Aru and Martin testing in the Silverstone wind tunnel

Day dedicated to aerodynamic tests for Fabio Aru and Daniel Martin.

The two UAE Team Emirates riders visited the Drag2Zero facility within the Mercedes F1 wind tunnel adjacent to the British motor racing circuit of Silverstone. The work focused on perfecting their movements on the Colnago K.One time trial bikes under the direction of the wind tunnel staff, the supervision of Iñigo San Millan (head coach of UAE Team Emirates) and the materials advice from Lars Teutenberg. They carefully tested the various configurations offered by the team’s technical materials suppliers.

“It feels good working in a state-of-the-art facility, where the fastest cars in the world are also tested,” Aru said. “We examined a range of time trial positions, looking for those that guarantee the best combination of aerodynamics and comfort. The work was worth it, an excellent opportunity offered by the team.”

“It is very important to be able to add the wind tunnel test to the research work already carried out in winter on the track,” added Martin. “The wind tunnel offers a neutral environment, which allows technicians to collect useful data for the choice of materials. For a cyclist facing a race against the clock, it’s essential he knows he’s riding a bike that’s expressing its maximum potential.”