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Photos ©:Kirsten
Robbins/Cyclingnews
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Ambrosio Hub with Shimano
105 sprokets
Photo ©: Kirsten Robbins
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Compact Shimano R700 cranks
are fitted with 34/46T chainrings.
Photo ©: Kirsten Robbins
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The FRM Ciclo-X cantilever
brake uses spokes instead of a conventional straddle wire
Photo ©: Kirsten Robbins
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Frattini's team CXC frame
uses a slightly steeper head tube angle
Photo ©: Kirsten Robbins
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Selle Italia is another
of Frattini's personal sponsors
Photo ©: Kirsten Robbins
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A larger diameter flange
on the front Ambrosio XXL Carbon
Photo ©: Kirsten Robbins
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Profile Design's Lava OS
stem clamps its Hammer OS handlebar
Photo ©: Kirsten Robbins
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Out of the blue
By Kirsten Robbins
Blue Competition Cycles has earned a solid reputation for its carbon
and aluminum road frames on the road front and has also landed some
solid results from its past sponsorship of Tina Pic and her Quark team.
For the 2007 road season, the Georgia-based company will sponsor Team
Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light.
Blue expanded into the cyclo-cross realm this year with its CXC model,
made with its Aerus Composites Conquest high modulus carbon tubeset
joined with 7005 aluminum lugs. To go along with the new frames, the
company also added a pair of Italian 'cross riders to its team roster,
Davide Frattini and Luca Damiani. Both will compete in European cyclo-cross
through the months of December and January in the world-cup series and
the World Championships with the Italian national team.
Frattini is well known as a former winner of Italy's 'Baby' Giro d'
Italia in 2001, who then came to the US in 2003 after racing two years
with the professional European-based Alessio squad. Road racing is Frattini's
main focus and the bulk of his contract with Colavita/Sutter Home presented
by Cooking Light revolves around just that. Though he is more well-known
for his climbing prowess, he has also become a capable all-rounder in
North American racing winning events ranging from the Tour of Bisbee
to Captech Classic.
Still, Frattini has a liking for cyclo-cross and claims the sport provides
him with the strength he needs to race well on the road. "I lost some
of my climbing [ability] but gained more power because of the style
of racing in the US," Frattini said. "I started to race cyclo-cross
again because it was the best way to continue to improve upon the US
road cycling. The kind of efforts involved in cyclo-cross are similar
to the efforts of a time trial and a criterium and these are things
I am still improving."
Blue Competition Cycles provides Frattini with two of CXC framesets
to use in his cyclo-cross season, and both.have made regular podium
appearances at North American UCI cyclo-cross events.
Frattini acknowledges several qualities of his Blue CXC, including
its ability to absorb vibrations while still maintaining good stiffness,
likely owing to its carbon content. Carbon fiber is still somewhat of
a rarity in cyclo-crossgiven the level of abuse that the rough courses
can deliver, but Blue reinforces its CXC with aluminum lugs to increase
the bike's overall strength at the joints.
Frattini also praises the bike's ample clearance at both the chain
stays and fork crown. "The more space you have the better when racing
in the mud," Frattini said. "Every time the wheels rotate they bring
more mud and if you have a narrow space the mud will get stuck and you
will need to change the bike more often, losing valuable time."
Off-the-bike comfort factors into 'cross racing as well, and Blue equips
its CXC with a flattened top tube to facilitate shouldering. "The tubing
starts round at the joints and becomes flat in the center," Frattini
said. "It is very comfortable for when I need to carry my bike."
On a more personal preference, Frattini's favorite aspect of his Blue
CXC is the angle of the head tube and fork. "Mine is steeper at 72 degrees,
which accommodates my style of riding, allowing me to enter into the
turns faster and to be more aggressive in the technical sections of
a cyclo-cross circuit," Frattini said. On a similar vein, the top tube
on Frattini's CXC is one centimetre shorter than what he typically runs
on his road frames, which enables him to be more upright for surer handling.
After an impressive showing in cyclo-cross this season, Blue will provide
Frattini with two completeCXC bikes for next season (currently they
only provide framesets). For now he must build his high-end frame with
mismatched components from his previous year's bike. The bulk of his
components are Shimano Ultegra with the notable exception of a Shimano
R700 compact crankset. "If you have no sponsorship for components who
can give you brand new equipment every year, you need to arrange a set
of components that are durable and work well," Frattini said. "Shimano
Ultegra is not the top of the line, but it is a good compromise between
price and quality. In cyclo-cross, I race a lot in the mud and the sand
but my Ultegra has never given me a problem."
Frattini doesn't seem to mind a 'lesser' set of components and you
wouldn't be able to tell by watching him race. In fact, it may be a
testament to his training, fitness and skill. "It is satisfying when
I race at the same level as guys who have full, high-end components,"
Frattini said with a grin.
Frattini runs two different braking systems with a FRM -Ciclo-X on
the front and Tektro Oryx on the back. This arrangement may seem odd
but Frattini has good reason for doing so. "Originally I had one bike
built with complete FRM Ciclo-X and my second bike built with complete
Tektro Oryx," but he prefers the FRM stoppers. "Because I brake more
with the front, I improvised by putting the two good FRM Cyclo-X brakes
on the front of each bike."
Ambrosio and Gommitalia are Frattini's personal wheel and tiresponsors
in Italy. He upgraded his wheelset from the Ambrosio X-Carbo last year
to the 2007 XXL Carbon wheels this season. "The wheels are very light
and stiff with thin spokes and smooth hubs," Frattini said. "Compared
to the X-Carbo, the profile is deeper. The deeper dish acts like a knife
cutting through the mud."
Frattini has made the Italian connection with sponsor Selle Italia
as well. He has chosen to ride on the Selle Italia Team Edition for
this cyclo-cross season. "I chose the Team Edition because it is light
and the framing is a stiff carbon fiber," Frattini said. "Plus the full
white saddle looks really
Photos
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by
Kirsten Robbins/Cyclingnews.com
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