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FEATURES: EURO TECH REPORT: THE BIKES OF THE NORTHERN COBBLE 2009 PART ONE
Tim Maloney-European Editor
April 9, 2009
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The dreaded pave' of the Trouee' d'Arenberg; Paris-Roubaix Sector #17
Once again, Road Bike Action dives deep down into the pro peloton to
bring you what’s coolest, freshest and fastest from the Ronde Van
Vlaandren to the Hell of the North. Check out our in-depth report number one on
the bikes of the Northern Cobbles 2009.
Stijn Devolder's Specialized Tarmac SL-2
Tour Of Flanders winner Stijn Devolder rode his Specialized Tarmac SL-2
to his second consecutive win. Specialized uses a asymmetrical seat
tube and larger section chainstays and constructs the frame using size
specific top and down tubes and seatstays. Their proprietary FACT IS
manufacturing process is used to create one of the stiffest and lightest frames on the
market. Devolder is using a Campagnolo Record 11-speed and special
wheels for the cobbles and wears out of production Nike cycling shoes.
Devolder's special wheels for the cobbles use 32hole. Ambrosio rims,
Sapim straight 14 gauge spokes laced to black Campagnolo Record hubs
with "S-Works" tires that look like Veloflex or Gommitalia tubulars.
New Cervélo cobbles bike?
Road Bike Action spied this new Cervélo under Roger Hammond at the start
of the Tour Of Flanders. Based on Cervélo's RS frame, supposedly the
new frame has some modifications such as slightly longer chainstays and
a more extended fork rake and a higher brake bridge. Hammond has a team
issue Fizik Alliante saddle but the frame looks too big for him, based
on how much of the FSA seatpost is extended from the frame.
Hammond's RS pave' bike has a new 3T fork with greater rake &
higher clearances. Note the long-reach Shimano brakes and Vittoria Pave
EVO CX 25-millimeter tubulars mounted on Zipp 303 tubulars.
Fillipo Pozzato's Ridley Damocles Pi Katusha Team Edition
Pozzato's Ridley Damocles Pi has a different integrated seat post which
Ridley claims reduces the frame weight and improves handling and
performance in the 30k/24k high modulus carbon fibre frameset.
Pozzato's Ridley Damocles has Deda Elementi Zero100 Servizio Corsa bars
and stem and Pozzato uses a long 140-millimeter stem. Note the unique top and head tube shape of the Damocles.
Pozzato's Ridley Damocles is equipped with Campagnolo 11-Speed; no Super Record for Super-Pippo!
Pozzato has fat Dugast 23-millimeter (really closer to 24-millimeter) tubulars with
extra-beefy "zingrinato" (zig-zag) tread cleverly marked Vredestein,
the team sponsor. No special pave' wheels for Pippo; he's using
Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra carbon fibre tubulars.
Pieter Vanspeybrouck's Topsport Vlaandren-Mercator Eddy Merckx Premium Classic
Pieter Vanspeybrouck is a 22 year old second year pro on the Belgian
squad Topsport Vlaandren-Mercator. He's riding an Eddy Merckx Premium
Classic, which bucks the current trends in the peloton for carbon fibre
frames with it's Easton Sc 7000 scandium aluminum frame and Easton
EC90-SLO fork. Vanspeybrouck's Merckx has special pave' wheels, as well
as Campagnolo Record 11-Speed drivetrain.
Vanspeybrouck's bike has a Comp1 XLC aluminum seatpost with no setback, topped with a Selle Italia Team Edition SLR saddle
Vanspeybrouck's special pave' wheels use heavy-duty special Continental Sprinter GatorSkin tubulars.
Vanspeybrouck's Merckx AXM has Deda Elementi Newton bars and stem
Bert De Waele's Landbouwkrediet-Colnago Team Issue Colnago CX-1
De Waele ended up 10th in the Tour Of Flanders, an excellent result for
the 33 year old from Deinze. His Colnago CX-1 has a unique polygonal
profile top tube on the monocoque front end, bow-shape rear seat stays
for more vertical compliance and Colnago's new HS2 semi-integrated
headset, shown here in Landbouwkrediet team livery.
De Waele's Colnago CX-1 has Shimano's Dura Ace 7900 groupset and
special pave' wheels; 32 spoke Ambrosio tubular rims laced to Shimano
Dura Ace hubs with Sapim 14 straight gauge spokes with Vittoria Pave
EVO CX 25-millimeter tubulars.
The cockpit of De Waele's Colnago CX-1 features
Shimano accessory brand PRO bars and stem; note De Waele has 3-centimeters of
fork protruding! Don't crash on it, dude!
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