The Critérium du Dauphiné is likely one of the key warm-up races for the Tour de France, alongside the Tour de Suisse. The Dauphiné begins every week earlier than although, which is essential for tech journalists. Skilled biking groups wish to maintain their new gear below wraps, however do not wish to use model new gear for the primary time on the largest race of the yr.
The Dauphiné, beginning because it does a full week earlier than the Tour de Suisse, is the race to go to to identify new bike tech. Final yr we noticed two new bikes, amongst all the opposite professional tech, however this yr I noticed 4 – A new Trek Madone/Emonda, a new Pinarello Dogma, a new Canyon Aeroad, and a new Wilier all-rounder.
The small print of all of those new bikes are beneath, with loads of pictures to pore over. The environment across the new bikes within the pits is an odd one. The contingent of tech journalists in attendance all knew the bikes had been kind of assured to be seen on the race, and regardless of this, the varied press officers tried their damndest to maintain them below wraps, usually fairly aggressively, seemingly forgetting that the bikes could be on tv for 4 hours day by day for the following week. It is a humorous previous world typically.
Along with the bumper crop of latest bikes, I noticed some new wheels, some contemporary customized paint jobs, and a few genuinely fairly fascinating tech traits forward of the Tour de France.
For my UK readers, I want it to be recognized that my authentic title for this gallery was “4 new bikes, Jeremy? 4?! That is insane“, however it was deemed too area of interest for our international viewers. Unhappy face.
Anyway, with out additional ado, let’s all dive into what’s the largest haul of tech information from a single day that we have seen in no less than half a decade, surpassing even Paris-Roubaix for the title.
As a result of Ineos had been so vehemently against me (and all my journalistic colleagues from different shops) capturing photos of the brand new Pinarello Dogma F, to the purpose of slightly comically attempting to park the group automobile behind a small tree, it is getting in first. It is also not all that completely different trying from the present mannequin, save for the deeper head tube, although I am certain there will be the same old slew of aero, weight, stiffness, and, being a Pinarello, unquantifiable vibe-based aesthetic features.
The deeper head tube is, in contrast to many new bikes, angled to circulate higher into the highest tube. I’m nearly sure that is an aesthetic alternative slightly than a efficiency one. The forks nonetheless have the trademark Pinarello wobble, however it’s much less pronounced.
The down tube nonetheless has the little shelf into which the bottle cages nestle, and the fork dropouts have the attribute little tabs on the trailing edges.
Ineos definitely weren’t alone in working time trial tyres for the highway; that is an more and more frequent pattern I am seeing, aided by wider tyres making tubeless setups more practical, which means groups can threat working quicker however extra flimsy rubber.
Groups often choose to maintain the race transponder in a strip of interior tube, most use black butyl or beige latex. I actually do respect the mechanics use of a pink latex on this case, to raised mix it in with the forks.
All stacked in entrance of the bus, the main points of the rear finish of the body had been laborious to make out.
Fortuitously, I managed to snap Laurens de Plus after stage one. Right here we will see the ‘F’ on the seat tube, so it is undoubtedly holding the Dogma F title. The seat stays are much less wiggly, however curiously within the face of many manufacturers opting to dramatically slim their bikes down on the rear, the again finish would not appear to have gone on a weight-reduction plan in any respect. De Plus is not utilizing TT tyres right here, so meaning it is most likely rider choice, or one thing reserved for the leaders solely.
Proper, prepared for spherical two? Good, as a result of this is the brand new Canyon Aeroad that F1 driver Valtteri Bottas leaked to the world by using it round within the pits on the Monaco Grand Prix, in what was nearly definitely a stage-managed piece of selling.
The modifications aren’t drastic, visually talking – clearly I can not communicate to the internals, and my eyes aren’t a wind tunnel. My concept is, because of the ‘Aeroad’ mannequin title, Canyon could not moderately make it much less aero, however lighter, in a bid to make it an all-round racer like so many new bikes currently.
That being mentioned, it’s barely much less chunky. The top tube is a bit more dainty, particularly within the small measurement that Davide Formolo makes use of.
One thing that Canyon appears to be working in the direction of is a extremely constant design language, particularly on the fork. The fork right here bears greater than a passing resemblance to the fork of the Final, and of the Inflite cyclocross bike too.
A particularly neat rear derailleur mounting. No messy bolts on present in any respect.
There’s additionally a brand new seatpost clamp, which was infamously liable to situation on the earlier mannequin to the purpose Mathieu van der Poel has been using a modified model of the previous Aeroad for a while with a special clamp design.
Should you ever end up attempting to distinguish between the previous and the brand new fashions, the brand new one has this natural upside-down U-shape on the chainstay bridge, which is barely at odds with the sharp angles elsewhere on the frameset. I recognize it is a little like when biologists inform you differentiate between two extraordinarily similar-looking snakes by trying on the sample of scales round their genitals, however I guarantee you neither of those bikes is ready to ship a deadly dose of venom.
In precise truth, the entrance finish of the bike, as much as the purpose the place the pinnacle tube begins to increase, seems to be remarkably just like the Final.
The brand new Aeroad seems to be additionally getting a brand new cockpit. Canyon already has a gravel cockpit with the central ‘gear grove’, into which numerous equipment will be mounted, however it has important flare to the drops, which this set would not.
Stack and attain figures are handily written on the downtube, and whereas these aren’t the entire story of the bike’s geometry, they continue to be unchanged from the present mannequin, so it is protected to imagine the geometry might be similar, or no less than very very related.
Let’s have a little bit of a break from new bikes and discuss wheels and tyres. In a lot the identical approach as I noticed some riders at Ineos utilizing TT tyres and a few not, the group bikes within the Bora paddock had an actual mixture of tyres on present. Right here it is tubeless S-Works Turbo T2/T5 tyres, mounted up the brand new Workforce Version Roval Rapide CLX II wheels.
Right here, although, it is Turbo Cotton tyres with latex interior tubes. The group mechanic knowledgeable me there’s just a few watts distinction, and the group simply leaves it to the riders to decide on which they’d slightly run. Some select pace and go latex, some consolation and reliability.
Whereas a lot of the Turbo Cotton customers had been rolling round on 26c tyres, the tubeless cohort had wider rubber, although solely 28c primarily.
Marco Haller is a rider with a incredible moustache who clearly prioritises his rear finish consolation. The group is Specialised sponsored, and I am fairly certain that is nonetheless a Specialised saddle – the bobbles give it away as ‘Mirror’ tech – however it’s unclear what mannequin it’s, nor whether or not it is previous and discontinued or new and unreleased. We see this extra generally within the ladies’s peloton, the place the influence of a poorly becoming saddle on mushy tissue is larger, however the males typically go off-piste too as soon as they’ve discovered one thing that clearly works for them.
Now that the palette cleaning melon sorbet of tyre and saddle chat has washed away the primary two new bike programs, it is time for an additional massive, savoury, unreleased one. A brand new Trek Madone. A brand new Trek Emonda. A sticker on the highest tube had each mannequin names, which is all a part of the media play, however no matter it’s it is laborious to cover it given Mads Pedersen gained the primary stage of the race aboard it.
The bike options aero bottles and particular cages in a lot the identical approach as the brand new Cannondale SuperSix Evo does, however on this case the professional groups can truly use them. In aero phrases, they successfully elevate the underside bracket (in airflow phrases) and I count on are quicker than not working bottles in any respect.
By way of group branding, Lidl-Trek does an excellent job. Bikes, automobiles, equipment, all of it works fantastically. The brand new paint is considerably extra enjoyable than the all-red scheme of the previous Madone, and as there’s extra black it is most likely lighter too.
Posh disc rotor lockrings are cool in themselves, however on this case in addition they present that the wheels are spinning on premium Kogel bearings. Bearing producers have the toughest time of anybody getting their merchandise seen, so it is a neat resolution with out having to slap some stickers on the body.
As ever, Pedersen was utilizing a 1x setup, however the actually fascinating factor is that he is utilizing previous Pirelli P-Zero Race tyres, the non-tubeless model, with latex interior tubes, regardless of Pirelli solely just lately launching a brand new prime finish, tubeless race tyre.
Carlos Verona will fortunately stay within the sponsor’s good books. New tyres right here, the Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR RS.
No melon sorbet, you will have to attend for dessert now. This is one other new bike, a Wilier all-rounder. The mannequin title is a thriller, however it appears extra doubtless that it is a substitute for the Zero SLR. The group had been sort sufficient to provide me 5 minutes with David Gaudu’s bike earlier than stage one, so there is a full gallery already reside if you wish to pore over the main points.
Whereas it is not almost so aero-looking as many new all-rounders, it is definitely extra aero-leaning than the present Zero SLR.
I’ve an actual mushy spot for French groups that steadfastly refuse to vary. Working 25c Continental Competitors Professional Ltd tubular tyres in 2024 is borderline luddite behaviour, however as a result of its Marc Madiot in cost, it makes me wish to exit and smash a loom to items slightly than slate the alternatives.
The hard-to-read decals say ‘Innovation Lab’, however the principle intention of them is to visually obfuscate, slightly than promote.
Nationwide champions ought to get correct paint jobs. Simply portray the fork is a cop-out. Valentin Madouas is the French nationwide champion on a French group and deserves higher. Visma Lease-A-Bike do that on a regular basis with their Cervelos and it does my head in.
Be at liberty to simply have a look at this and get misty eyes about French biking basically. I do know you are interested by Thibaut Pinot – all of us are – although he by no means rode the Wilier group bikes.
Now we’re speaking – it is a correct nationwide champion’s paint job. Remco Evenepoel was showcasing his new, extraordinarily shiny Tarmac SL8. It isn’t overly Belgian, however it’s no less than not only a Belgian flag painted on the fork.
Paint this deep and glossy is a weight penalty of some hundred grams over a black bike, so hats off to Evenepoel for taking the hit. Biking depends on sponsorship publicity for its survival, so he is doing his bit right here.
Even the seatpost is chromed, although most likely solely the bit that is sticking up out of the body – gloss paint is liable to slipping within the seatpost clamp.
This huge, flat, mirrored floor is completely excellent for… checking your hair, or whether or not you have received rice cake caught in your tooth.
Whereas I discover the ‘Wolfpack’ branding a little bit cringe, it’s delicate right here and neatly finished.
Newmen is a lesser noticed wheel model, borne out of the identical firm behind Dice, however it is a new wheelset. The Streem A.49/A.54 mixed-depth wheelset already exists, so the rim profiles will be the similar, however the spokes are considerably extra bladed than these on the present wheelset.
You ever see a mechanic or a professional pumping a tyre up from the roadside? Me neither. You’d wrestle to take action right here although, given the valve is hidden. This additionally signifies that, though the TT tyres fitted listed below are tubeless prepared, they’re most likely being run with interior tubes, as with tubeless the valve needs to be clamped onto the rim with a lockring. Most TT tyre setups I noticed had been arrange tubeless, so this may very well be the quickest setup of the lot, but in addition most likely probably the most puncture-prone.
Whereas most groups got here to the Dauphiné with one major bike mannequin, Israel-Premier Tech had an actual combine on the roofs of the group automobiles. Here’s a Issue O2 VAM, a really light-weight, climbing-oriented bike.
Very like the Big TCR, it has an built-in seat mast.
However there have been additionally the previous Ostro VAM (left) and the brand new one too (proper).
The 48/48 wheelset from Issue’s in-house part model Black Inc. is new too, in relative phrases, popping out earlier within the yr similtaneously the brand new Ostro VAM.
Canadian Derek Gee had the largest laptop of anybody, and it is a testomony to the sign energy of his coronary heart price monitor that we will all see how chill he was contained in the group bus.
The brand new Dare Velocity Ace that we first noticed at Paris-Roubaix was out on present once more with its actually monstrous head tube.
It is all the time an ideal bike to {photograph}, regardless of how a lot I bemoan all black bikes, largely as a result of the UNO-X group bus is a superb backdrop.
The most recent CeramicSpeed OSPW system was on present too, with its stable jockey wheels.
At Roubaix the brand new bike, ridden by Alexander Kristoff, had an older cockpit fitted. On the Dauphiné, Anders Skaarseth was utilizing the brand new cockpit, which is by far the deepest we have ever seen. You can eat your dinner off it.
Riders on the Arkea-B&B Lodges paddock who opted to make use of the Bianchi Specialissima over the aero Oltre mannequin appeared to additionally get aggravated on the rubber flap for the headset compression bolt flapping up within the wind. I had the identical situation on my take a look at bike and solved it with electrical tape too. This is likely one of the only a few methods I’m just like a WorldTour rider.
Aesthetically, I feel the Oltre has been given a fairly extreme beating with the ugly stick, however a few of you’ll most likely disagree with me. Should you do, this is one thing to placate you.
Jonas Rutch’s 170mm stem is as shut as something has come to a tech gallery corridor of fame half at this level.
Proper, that is all the brand new tech. This is your pudding that I promised you some time in the past, within the type of some closing photos that I am simply pleased to publish not as a result of they’re fascinating from a tech perspective, however as a result of they’re good to have a look at.
Whereas it is not towards a backdrop of a French flag, the group bikes of Cofidis are extra French. French bike model, French wheels, French tyres, and the riders are in French equipment too. Ignore the Japanese elements and Italian saddles please and thanks.
This paint on the Wilier bikes of Astana Qazaqstan entails a chemical etch and is difficult to drag off. It is an actual funding in aesthetics, and given the group is not doing so nicely when it comes to factors this season and will nicely face relegation, I really feel we should always all recognize it whereas we will.
Is there something we have missed? Tell us within the feedback beneath, and keep tuned to Cyclingnews for all of the race outcomes, information and options from our group on the bottom all through the classics season.
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