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Race Tech: Giro d'Italia, June 1, 2007
Giro see first runs for new Cannondale, De Rosa
By Tim Maloney, European Editor
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Hervé Duclos-Lasalle's Cofidis Time VXRS Ulteam
Hervé Duclos-Lasalle hasn't quite managed as illustrious career as his father, two-time Paris-Roubaix winner Gilbert Duclos-Lasalle, but has had a decent professional career at Cofidis nonetheless. After a stint with Wilier Triestina, the team now uses 'modules' from Time, which includes the company's frames, forks, stems, and seatposts. At 1.74m tall (5'8"), Duclos-Lasalle rides a somewhat smallish 47cm Time VXRS Ulteam with a corresponding 51cm top tube length.
Danilo Di Luca's Liquigas Cannondale System Six
Cannondale's Liquigas team liaison Rory Mason told Cyclingnews that current Giro d'Italia maglia rosa Danilo Di Luca is currently using a fully stock 50cm Cannondale System Six frameset which the company introduced just last year. In contrast to typical convention, the System uses a monocoque carbon fiber front triangle coupled to rear stays made entirely of 6000-series aluminum.
According to Mason, "Di Luca rode Cannondale when he was at Saeco and he really likes our bikes." Mason also mentioned that former Saeco rider Mario Cipollini had just received his own System Six bike from Cannondale.
In addition, two Liquigas riders, Vicenzo Nibali and Franco Pellizotti, are testing Cannondale's newest Super Six full carbon fibre prototype at this year's Giro. Mason proudly said, "on his first time out, Nibali won with this bike last month. With the Super Six, we are looking to optimize the balance of weight and rigidity with this full carbon frame. Our ambition is to test the prototype with the Liquigas team and then bring the most refined product to the market."
Paolo Savoldelli's Astana BMC SLC01 Pro Machine
Born from the ashes of now-defunct Liberty Seguros, the Swiss-registered and Kazakh-sponsored Astana team was highly courted last year by a number of bicycle manufacturers and BMC was eventually chosen. Savoldelli's full-carbon SLC01 Pro Machine is the same frame used by Floyd Landis to win last year's Tour de France on Team Phonak and features Easton nanotechnology to reinforce the resin matrix. Savoldelli's BMC is also loaded with Easton components, including the the EC90 aero carbon fibre tubular wheels, EC90 seatpost, and EC90 bars & stem.
Stefano Garzelli's Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo De Rosa Idol UD Prototype
Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo rider Stefano Garzelli scored the first Giro d'Italia win in years for team sponsor De Rosa on Stage 14. According to Cristiano De Rosa, Il marchio del cuore had created a unique frame just for Garzelli this year, dubbed the Idol UD Prototype. The new frame is the prodigal son of De Rosa's Protos UD and Idol and features the same integrated seatmast and curvy shape of the latter model but with lighter unidirectional carbon fibre tubes created by Mizuno exclusively for De Rosa.
"This frame weighs under 1kg in the medium size", explained De Rosa. "The weight is real, not made up like some people do." He added, "For now, this bicycle is a true prototype; we need to work on this frame more."
In addition to the unique carbon content and lay up schedules, Garzelli's custom made frameset has different geometry than the medium size frame would usually have. "Garzelli has worked with a biomechanical consultant for years and he always has special geometry; the Idol UD prototype is very laid back, with a 72.30 degree seat angle."
Garzelli went on to win another stage a few days later in Lienz, Austria with an audacious solo move with 27km to go. In both his wins, Garzelli utilized a low-profile carbon fibre wheel on the front for improved control on descents, with a stiffer and higher profile rear wheel for better aerodynamics and power transmission.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews.com
- Cofidis rider Hervé Duclos-Lasalle rides a Time VXRS Ulteam, which features an integrated seatmast (Time was among the earliest to adopt the configuration) and Time's own carbon fiber Monolink stem.
- All Selle Italia-sponsored pro teams are using these distinctive white saddles with a red stripe in 2007. Duclos-Lassale has Selle Italia's classic Flite model on his Time VRX. These distinctive white and red saddles for the 2007 season. Duclos-Lassale prefers Selle Italia's classic Flite model on his Time VXRS Ulteam.
- Note the novel way the Cofidis team mechanic mounts the race number on Duclos-Lasalle's bike. He's also testing prototype cork mix brake blocks from Campagnolo that are specifically designed for carbon fibre rims.
- For the big mountain climbs , Duclos-Lasalle runs especially low gearing, including a 52/34T combination up front coupled with an 11-27T cassette. Vittoria CX Evo tubulars are wrapped around a Fulcrum Racing Light carbon fiber wheelset.
- Current Giro d'Italia maglia rosa Danilo DiLuca is riding a custom-painted Cannondale System Six in this year's race.
- Slender aluminum seat stays on the System Six contrast with the large-diameter carbon fiber main triangle.
- DiLuca used an 12-26T cassette for his ascent up Tre Cime di Lavaredo…
- …paired with Cannondale's Hollowgram Si crankset equipped with 52/36T chainrings and 172.5mm arms.
- DiLuca's System Six cockpit includes the FSA OS-115 stem, FSA Energy T aluminum bars, and a Polar computer with integrated heart rate monitor.
- Team sponsor fi'zi:k supplied DiLuca with a custom Arione saddle in a special "Killer" version as tribute to Diluca's nickname.
- DiLuca's System Six uses Campagnolo brakes but not the prototype carbon-specific cork pad compound.
- Two Liquigas riders are using prototype versions of Cannondale's newest model, the full-carbon Super Six.
- The carbon fiber seat stays of the Super Six are even more slender than the aluminum ones on the System Six.
- Like the System Six , the Super Six uses a tapered steerer tube that flares to a massive 1 1/2" at its base. With now three major companies using this configuration, it's entirely possible that this may eventually become the new standard for high performance road machines.
- Paolo Savoldelli's 53cm BMC SLC01 Pro Machine , in Astana team colors.
- Il Falco's old faithful saddle , a well-worn white Selle San Marco Regal.
- Savoldelli's Campagnolo Record Skeleton brakes complete with Corima cork pads. Team mechanic Faustino Munoz has also fashioned a rather elegant way of securing a race number behind the seat cluster.
- The unique T-shaped top tube profile of the BMC SLC01 Pro Machine.
- Stefano Garzelli's custom-made DeRosa Idol UD Prototype.
- Garzelli's DeRosa Idol UD Prototype has a very laid back seat angle , an integrated seatmast, and matte black finish on unpainted unidirectional carbon fibre.
- Campagnolo's top-of-the-line Bora Ultra wheelset.
- Garzelli's DeRosa Idol UD Prototype sports Deda Elementi's Zero100 thinwall stem and shallow-version Newton handlebars, a favorite of pros for the comfy bend when in the drops.
- Compact, please! On the mountain stages of the 2007 Giro, compact cranksets ruled the roost, as the smaller 110mm bolt circle diameter allows chainrings as small as 34 teeth for easier climbing and as big as 52 teeth, so riders are not disadvantaged too much on the top end.
- The integrated seatmast is capped with a unique binder mechanism for the abbreviated seatpost.
- Team sponsor fi'zi:k supplies its Aliante saddle with unique team-only logos.
