Zabriski’s beard cost him 2 seconds per km in Time Trial

Dave Zabriski won the 2006 USPRO time trial today by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin. . .literally. He covered the 32.4 km course with style, however, 2005 champ Chris Baldwin was in sight to win until he crashed with only 400m remaining. That crash cost him about 30 seconds. Had he not crashed, chances are he would have won. Here at Planet Quirky, some quick calculations of speed, fluid dynamics, coefficient of drag, etc.. indicate that Dave Z’s burly-mountain-man beard cost him about 2 seconds per km. If Baldwin hadn’t crashed, Dave Z would have lost the race sporting his beard. Without, he would have finished almost a minute faster considering that a facial hair slows you down to the tune of about 2 seconds per km in a flat race like today’s. Last year the USA Cycling lifted it’s ban on cop-style mustaches and soviet era beards. Spokesmen Steve Johnson of USA Cylcing offered no comment on effects of lifting the ban.