The new women’s world champion Elisa Balsamo has a new bike to go with her win. Riding for Italian team Valcar–Travel & Service, she’s on the team’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc, but now gets a special custom paint job to match her status.
Since her win at the UCI Road World Championships in Flanders, she’s been out and about training with her team in Northern France for the last couple of days in preparation for the inaugural women’s Paris-Roubaix. This is the bike she’ll ride at the historic race.
Her team issue bike is a size 51cm and comes equipped with Shimano Ultegra R8070 Di2. This is paired with an FSA Powerbox power meter crankset, which is fitted with 52/36t chainrings. This is paired with an 11-30t cassette out back.
!["Balsano]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2021/10/RWC-Elisa-Balsamo-Cannondale-Bike_211001_201_-9c8c6b8.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"RWC")
FSA provides her wheelset too, with Balsamo opting for Vision Metron 40 wheels, which are fitted with 28mm-wide Veloflex ProTour tyres.
The Cannondale SuperSix Evo comes with its own Cannondale Hollowgram SAVE carbon bar/stem combo, which Balsamo runs in 380mm width and 100mm stem length.
!["Balsamo]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2021/10/Recon-Paris-Roubaix-Femmes-2021-Valcar-TS_210930_90_-b31a297.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Recon")
Her finishing kit comprises a Prologo NDR saddle, Look for her pedals and Elite for her bottles and bottle cages. She runs a Garmin Edge 830 computer.
Compared to the usual the-best-of-everything-my-sponsor’s-paying specs we’re used to seeing for pro bikes, Balsamo runs quite a modest set-up, showing that you don’t need the best of everything to win big.
!["Balsamo]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2021/10/RWC-Elisa-Balsamo-Cannondale-Bike_211001_197_-e1dd073.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"RWC")
It’s not the first time 23-year-old Balsamo has worn the rainbow stripes either – she was junior world champion back in 2016.
Full bike spec: Elisa Balsamo’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo
!["RWC]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/21/2021/10/RWC-Elisa-Balsamo-Cannondale-Bike_211001_226_-65fcb7f.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"RWC")
- Frame: SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Disc, World Championship design
- Size: 51cm
- Drivetrain: Shimano Ultegra Di2
- Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 11-30t
- Power meter: FSA Powerbox ABS, 52/36t, 170mm
- Wheels: Vision Metron 40
- Cockpit: Hollowgram SAVE, 38cm bars, 100mm stem
- Saddle: Prologo NDR
- Bar Tape: Prologo OneTouch
- Tyres: Veloflex ProTour 28
- Bottle Cages: Elite
- Bottles: Elite
- Pedals: Look Keo
- Computer: Garmin Edge 830