Aerodynamics, pioneering research to improve race times

How does science improve the performance of athletes? This is particularly the case in France, where scientists are integrated into federations. Today, cycling. Boris Hallier reports.

During the weekends of these Olympic Games, Flag ticket Discusses many sports disciplines that invite researchers to win more medals. Today, we go to the wind tunnel with the French cycling team.

Here, the bike is fixed to the ground, on a balance, in what looks like a tunnel, and the noise we hear is a huge fan… “There's actually a lot of wind coming in.” Road and Cycle Track, Corentin Ermenault. Winds of more than 70 km/h facing cyclists on the track.

“The wind hits your face, as they say in cycling. We're really facing the wind, so there's air resistance, obviously, with the body, the bike, all the gear…”

Corentin Ermenault

Road and Cycle Path

Among these tools, there is obviously the helmet…

And that day, in the wind tunnel installed near the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines race track, the cyclists of the French team tried to determine the perfect helmet. “We are trying different helmets today, to see which one is the best, so, despite the similarities, helmets can definitely change the aerodynamics.” Corentin Ermenault adds.

The aerodynamicist is Emmanuel Brunet, director of research and performance at the French Cycling Federation. “It goes very quickly, we go from helmet to helmet, with each athlete, we do two tests.”

“On my computer, I have all the data files. I actually see the aerodynamic drag, the wind speed. We change the helmet size. It often happens, in pursuit locations or in situations that are almost ideal, that larger helmets allow them to get aerodynamic gains.”

Emmanuel Brunet

Director of Research and Performance at the French Cycling Federation

“And for once, the bust and shoulders make up a lot of mass, and to be able to define all that mass, they are helped a little by the helmet. On the other hand, because the aerodynamics are complex, it is necessary to really test to know that, to be sure,” Emmanuel Brunet adds.

An important choice, because the right helmet can save a few hundredths of a second.