{"id":69785,"date":"2024-10-06T17:22:27","date_gmt":"2024-10-06T15:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/6f46b15c-71fb-4ac7-b11e-9f68807ab115"},"modified":"2024-10-06T18:25:25","modified_gmt":"2024-10-06T16:25:25","slug":"valtteri-bottas-custom-canyon-grail-cfr-for-the-uci-world-gravel-championships","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/valtteri-bottas-custom-canyon-grail-cfr-for-the-uci-world-gravel-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"Valtteri Bottas\u2019 custom Canyon Grail CFR for the UCI World Gravel Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finn looks resplendent on custom-painted gravel race bike <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Sunday, 06 October 2024 at 15:22 PM<\/p>

\n\n

While the front of the men\u2019s 2024 UCI World Gravel Championships was a battle between World Tour road racers, all eyes before the start were drawn to one moustachioed man.<\/p>

Valtteri Bottas \u2013 a Formula 1 car racing driver if you didn\u2019t know \u2013 is also a very competitive age group bike racer. He has a particular love of racing gravel events<\/a> and his setup is befitting his\u00a0racing palmares.<\/p>

Bottas has his levers angled in quite significantly Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Canyon, a sponsor for the Canyon SRAM team of Bottas\u2019 partner, Tiffany Cromwell<\/a>, provides the Finnish racer with its latest Grail CFR<\/a> gravel race bike. <\/p>

His bike, however, features a one-off paint scheme to represent the Finnish colours.<\/p>

The front end is complete with the fully integrated CP0039 cockpit and, to match the beautiful paint, Bottas has the bars wrapped in white tape.<\/p>

\"\"
It helps to see where you’re going in a gravel race Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Canyon\u2019s Gear Groove features at the centre of the bar. While it can be fitted with a proprietary set of aero bars, UCI events do not permit such tech. <\/p>

Instead, Bottas uses the groove to fit an out front mount with a Hammerhead Karoo<\/a> displaying the day\u2019s route.<\/p>

\"\"
Most other racers opted for a tighter cassette Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Given the largely flat route, Bottas\u2019 choice of SRAM\u2019s Red XPLR groupset<\/a> with a wide 10-46t cassette may seem strange \u2013 tighter cassette with smaller jumps between teeth would have provided more even cadence jumps.<\/p>

Regardless, the Finn pairs this with a power meter-equipped 48t aero chainring.<\/p>

\"\"
The course is largely fast and smooth, allowing for aggressive tyre choices Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Zipp provides its latest 303 XPLR SW wheelset. The 54mm deep rims feature an incredibly wide 32mm internal rim width. Bottas pairs these with Schwalbe\u2019s G-One RS tyres.<\/p>

The design uses a file tread centre with short shoulder tread for a little extra bite in corners. Bottas told BikeRadar he uses tubeless inserts.<\/p>

\"\"
Bottas told us he really hoped he wouldn’t need this Liam Cahill \/ Our Media<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>

For emergency puncture repair, a Canyon C02 canister and valve are taped to the back of the seatpost.<\/p>

You may think it odd that we actively seek out Bottas at bike races. However, at 2024\u2019s Unbound Gravel, his bike was a test platform for the then-unreleased SRAM Red AXS XPLR groupset.<\/a><\/p>

It may also seem strange for the likes of Canyon and Sram \u2013 pure cycling companies \u2013 to outfit Bottas\u2019 bike with their latest and sometimes unreleased products.<\/p>

But a quick hop over to Bottas\u2019 Instagram page shows a healthy 4.4m strong following \u2013 these are eyes few bike racers can match.<\/p>

As such, it’s well worth keeping a close eye on bikes under the F1 star.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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