tires, wheels and tires… Seems like on every ride that’s all people can talk about these days. So, I thought it might be of value for the 303 Endurance community to write a primer about the evolution of bicycle wheel / tire design.

 

While it usually makes sense to start most stories from the beginning. I think in this case, it makes more sense to start in the middle, as I would anticipate many readers have never ridden on a tubular tire shod hoop.

 

303 Cycling | Clincher TireUntil the advent of tubeless road wheels, the dominant standard was the clincher wheel. That consisted of a rim with a “hook” that turned inward toward the center of the wheel, and a tire that had a “bead” reinforced with wire, or in the case of foldable tires, reinforced with Kevlar or other aramid fibers like Vectran.

 

When a tube is inserted into the tire and mounted on the rim and inflated, the tube presses the bead into the hook of the rim. It is that pressure that holds tire onto the rim. This is what most riders use and have likely ever used.

 

Now, let’s take a step back. Originally, tires and tubes for road bikes were a single unit. You may have heard the term “sew up” in the US or “single” in the UK and Australia. They both refer to a tubular tire.

 

Essentially, a butyl or latex tube is contained within the casing, usually made from cotton fabric that has the tread bonded to it. Then the casing is sewn together with an additional strip of fabric glued over the seam.

 

The rim, which has a shallow concave channel, is prepared with a number of layers of specialty tubular adhesive and the interior of the casing of the tire is also coated with a number of additional applications of the same adhesive. Then the tire is stretched over the rim and carefully centered over the channel and left to cure.

 

303 Cycling | Tubular TireNow, if you are thinking, “what a hassle.” You’d be right, gluing up tubular tires under the best of circumstances is a bit of a smelly mess.

 

The advantages of tubular tires are they tend to be more supple and lighter than clinchers and can be ridden in an emergency when flat. The disadvantage is a puncture by the side of the road is a most unpleasant experience, even if you have an extra tire with you.

 

Which is why tubulars are almost exclusively used by racers… as a chase car complete with mechanic and spare wheels is seldom far behind. But even race teams are beginning to embrace tubeless tire / rim combinations — In some case because of sponsor demands and in some cases for budget reasons. Eliminating the need for separate “race” and “training” wheels decreases the number of wheels needed to be maintained by the team’s mechanic’s staff.

 

Hookless rim / wheels have been “a thing” in mountain bikes for nearly 10 years, but they are just growing in popularity in the road bike community, especially in gravel applications. A hookless rim is kind of what it sounds like. A rim profile that forgoes the traditional hook of a clincher rim / wheel but that also has “shoulders” that stretch the tire around its circumference to form a seal.

 

The upside of a hookless rim is that is has shown to be more impervious to impact and it simplifies the construction process, especially in carbon fiber wheels. And according to ZPP, a leading manufacturer of high-performance carbon fiber bike wheels, reduces the cost of manufacturing.

 

303 Cycling | Tubeless TireWhat that means is that hookless rims are tubeless ONLY. It is NOT RECOMMENDED to use a tube and non-tubeless tire with a hookless rim. They require a tubeless tire that meets specific design criteria and materials.

 

Generally speaking a tubeless tire is stiffer in the sidewall than a clincher tire, making it less supple. This is because the system depends on the tire stretching over the “shoulders” of the rim, mating the tire with the rim to form an airtight seal.

 

And, like all tubeless tire / rim combinations, they require sealant and specialty rim tape. The sealant completes the tire system by preventing air from escaping through the pores and small imperfections in the tire. The adhesive-backed rim tape prevents air from escaping through the spoke holes of the rim. Sealant also provides a level of puncture protection by using the tire’s internal air pressure to force sealant through small punctures when they occur.

 

A word about sealant. Most sealants are made of natural or synthetic latex and contain cellulose, rubber particles or organic thickeners and glycol which acts as a liquid carrier for the suspended particles. Most are highly basic, not as in simple, but as in the opposite of acidic on the Ph scale.

 

When the tire is punctured, the internal air pressure of the tire forces the liquid sealant is through the hole, and a small amount escapes.  When this happens the fibers or small particles build-up at the site of the puncture and intertwine to form a flexible plug. Then a chemical reaction happens that “cures” the rubber and fills the puncture.

 

At least that’s what is supposed to happen. When the puncture is too big, the sealant is old, or there is not enough un-cured sealant in the tire… then not so much.

 

OK, so that was more than a word. But hopefully you learned something.

 

 

Video of the Week:

 

Jens Voigt at the Old Man Winter Bike Rally Feb 6 2023

 

 

 

Closing:

Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it!

Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!