The Critérium du Dauphiné is among 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. Professional biking groups wish to preserve their new tools beneath wraps, ut do not wish to use model new tools 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. Last yr we noticed two new bikes, amongst all the opposite professional tech, however this yr I noticed 4 – A brand new Trek Madone/Emonda, a brand new Pinarello Dogma, a brand new Canyon Aeroad, and a brand new Wilier all-rounder.
The particulars of all of those new bikes are beneath, with loads of pictures to pore over. The ambiance across the new bikes within the pits is an odd one. The contingent of tech journalists in attendance all knew the bikes have been kind of assured to be seen on the race, and regardless of this, the varied press officers tried their damndest to maintain them beneath wraps, usually fairly aggressively, seemingly forgetting that the bikes can be on tv for 4 hours every single day for the subsequent week. It’s a humorous outdated world typically.
In addition to 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 identified that my unique title for this gallery was “Four new bikes, Jeremy? Four?! That’s insane“, but it surely was deemed too area of interest for our international viewers. Sad 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 not less than half a decade, surpassing even Paris-Roubaix for the title.
Because Ineos have been so vehemently against me (and all my journalistic colleagues from different retailers) taking pictures footage of the brand new Pinarello Dogma F, to the purpose of quite comically making an attempt to park the workforce automotive behind a small tree, it is getting in first. It’s additionally not all that totally different trying from the present mannequin, save for the deeper head tube, although I’m positive there will be the same old slew of aero, weight, stiffness, and, being a Pinarello, unquantifiable vibe-based aesthetic positive aspects.
The deeper head tube is, in contrast to many new bikes, angled to circulation higher into the highest tube. I’m nearly sure that is an aesthetic alternative quite than a efficiency one. The forks nonetheless have the trademark Pinarello wobble, but it surely’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 operating time trial tyres for the street; that is an more and more widespread development I’m seeing, aided by wider tyres making tubeless setups simpler, which means groups can danger operating sooner however extra flimsy rubber.
Teams normally choose to maintain the race transponder in a strip of internal tube, most use black butyl or beige latex. I actually do respect the mechanics use of a pink latex on this case, to higher mix it in with the forks.
All stacked in entrance of the bus, the main points of the rear finish of the body have been laborious to make out.
Fortunately, I managed to snap Laurens de Plus after stage one. Here we will see the ‘F’ on the seat tube, so it is positively retaining 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 in all probability rider desire, or one thing reserved for the leaders solely.
Right, 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 driving it round within the pits on the Monaco Grand Prix, in what was nearly definitely a stage-managed piece of promoting.
The modifications aren’t drastic, visually talking – clearly I can’t communicate to the internals, and my eyes aren’t a wind tunnel. My concept is, as a result of ‘Aeroad’ mannequin title, Canyon could not fairly make it much less aero, however lighter, in a bid to make it an all-round racer like so many new bikes these days.
That being stated, it’s barely much less chunky. The head tube is a bit more dainty, particularly within the small measurement that Davide Formolo makes use of.
Something 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 Ultimate, and of the Inflite cyclocross bike too.
An extraordinarily neat rear derailleur mounting. No messy bolts on present in any respect.
There’s additionally a brand new seatpost clamp, which was infamously susceptible to subject on the earlier mannequin to the purpose Mathieu van der Poel has been driving a modified model of the outdated Aeroad for a while with a distinct clamp design.
If you ever end up making an attempt to distinguish between the outdated 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 this can be a little like when biologists let you know how one can 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 reality, the entrance finish of the bike, as much as the purpose the place the top tube begins to increase, appears remarkably much like the Ultimate.
The 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 could be mounted, but it surely has vital 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 secure to imagine the geometry will likely be equivalent, or not 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 manner as I noticed some riders at Ineos utilizing TT tyres and a few not, the workforce bikes within the Bora paddock had an actual mixture of tyres on present. Here it is tubeless S-Works Turbo T2/T5 tyres, mounted up the brand new Team Edition Roval Rapide CLX II wheels.
Here, although, it is Turbo Cotton tyres with latex internal tubes. The workforce mechanic knowledgeable me there’s a couple of watts distinction, and the workforce simply leaves it to the riders to decide on which they’d quite run. Some select velocity and go latex, some consolation and reliability.
While many of the Turbo Cotton customers have 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 workforce is Specialized sponsored, and I’m fairly positive that is nonetheless a Specialized saddle – the bobbles give it away as ‘Mirror’ tech – but it surely’s unclear what mannequin it’s, nor whether or not it is outdated 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 bigger, 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 large, 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 manner 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 sooner than not operating bottles in any respect.
In phrases of workforce branding, Lidl-Trek does an excellent job. Bikes, vehicles, package, all of it works fantastically. The new paint is considerably extra enjoyable than the all-red scheme of the outdated Madone, and as there’s extra black it is in all probability 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 this can be 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 outdated Pirelli P-Zero Race tyres, the non-tubeless model, with latex internal 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 may have to attend for dessert now. Here’s one other new bike, a Wilier all-rounder. The mannequin title is a thriller, but it surely appears extra doubtless that this can be a alternative for the Zero SLR. The workforce have been variety sufficient to provide me 5 minutes with David Gaudu’s bike earlier than stage one, so there is a full gallery already dwell if you wish to pore over the main points.
While it is not practically 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 alter. Running 25c Continental Competition Pro 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 quite than slate the alternatives.
The hard-to-read decals say ‘Innovation Lab’, however the principle purpose of them is to visually obfuscate, quite than promote.
National champions ought to get correct paint jobs. Just portray the fork is a cop-out. Valentin Madouas is the French nationwide champion on a French workforce and deserves higher. Visma Lease-A-Bike do that on a regular basis with their Cervelos and it does my head in.
Feel free to simply take a look at this and get misty eyes about French biking on the whole. I do know you are fascinated about Thibaut Pinot – all of us are – although he by no means rode the Wilier workforce bikes.
Now we’re speaking – this can be a correct nationwide champion’s paint job. Remco Evenepoel was showcasing his new, extraordinarily shiny Tarmac SL8. It’s not overly Belgian, however it’s not 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. Cycling depends on sponsorship publicity for its survival, so he is doing his bit right here.
Even the seatpost is chromed, although in all probability solely the bit that is sticking up out of the body – gloss paint is susceptible to slipping within the seatpost clamp.
This giant, flat, mirrored floor is probably an homage to a former Belgian champion….
While I discover the ‘Wolfpack’ branding a bit of cringe, it’s refined right here and neatly finished.
Newmen is a lesser noticed wheel model, borne out of the identical firm behind Cube, however this can be a new wheelset. The Streem A.49/A.54 mixed-depth wheelset already exists, so the rim profiles could 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 here are tubeless prepared, they’re in all probability being run with internal tubes, as with tubeless the valve needs to be clamped onto the rim with a lockring. Most TT tyre setups I noticed have been arrange tubeless, so this could possibly be the quickest setup of the lot, but additionally in all probability probably the most puncture-prone.
While most groups got here to the Dauphiné with one fundamental bike mannequin, Israel-Premier Tech had an actual combine on the roofs of the workforce vehicles. Here is a Factor O2 VAM, a really light-weight, climbing-oriented bike.
Much just like the Giant TCR, it has an built-in seat mast.
But there have been additionally the outdated Ostro VAM (left) and the brand new one too (proper).
The 48/48 wheelset from Factor’s in-house element 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 pc of anybody, and it is a testomony to the sign energy of his coronary heart charge monitor that we will all see how chill he was contained in the workforce bus.
The new Dare Velocity Ace that we first noticed at Paris-Roubaix was out on present once more with its really monstrous head tube.
It’s at all times a fantastic bike to {photograph}, regardless of how a lot I bemoan all black bikes, principally as a result of the UNO-X workforce bus is a superb backdrop.
The newest CeramicSpeed OSPW system was on present too, with its strong jockey wheels.
At Roubaix the brand new bike, ridden by Alexander Kristoff, had an older cockpit fitted. At the Dauphiné, Anders Skaarseth was utilizing the brand new cockpit, which is by far the deepest we have ever seen. You may eat your dinner off it.
Riders on the Arkea-B&B Hotels 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 subject on my take a look at bike and solved it with electrical tape too. This is among the only a few methods I’m much like a WorldTour rider.
Aesthetically, I believe the Oltre has been given a reasonably extreme beating with the ugly stick, however a few of you’ll in all probability disagree with me. If 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.
Right, that is all the brand new tech. Here’s your pudding that I promised you some time in the past, within the type of some closing pictures that I’m simply completely satisfied 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.
While it is not in opposition to a backdrop of a French flag, the workforce bikes of Cofidis are extra French. French bike model, French wheels, French tyres, and the riders are in French package too. Ignore the Japanese parts and Italian saddles please and thanks.
This paint on the Wilier bikes of Astana Qazaqstan includes a chemical etch and is difficult to drag off. It’s an actual funding in aesthetics, and given the workforce 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.
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