{"id":65301,"date":"2024-06-05T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e2629638-7491-4f09-8e9c-b7551977b82c"},"modified":"2024-06-05T12:25:28","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T10:25:28","slug":"new-tech-old-tricks-how-criterium-du-dauphine-riders-are-hacking-and-modifying-their-bikes","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/new-tech-old-tricks-how-criterium-du-dauphine-riders-are-hacking-and-modifying-their-bikes\/","title":{"rendered":"New tech, old tricks: how Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 riders are hacking and modifying their bikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

A close-up inspection of the new bikes and pro mods at the key Tour de France warm-up <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 05 June 2024 at 10:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

The Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 is a key warm-up race for the Tour de France.<\/p>

Given its proximity to the start of the big one, the Dauphin\u00e9 offers tech-hungry bike journalists a chance to photograph new kit as teams test their setups within the heat of a race.<\/p>

This year provided a bumper crop of new race bikes, with a generous four on display.\u00a0<\/p>

Trek teased a new, seemingly slimmed-down Madone<\/a>. Pinarello gave Ineos a new Dogma F<\/a>, Canyon made minor changes to the Aeroad CFR<\/a> and Wilier gave an unpainted mystery bike to FDJ\u2019s general classification hope David Gaudu.<\/p>

Amid all this overwhelming newness were old-school hacks, plenty of pro-only mods and some new tech.<\/p>

Hacks<\/h2>
That’s not a tidy application either. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Picture this if you will \u2013 you\u2019re the designer of a super-expensive aero bike that has taken three, maybe four years to design.\u00a0<\/p>
Your baby has reached the heady heights of a key Tour de France warm-up race and you go to see it being put to good use under the stars of cycling.<\/p>
But what\u2019s that? Electrical tape. Everywhere.\u00a0<\/p>
It must be rather annoying for riders to find the rubber bung on a top cap bolt has a habit of popping up \u2013 it\u2019s likely heartbreaking for a designer.<\/p>
The Bianchi Specialissima of Ark\u00e9a-B&B Hotels required a little tape to secure this part. It didn\u2019t impact how the bike rode, but it’s a frustrating finish issue nonetheless.<\/p>
$\"\"$
A little bit of tape goes a long way\u2026 – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Fabric tape was also deployed on computer mounts to reduce the rattling caused by a gap in the interface.<\/p>
$\"\"$
Riders get so much of their nutrition requirements through their bottles that losing one can be a huge issue. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Elsewhere, Israel-Premier Tech mechanics add pieces of grip tape to the bottle cages to reduce instances of lost bidons.<\/p>
$\"\"$
When did you last change your sealant? – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
With wheels potentially sitting in a van for weeks on end, team mechanics use simple date stamps to keep on top of sealant refresh intervals.<\/p>
$\"\"$
Rattling valves can cause a right racket – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
While Remco Evenepoel has new wheels, his Soudal Quick-Step team continues to use S-Works Turbo Cotton clincher tyres with latex inner tubes.<\/p>
As a result, the valves are taped down to prevent rattling.<\/p>
New hoops<\/h2>
$\"\"$
Everything comes back into fashion eventually. Maybe silver hubs are coming back\u2026 – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Newmen and Roval both had new wheels on show, although given neither has been officially released, the finer details such as rim profiles aren\u2019t available. Each wheelset has an interesting feature, while the latter also offers the riders some precious sparkle watts.<\/p>
The wheels of Evenepoel and Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d feature a lightweight lacing pattern on the front wheel, suggesting Roval has shaved some weight off the already impressive Rapide CLX II <\/a>and produced what could be the Roval Rapide CLX III. <\/p>
The hubs are also seriously shiny, setting them apart from the ranks of all-black wheels.<\/p>
$\"\"$
This really is a marginal gain. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The coolest aero trick, however, was the nifty rubber bung covering the valve hole on the Newmen rims. It may only save one watt, possibly even less, but it makes the wheels look very slick.<\/p>
It was interesting to see the TT version of Continenal\u2019s GP5000 TR tyres being used for road stages. It\u2019s a strategy we also saw the Ineos and UAE teams using to reduce rolling resistance.<\/p>
Doing so will likely lead to more tyre changes throughout the season because TT tyres often use the thinnest treads and casings possible. In the pursuit of speed, it\u2019s a sacrifice worth making.<\/p>
Make it a pro bike<\/h2>
$\"\"$
Go on Trek, make the jersey to match. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Lidl-Trek has taken time to make its new Madones look extra blingy with accented rotor lockrings.<\/p>
And while eyes were drawn to the IsoFlow seat tube design, Lidl-Trek\u2019s paint scheme has seen a lot of love \u2013 it\u2019s very La Vie Claire.<\/p>
$\"\"$
This Visma LAB mechanic is wiping the tyres to check for any possible causes of punctures embedded in the compound. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Pros spend a shocking amount of time on their saddles throughout the year, so having the perfect perch sometimes means going outside your sponsored options.<\/p>
$\"\"$
It’s time to play guess the saddle. Any takers? – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Jai Hindley is one of two Bora riders on an unbranded perch. The shape suggests Fizik, but we\u2019re not 100 per cent certain.<\/p>
$\"\"$
The thin cover suggests there is a 3D-printed structure hiding beneath. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The other is Marco Haller, who appears to have a covered version of a 3D-printed design from outside of the Specialized parish.<\/p>
$\"\"$
If this is the end of the \u00c9monda, it’ll be a sad day for climbing bikes everywhere. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Trek\u2019s new bike is widely reported to be a lighter Madone, putting the \u00c9monda under threat of extinction, like Specialized and the Venge<\/a>.<\/p>
But they\u2019ve been having fun with us before the official launch, sticking a Madone decal over an \u00c9monda logo. Does this confirm a convergence of the two designs, perhaps?<\/p>
$\"\"$
Inside, you’ll find Muc-Off’s equally pink sealant. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
We love that Team EF Education-EasyPost had matched its tubeless valves to the riders’ kit. The team uses Muc-Off products for tubeless setup and the best way to highlight these small details is through the medium of bright colours.<\/p>
$\"\"$
Did someone order a slammed stem? – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Is it even a tech galley if you haven\u2019t got a shot of Jonas Rutsch\u2019s scaffolding? The 1.97m German uses a stonking 170mm stem to get his fit just so.<\/p>
The shiniest bike on show award went to Evenepoel\u2019s Tarmac SL8. Specialized has really knocked this one out of the park. Chrome into faded copper into a glossy midnight black front end? We love it.<\/p>
$\"\"$
It’d be bad if you scratched it during installation – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The Roval Rapide bar has even been painted.<\/p>
Tubulars? In 2024?<\/h2>
$\"\"$
This would have been a ubiquitous sight a few years ago. Now it’s a rarity – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Judging by the unpainted new bike on the top of the FDJ car, Wilier has gone to great lengths to design a new do-it-all road race bike for its pro racers.<\/p>
If you want to know which pro riders are still using tubular tyres \u2013 despite clear evidence that tubeless is faster \u2013 then look no further than FDJ’s David Gaudu and Guillaume Martin of Cofidis.<\/p>
Gaudu had the Continental Competition Pro Ltd in a size 28mm glued to Dura-Ace C50 wheels. Maybe he\u2019s trying to bring the weight of this unreleased Wilier down as close to the UCI\u2019s minimum weight limit<\/a> as possible.<\/p>
$\"\"$
With the rise of tubeless, it’s harder to identify unbranded tubular tyres. We’ll have an outside bet on Veloflex. – Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Martin, meanwhile, used a set of unbranded tyres. Cofidis is sponsored by Michelin, which makes the Power Cup in tubular form. But the sidewalls and tread look different from the Michelin design.<\/p>
It must make designers wince to spend countless hours saving watts in the wind tunnel for riders to throw those gains away by using outdated tyre tech.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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