Pro speed around a hairpin downhill

[Veloo]

With speeds in excess of 100km/hr at times on the downhills, does anyone know how fast/ slow the pros are going around those mountain hairpins?

[FlashUNC]

Fast. Closed roads and you've got the full width to use? I'm sure Nibali just screams down.

Probably worth checking Kwiatkowskis Strava for some ideas. He posts his rides there and is quite the descender too.

[benb]

Pretty fast if they're good.. having spent time on the racetrack on a motorcycle road bikes are very very fast around tight corners on downhills. You've just got so little mass and a ton of grip.

Sometimes it amazes me the chances the pros take since they have so little protection and injuries from crashes at that speed could easily end their career.

[drewskey]

Chad Haga posted his ride from today's stage on Strava.

Go check it out!

https://www.strava.com/activities/1713497490

[jamesdak]

I'm no pro but two years running I overcooked the same hairpin turn in the Tour de Park City. Running over 50 mph in and totally miscalculated my braking point. First year I wasn't expecting it. Second year I forgot about it. Let me just say it's the only time I've seen smoke coming off my rims from the brakes. Hat's off to those guys really pushing the limits!

[jruhlen1980]

I'm no pro but two years running I overcooked the same hairpin turn in the Tour de Park City. Running over 50 mph in and totally miscalculated my braking point. First year I wasn't expecting it. Second year I forgot about it. Let me just say it's the only time I've seen smoke coming off my rims from the brakes. Hat's off to those guys really pushing the limits!

Neat. Coming down the Col de la Madeleine it looks like he took most of the hairpins at about 21 mph, but took some around 30 mph. But he was also decelerating from 45-50 mph to 20 in a hurry on those.

Edit -- sorry meant to quote drewskey.

[muz]

Sometimes it amazes me the chances the pros take since they have so little protection and injuries from crashes at that speed could easily end their career.

I think the pros take calculated risks. If you need to rejoin a chase group or catch the peloton, you do what you need to do.

A few years ago, post retirement, Levi Leipheimer rode a tough local double century (Terrible Two in Sonoma County). He crushed the course record, finishing in 10 hours flat for a 20mph average. Some guys I know stayed with him the first couple climbs. They said they often passed him on the descents as he seemed to be taking no chances. These guys are fast, but I doubt they would be passing anyone on TdF descents.