Apparently that's how Roberto Visentini liked it (prefiguring Ondřej Sosenka's "straight arm" position for his hour record), but the UCI commissaire wasn't so keen and made Roberto ride a more conventional lo-pro. More of the Battaglin Pirana at http://www.raggidistoria.com/2012/09/visita-al-battaglin-factory-store.html
The idea was to hide the rider's feet in the slipstream of the front wheel. I don't know whether it actually worked, but it got banned before anybody could find out under race conditions.
Apparently that's how Roberto Visentini liked it (prefiguring Ondřej Sosenka's "straight arm" position for his hour record), but the UCI commissaire wasn't so keen and made Roberto ride a more conventional lo-pro. More of the Battaglin Pirana at http://www.raggidistoria.com/2012/09/visita-al-battaglin-factory-store.html