TT Bike Position Science: What Remco Evenepoel Teaches Us About Time Trialling
When "low and narrow" stops being enough
For years the rule for a time trial bike position was simple: get as low and as narrow as you possibly can. That thinking has changed. Wind tunnel and velodrome testing, CdA measured alongside power, and a growing body of physiology research have shifted the goal. The question is no longer "what is the most aerodynamic position?" but "what is the fastest position?"
Nobody embodies that shift better than Remco Evenepoel. In 2026 he moved to Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe and won the individual time trial at the Montréal World Championships (39.2 km) in 44:53 for a fourth straight world title. He beat Filippo Ganna by 57 seconds and drew level with Fabian Cancellara and Tony Martin on four world TT titles, the most ever. At the Tour de France he won the stage 16 time trial (26.1 km) by 28 seconds over Tadej Pogačar and finished second overall.
This article sets out the current theory of TT position and what the research says, then breaks down Remco's position and training to see why he is so fast. It ends with what amateur riders can borrow from him, and what they should leave alone.
The latest theory: maximum speed, not minimum CdA
Put simply, time trial speed comes down to the balance between the power you can produce and your aerodynamic drag (CdA). Lower your CdA and you go faster for the same power. Go too low, though, and your hip closes up, your breathing gets shallow, and the power you can sustain drops.
Cycling Weekly estimates that riding at 40 km/h takes around 250 W with a CdA of 0.25, but only around 220 W with a CdA of 0.22. That shows how much CdA matters. The same article warns that an extreme position closes the hip and knee angles, stretches the shoulders and restricts breathing, so the overall watts-to-CdA trade-off may not improve at all.
Current thinking comes down to three ideas:
The goal is the highest speed from power and CdA together, not the lowest CdA. Measure power and CdA at the same time for each position you try, and compare.
Shift your weight forward. Moving the saddle forward and placing your centre of mass between the axles, or slightly ahead of centre, lets you lower your torso while keeping an open hip angle. Remco's position is a clear example of this.
Bring your hands and head together. It is not just about lowering the torso. Shrinking the triangle formed by your hands, head and shoulders, and closing the gap between helmet and hands, is central to good aero. GCN describes this as the scientific consensus when riding on extensions.
In other words, the modern TT position is no longer a race to be lowest. It is about how well you can turn your whole body into a single, compact shape, and how much power you can keep producing in it.
What the research says: hip angle, stack height and heat
Faulkner & Jobling (2021, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance)
Eleven trained cyclists completed submaximal tests and a time trial in five positions: hip angles of 12° (more horizontal), 16°, 20° and 24° (more upright), plus their own self-selected position.
Upper-body angle had a linear relationship with heat production. As the torso rises and the hip opens, convective and evaporative cooling appear to increase, although mean body temperature did not change.
The conclusion: the physiological cost of closing the hip angle is outweighed by the aerodynamic benefit, so riders should favour aerodynamic optimisation for shorter time trials.
Changing stack height 1 cm at a time (Sports Engineering, 2023)
Nine male cyclists and triathletes who race regularly rode four 3,200 m efforts on an outdoor velodrome, with extension stack height changed in 1 cm steps.
Changing stack height had small to moderate effects on CdA, aero-physiological economy (APE) and energy cost.
Changes in TT time were correlated with changes in both aerodynamic drag and APE.
The authors stress that if the aero gain does not outweigh the physiological cost, TT performance will not improve.
Practical takeaways from the research
The shorter the TT (around 30 minutes or less), the more you can favour aero. As events get longer, heat, breathing and comfort matter more.
One centimetre is not small. A 1 cm change in stack height has a measurable effect on both CdA and power.
The best answer varies a lot between riders. The same change can make one rider faster and another slower, so the only way to know is to test with your own numbers.
UCI rules: the position you are allowed depends on your height
Since January 2023 the UCI has split its TT extension rules into three height categories (Article 1.3.023). The rules cover the horizontal distance from the bottom bracket to the tip of the extensions (reach) and the height difference between the middle of the armrest and the highest or lowest point of the extensions.
Under 180.0 cm: maximum reach 800 mm, height difference under 100 mm
180.0–189.9 cm: maximum reach 830 mm, height difference under 120 mm
190.0 cm and over: maximum reach 850 mm, height difference under 140 mm
The change favours taller riders, who can now use a higher hand position and longer reach. They no longer need to drop their heads to close the gap between head and hands. Stefan Küng has said the new rules narrowed the gap between him and smaller riders such as Remco.
From 2026, helmets are also classified as either "traditional" or "time trial", and TT helmets can only be used on the road in individual and team time trials. The rules now state explicitly that resting the forearms on the handlebar is only allowed in time trials, and only on fixed TT extensions.
At 171 cm, Remco is in category 1. He cannot raise his hands as high as taller riders, so he wins with compactness, using short arms and exceptional flexibility, as the next section shows.
Remco's position: inside the "Aero Bullet"
Remco's compact position has earned him the nickname "the Aero Bullet". Pulling together analysis from the media, former teammates and his physiotherapist, his speed can be broken down into the following elements.
1. A tiny triangle of hands, head and shoulders
His defining feature is how little space there is between his hands, head and shoulders. Former teammate Rémi Cavagna has explained that bringing the hands up to the helmet is the key to keeping drag down. Remco rolls his shoulders inward and sinks his head between his arms, yet he can still see the road ahead.
Velo describes his shoulders as only fractionally higher than his hips, his helmet and hands as one, and his pelvis as barely rocking. As a result, he loses less power in the TT position than most riders do.
Famously, part of his helmet visor has been cut away. His position is so low that Specialized had to remove part of the visor to let his hands sit closer to his face.
2. Build: short arms and remarkable mobility
At 171 cm, Remco is 10–20 cm shorter than past TT greats such as Ganna, Cancellara and Tony Martin, and his limbs are shorter too. His physiotherapist Thijs Hertsens points out that his short arms let him stay close to his body on the extensions. Very high mobility in thoracic flexion and neck extension makes the position possible.
3. Sitting forward, with the knee over the pedal
Remco sits well forward, with his centre of mass between the wheels or slightly ahead of centre. Because his knee passes over the pedal, he can recruit more of his quads and glutes and push harder. He has also matched his road and TT bike fits so that his pedal stroke and hip position are similar on both.
4. Cranks shortened from 172.5 mm to 165 mm
Switching from 172.5 mm to 165 mm cranks was a big change. Shorter cranks reduce hip closure at the top of the pedal stroke and also bring an aero benefit. Red Bull's Dan Bigham explains that an extended leg catches the air like "a big cylinder", so a more bent leg creates less drag.
5. Different positions for different courses
For the mountain time trial on stage 13 of the 2025 Tour, Retül, Specialized's bike-fitting brand, revealed a climbing-specific TT position. The extension stack was raised to lift his torso, and the saddle moved slightly forward. Opening the hip angle helps him recruit his muscles and hold his power while keeping some aero benefit. On a flat TT he is doing more than 50 km/h, but on a climb closer to 25 km/h. At lower speed aero matters less, so the best position changes. It is the theory put into practice.
6. Equipment and clothing (2025–2026)
Custom extensions: high-sided armrests lock him into position. The grips are angled inward until they almost touch, with shift buttons underneath.
Big chainring: he used a 68-tooth chainring for the 2026 UAE Tour time trial.
Skinsuit: at Soudal Quick-Step he raced in short sleeves after 2023 wind tunnel testing, but after joining Red Bull he switched to long sleeves. He said it was basically the only change to come out of the latest wind tunnel visit.
New Shiv TT: a more aero prototype Shiv TT appeared at the 2026 Tour, succeeding the model first raced in 2019.
Remco's training: getting stronger inside the position
The position is built on the bike, but the body that can hold it is built in training. Remco's approach falls into four parts.
1. Make time for the TT bike
According to his former coach Koen Pelgrim, during the Tour Remco did his cool-downs after flat stages on the TT bike, to keep his muscles used to the very specific angles of the TT position.
In his final block before the Giro, he rode most of a 182 km session on his TT bike, including motor-pacing behind his father's scooter, averaging 44.7 km/h.
Belgian team staff say he trains on the TT bike often enough throughout the year that he does not need a full week of hard TT efforts before a big race.
Takeaway: the TT bike is not a special machine you only bring out before races. It is something you ride regularly. The best time triallists spend a lot of time training in the TT position, which helps them adapt to it and produce more power in it.
2. Off the bike: strength, mobility and breathing
Remco does strength and mobility work to hold his position, and he has learned belly breathing to improve his lung capacity. A steep forward lean compresses the chest and abdomen, so how you breathe directly affects performance. More generally, flexibility in the shoulders, hip flexors and hamstrings, plus core strength, are seen as the biggest limits on how aggressive a position you can hold. Exercises such as deep squats, which build strength at small hip angles, are also recommended.
3. Testing in the wind tunnel and on the track
In autumn 2025, straight after joining Red Bull, he visited Specialized's headquarters in Morgan Hill, California, and spent 15 hours over two days testing his position in the wind tunnel, arriving at 7 a.m. and leaving around 6 p.m. He also tested his position on a local track. Specialized described him as being as much a perfectionist as a Formula 1 driver. After the 2026 season he said he would return to the tunnel to hunt for more marginal gains.
4. The team behind him: Bigham and Lorang
At Red Bull, Dan Bigham, a former Hour Record holder who heads the team's engineering, leads his aero work, while his coach changed from Koen Pelgrim, who had worked with him since 2018, to Dan Lorang. Bigham has called Remco perhaps the best time triallist of all time, praising both the power he can produce in that position and his willingness to try new things. Asked whether there are still gains to find, he answered: always.
What YouTube and podcasts can teach you
GCN, "Which Pro Is Most Aero In A Time-Trial?": compares Remco, Tony Martin and Ganna, and shows that even top pros have different ideas about the right position. A good reminder that there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
GCN, "Dr Pooley's Aero Bike Fit": starts from the point that a badly set-up TT bike is not necessarily more aero than a normal road bike, then walks through how to refine your body position.
Dylan Johnson and Sam Calder (Rule 28) wind tunnel test: most of the roughly 13 W saving came from position, helmet and clothing, not the bike. A slightly higher, sustainable head position was faster than a tucked one, which goes against the idea that dropping your head always makes you faster.
Roadman Cycling Podcast (with Dan Bigham): Bigham's aero priority order is position, then clothing, then helmet, then wheels, then frame. Your body comes before your equipment.
Matt Bottrill (UK TT fitting specialist): argues that nobody can hold an aero position for the whole of a race. A position you cannot hold will cost you the race, which matches what the research concludes.
The message these videos and podcasts keep repeating is that copying a champion's position may just cost you your own power.
Video picks
1. Inside a pro team's TT bike fit: Unibet Rose Rockets
The Dutch team follows Wessel Mouris and Tomas Kopecký as they refine their TT positions at Gelderblom Performance Lab ahead of their national championships. Several points from the fitters echo this article.
UCI rules come first: each of the three height categories limits saddle setback and the length, drop and angle of the extensions, and the best position has to be found within those limits. At one point, reducing the extension drop to make the bike legal actually improved how the rider held his hands.
Removing the front derailleur for a single chainring: this saves not just weight but frontal area, the same thinking as Remco's 1x setup.
"Keep the line from your back to your helmet flat": moving the hands reduces frontal area, while chin and head position flatten the back line. Lifting your neck creates a V-shaped dip between your back and helmet. The riders are also told to keep their wrists as low as possible.
At least five to six weeks to adapt to a new position: after that, they test on the track to find each rider's balance between lower drag and muscle efficiency. The research describes the aero versus physiology trade-off; in practice the order is "adapt first, then measure."
2. A former Hour Record holder explains: Victor Campenaerts
TT series: position (April 2020)
Belgium's Victor Campenaerts, who set the Hour Record of 55.089 km in 2019, explains his TT position and test data, including graphs of the power needed at different speeds, from his home. From the generation before Remco, it is still a great example of measuring and testing for yourself.
What stands out is his view that the right answer differs from rider to rider. For his Hour Record, wind tunnel testing showed he was faster without a visor, though not everyone is. He has said a change of position improved his performance by 5%, and he trained his core stability to hold an aggressive position for 60 minutes. Remco's combination of wind tunnel, flexibility and core strength was already standard practice among top time triallists back then.
3. Bike fit and drills for amateurs: Matt Bottrill Performance Coaching
Matt Bottrill is a former top British time triallist who now works as a bike fitter and coach for pro triathletes and everyday riders. His channel covers bike fitting, wind tunnel testing and getting started in time trials. Here are two videos that tie directly into this article.
Aero vs Comfort vs Power: What REALLY Matters in Bike Fit? (October 2026)
His answer is clear: biomechanics first, aero second. If your saddle height, setback and cleat position are wrong, you will not be able to hold an aero position for long.
Most people ride with their saddle too high, which can lift the head and cause back pain.
Pulling your knees in to be more aero may limit your power. For many riders, a wider pedal stance actually produces more power.
With so many armrest and extension options available today, you no longer need to slam the front end to get aero. He admits he chased aero too hard in his racing days and paid for it physically.
Aero Drills for 2026 | Get Faster on the Time Trial Bike (January 2026)
Turtle drill: rest on the armrests and drop your head forward "like you're eating from a bowl", then bring it back. Always look down the road, about 200 yards ahead. Dropping your head to look at the ground is neither aero nor sustainable. He points out that Remco is always looking forward.
Shoulder shrug: with your head tucked, bring your shoulders up towards your ears and roll them inward to narrow your upper body. It does not suit everyone, depending on pad position and shoulder flexibility. Think of it as a training version of Remco's rolled-in shoulders.
Build these drills into intervals, ideally twice a week, with durations matched to your ability.
One surprising point: Bottrill argues that people think aero matters most in headwinds, but in fact you should use the aero position to save energy in tailwinds and on fast sections, because it is very hard to produce full power and hold an aero position at the same time. It is a practical view based on what you can actually hold, not just aero theory.
4. The man behind Remco's aero: Dan Bigham
Ride Faster: Top Tips From Ineos' Aero Mastermind Dan Bigham (GCN Tech, January 2023)
Dan Bigham Reveals The "Lowest Hanging Fruit" For Aero Gains (Roadman Podcast Clips, October 2024)
Dan Bigham is a former Hour Record holder who worked as an engineer, including in Formula 1. He now leads Remco's aero work at Red Bull, and in these two videos from his Ineos days he explains, from an engineer's point of view, what to work on once your position is set.
GCN Tech: tips on aero and riding faster
Aero socks are the best-value upgrade: your lower leg sees fairly clean airflow and is a poor aerodynamic shape, a cylinder. The right fabric trips the boundary layer, keeps the flow attached and reduces pressure drag. Bigham calls them probably the best pound-per-watt aero upgrade in the world by some margin.
Fabric choice matters more than one-piece versus two-piece: with the same fabrics, the difference is small. What matters is choosing fabrics and patterns that suit your body, position and speed.
No gloves is usually faster in a TT position: a good general rule, but test it, because riders differ.
The air behind the bike matters too: leg movement constantly changes the flow angle around the seat post, and most drag is created behind the legs and back.
"Lower is faster" is outdated: on a road bike, riding on the hoods with horizontal forearms is much faster than riding in the drops. A vertical forearm is another cylinder, like the leg. It is the same reason forearms stay horizontal on TT extensions.
The "rule of 105" for tyre width: your tyre should be at least 5% narrower than the widest part of the rim, and never wider than the rim.
The value of 1%: a Grand Tour has 21 stages, so one day is about 5% of the race. Cutting drag by 1% saves energy equal to about 20% of a day's riding.
Riders are wary of change: for Ganna's Hour Record, switching to clinchers on the track, lowering his cadence from 105 rpm in practice to around 96 rpm, and using a white skinsuit to cope with the heat of the lighting were all agreed by explaining the physics and the test data.
You cannot improve heat if you do not measure it: for every 1°C rise in core temperature, gross efficiency drops by about 1%, which can cost tens of watts. Pre-cooling, shorter warm-ups and menthol for a feeling of coolness all help, and keeping the head cool is especially important. This links back to the connection between position and heat in the research section.
Roadman Podcast: the lowest-hanging fruit is the tyre
The easiest gains available right now come from optimising the tyre, wheel, frame and rider as one system. A tyre affects rolling resistance, aerodynamics, grip and damping, and each points in a different direction.
The same 25 mm tyre can be fast on one wheel and terrible on another. Vulcanised tyres and open tubulars with cotton sidewalls also behave very differently, both aerodynamically and in rolling resistance.
At Ineos he helped develop simulation software that calculates the time for any combination of course, tyre, pressure and wheel.
His advice for amateurs: use simulation tools such as Best Bike Split or Aerotune, enter your own CdA and rolling resistance values, and compare using data published by manufacturers or independent testers. It is not quick or easy, but the time you invest becomes an advantage over your rivals.
What ties Bigham's advice together is a willingness to drop assumptions and decide by measuring. Remco's switch to a long-sleeved skinsuit and a bigger chainring follows the same thinking. Once your position is set, refine your clothing, helmet and tyres as one system. That is Bigham's way of getting faster.
Practical steps for everyday riders
You do not need Remco's position. What is worth copying is his process, not his shape.
Set a baseline: ride a threshold effort of about 20 minutes in your current position and record your power. If you can, estimate your CdA from power and speed (for example with Golden Cheetah's Aerolab) and compare on the same course in the same conditions.
Look at sitting forward and shorter cranks first: before lowering your torso, move the saddle forward and, if needed, shorten your cranks to give your hips room.
Change one thing at a time, in 1 cm steps: stack height, reach, elbow width, head position. In the research and in real-world testing alike, 1 cm makes a difference.
Close the gap between hands and head: rather than forcing your head down, raise your hands (within UCI rules) and shrug your shoulders to shrink the triangle. Never use a position where you cannot see the road ahead.
Ride the TT bike several times a week: do intervals in the TT position or cool down on the TT bike to spend more time getting stronger in the position.
Build your body off the bike: work on hip flexor, hamstring and thoracic mobility, core strength, deep squats and belly breathing.
Adapt your position to the course and distance: favour aero for short, flat TTs, and sit up slightly for sustainability and cooling in longer TTs, triathlons and on climbs.
Keep your priorities straight: position, a well-fitting skinsuit and a helmet come before deep-section wheels.
Conclusion
The latest TT position theory is not about being as low as possible. It is about speed, decided by the power you can produce in a position and the CdA it gives you. Remco Evenepoel's strength comes from natural gifts, short arms and great flexibility, combined with a design that is right in theory: sitting forward, shorter cranks and a compact triangle. Regular riding on the TT bike, strength, mobility and breathing work, and thorough wind tunnel testing turn that into a position he can actually hold.
What we should learn from him is not his shape but his process: measure, change things a little at a time, and get stronger inside the position.
References and sources
Research
Faulkner SH, Jobling P. The effect of upper body positioning on the aerodynamic–physiological economy of time trial cycling. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2021;16(1):51–58. Nottingham Trent University repository
Stack height, CdA, APE and TT time (Sports Engineering, 2023) Springer
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