Tunnel time for Mathias Hecht

Herbert Krabel Wed May 04 2016

Swiss Pro Mathias Hecht spent time in a wind tunnel in Germany with his sponsor Swiss Side to test his new Canyon and make sure he is ready for 2016. Hecht, who has been dealing with injuries the last couple years, is healthy again and has already been riding on Swiss Side Hadron wheels and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 components but those were on a Trek Speed Concept. For 2016 he will be on a Canyon Speedmax CF SLX just like Jan Frodeno and Nils Frommhold, and he also made some helmet and clothing changes. He is now ready to make a good impression as a professional triathlete and a coach for Brett Sutton.

Slideshow

Mathias Hecht gets assistance as he prepares for a long day in the German EADS wind tunnel in Immenstaad at the Lake of Constance. The first tests were done on his Trek Speed Concept. He also had already replaced the Bontrager helmet with a Louis Garneau one, a helmet that tested better for him.

With temperatures hovering between 2-6 degrees Celsius (35-42 F) all early testing was done with warmer clothing. A long sleeve jersey, gloves and knickers. During breaks Hecht was draped with a warm puffy jacket.

The Swiss Side Ultimate 800+ wheels with Continental GP 4000 II tires stayed in place when the bike was exchanged.

Both bikes had identical Shimano Dura-Ace components and a Selle Italia Kronos saddle. So the difference was only the bike and the integrated nutrition storage units.

A team hard at work to make sure that the basic measurements are the same.

Ready for another run in cold conditions.

Hecht was focused on the task at hand and endured the day well.

The red lines you may have noticed in the previous picture ensure that the head position stays constant. Hecht also sees a video image of himself in the tunnel to help him stay in the correct position.