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Bikes of the Tour: Michael Rogers' T-Mobile Team Giant TT bike, July 14, 2006

Anthony Tan meets the man who looks after the bike of T-Mobile's TT world champ.

Michael Rogers' T-Mobile Team Giant TT bike

Michael Rogers' Giant time trial bike.

Inside the cockpit

Very fancy carbon brake levers

A close look at the cutaway section

Rogers uses a 54 tooth

Selle Italia's Flite Ti saddle.

Jan Ullrich's saddle

"I think it's possible," T-Mobile team mechanic Nick Vandecauter told Cyclingnews, whe we asked if he thought three-time world TT champion Michael Rogers could take the maillot jaune on the day of the first time trial from Saint-Grégoire to Rennes.

"However, there needs to be a lot of things going right; he needs to have very good legs, and the weather needs to stay the same for all the riders," he said.

Looking over Rogers' bike, Vandecauter said both the road and TT bikes used by T-Mobile are the same as last year, with no modifications. The Belgian, in his 19th year as a professional team mechanic, added all the riders are happy with their bikes, and although he's spent most of career tinkering with Campagnolo, working with Shimano doesn't bother him. "Some things are better with Campagnolo, others are better with Shimano... but it's the same to me," he said, smiling.

Vandecauter began his career with Hitachi in 1989, recently doing a long stint with Lotto (which then became Davitamon-Lotto) from 1995 to 2004, before joining the T-Mobile Team last year. A typical day begins at 0730 hours and ends roughly thirteen hours later, between 2030-2100. Long days indeed, but it's the same for everybody at the Tour de France. (And that includes journalists, not that we expect any sympathy!)

Rogers' TT bike, as with all the T-Mobile machines, is one of the sleekest around, and an array of accessories keeps the 26 year-old from Australia's capital city as aero as possible in the tuck position, while still maintaining control.

Unfortunately for Mick, his maillot jaune dreams came up a little short in Saturday's time test, where he finished fourth. However, the golden fleece went to stage winner and team-mate Sergei Gonchar instead, containing the disappointment in an otherwise fantastic day out for T-Mobile.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Anthony Tan/Cyclingnews

• Michael Rogers' Giant time trial bike.
• Inside the cockpit of the three-time world TT champion.
• The profile from the front.
• A side-view of Rogers' time trial bars.
• Very fancy carbon brake levers by Tektro.
• Close-up of Deda's reversible stem.
• The fork on the T-Mobile TT bikes is not dissimilar to that used on their TCR Advanced road machines.
• The top tube is also very similar to the road bike.
• Virtually par for the course on TT bikes - a big, airfoil-shaped downtube.
• The seat-tube.
• A close look at the cutaway section of the seat-tube.
• Rogers uses a 54 tooth outside chainring.
• Selle Italia's Flite Ti saddle.
• Aero seat stays.
• Dura-Ace carbon wheels matched with 22mm wide Continental rubber.
• The profile at the rear.

Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews

• JanUllrich's saddle - He may have gone from Le Tour, but Cyclingnews spotted Jan Ullrich's TT bike with an all-carbon AX Lightness saddle - that was until T-Mobile mechanics quickly put Ulle's time rig back in the team truck.