Lars Teutenberg, a former pro cyclist and world hour record holder, has taken on the role of positioning the Lotto Soudal riders on their bikes. Teutenberg, known for his expertise in aerodynamics and bikefitting, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team.
Teutenberg broke the world hour record three times on recumbent bikes or HPV’s (human powered vehicles), demonstrating the power of aerodynamics. He reflects on his attempts, stating, “I did some modifications on the vehicle and later on I did three attempts on another car test circuit. It always was a good demonstration of how powerful aerodynamics is.”
A passion for aerodynamics and thinking outside the box has always driven Teutenberg. He shares, “I was always obsessed about aero and I was always thinking out of the box. You always learn something, from the people involved, from the bike, from everything belonging to the bike, the different inertia aspects and so on. It is a process of constantly learning.”
Teutenberg’s expertise in bikefitting has made him the perfect fit for Lotto Soudal. Reflecting on his own experiences, he says, “What I knew and learned back then, in my HPV period, I’ve applied to myself. On the track I was one of the first riders to use that new LeMond-Tour de France-type – now standard – cockpit. Later on, everyone was using it. I already used clinchers way before other riders did…The evolution of the wheel is very interesting. A wheel stays round, but everything else underwent some major changes the last twenty years.”
Teutenberg’s work in bikefitting began while he was still a rider, conducting tests for other riders and teams. He eventually became the “technical guy” for T-Mobile and later joined High road. It was during this time that he met Maxime Monfort, Lotto Soudal’s Performance Manager, with whom he has maintained a connection.
When it comes to positioning the riders, Teutenberg emphasizes the importance of daring to make adjustments. He explains, “Most important thing: you need to dare to put the riders higher. When you put a rider – let’s say – 5 centimeters lower, you can obtain a time gain of two or three minutes in a one-hour ride. That’s impressive. But most riders sit already a little bit too low. Now I put many riders higher so that they can produce more power. They can hold the position better.”
Teutenberg acknowledges that there is still work to be done, particularly with the young riders on the team. He states, “But… we still have the – many – young riders… There’s still a lot to do for them, as they had nothing in the past.”
As the team prepares for their upcoming training camp in Valencia, the next step for the Lotto Soudal riders will be tests on the track where they will continue to fine-tune their positioning with Teutenberg’s guidance.
