As tubeless road gains popularity in the consumer market, tubulars still rule the pros. But with the Spring Classics opening this weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday and Sunday’s Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, Deceuninck – Quick-Step is making the move to with Specialized‘s Turbo Hell of the North Clinchers and our S-Works Turbo RapidAir tires. Davide Ballerini took the win on Saturday. Can the team, and clincher tires, sweep the weekend and be a watershed moment for the technology?
Clinchers and tubeless have, for the most part, been reserved for time trials and a few other races, but this will be the toughest road test for the technology in the pro ranks. For years, tubulars were considered the gold standard for comfort, rolling resistance, and safety when a rider has a flat. As tires have advanced, tubeless has been proven to have less rolling resistance and be extremely comfortable, not to mention that sealant can handle punctures, and are not prone to pinch flats. Clinchers have seen more and more action in time trials, proving they can be set up to have the lowest rolling resistance, while maintaining the durability needed for pro racing.
Deceuninck – Quick-Step and Specialized have been working to develop clinchers for racing over the last few years, with the brand launching the S-Works Turbo RapidAir tires at the 2020 Tour de France and the team taking stage wins and the Green Jersey. The team has been transitioning over the last two years, and have committed to clinchers for 2021, pairing the Turbo clincher tires with Roval carbon clincher wheels. For Specialized though, it has been over 40 years in the making, as their first product was a road tire.
“After one ‘transition’ year of testing, and with already several years racing clinchers in TT as the fastest option, in 2021 we decided to move forward with clinchers for all types of racing”, explained Ricardo Scheidecker, Technical and Development Manager for Deceuninck – Quick-Step. “Based on the data we have collected from extensive testing, we arrived to the level of being very comfortable with our choice knowing that we have the fastest setups, even for the demanding Cobbles Classics. Clinchers are part of the future in terms of performance and the combination with the new generation of Roval wheels is perfect. Our staff and riders involved in this process are very happy and pleased with the work developed together with Specialized to achieve this path. Now we know that we must keep moving forward because development is a process that never stops and…’the best way to predict your future is to create it’, Abraham Lincoln.”
“The result that we see Deceuninck – Quick-Step racing Clinchers at the Classics was a holistic campaign started 3 years ago across several departments at Specialized, Roval, and our professional athletes. DQT has been an incredible partner throughout the whole campaign. We ran through several development and test loops to fine tune the ride dynamics and deliver on the needs of the pro rider. We are confident that no matter the course, the team will see great success this season with our combination of tires and Roval Carbon clinchers.” – Oliver Kiesel, Specialized Tire Engineer
While it isn’t clear what tubes the team is running on the Turbo Hell of The North or if they will be running the S-Works Turbo RapidAir tubeless, what is clear is that Deceuninck – Quick-Step has been able to find success running a full range of Specialized products. Besides kits, sunglasses, shifting/braking components, pedals, bottles, and cages, Specialized outfits the team with the rest of their equipment. From pics, it looks like the Ballerini took the win on Turbo Hell of the Norths.
Could this be the beginning of the end for tubulars in the pro peloton? Probably not, but if Specialized and Deceuninck – Quick-StepDeceuninck – Quick-Step have anything to say about it, we will be seeing clinchers crossing the finish line first at all the big races.
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