George Hincapie's Team High Road Giant TCR Advanced Team Paris-Roubaix Special

	Photo ©: James Huang

Team High Road prepares for the worst

By James Huang in Compiègne, France

Will this be Hincapie's year?

Hincapie's carbon frame resembles Giant's OCR

There isn't nearly as much reinforcement

The fork is supposedly borrowed from Giant's 'cross frameset.

Hincapie's machine features an aluminum steerer tube.

The fork crown is somewhat ungainly in appearance

George Hincapie is gearing up for yet another edition of Paris-Roubaix and Team High Road sponsor Giant is making sure that the big man from Greenville, South Carolina, is ready for whatever Sunday's weather brings as he seeks that elusive win.

The word in the pits was that Hincapie may very well set off from Compiègne aboard a machine not all that unlike his usual Giant TCR Advanced SL Team. However, the threatening storm clouds (and the subsequent mud) will likely put him on a far more unique build specially suited for Paris-Roubaix.

Like many bikes we spotted in the days leading up to the event, Hincapie's Paris-Roubaix special blends attributes of both road and 'cross bikes. The carbon frame strongly resembles Giant's standard TCR Composite frame but the rear end is fitted with unique dropouts that effectively yield longer chain stays. This should make for a slightly more comfortable ride that also provides a bit more stability thanks to the extended wheelbase.

The carbon-legged fork is lifted straight off of Giant's TCX 'cross frameset to provide some balance to the longer rear. Not surprisingly, the steerer tube is aluminum, not carbon fiber.

Both ends offer plenty of mud clearance and the longer fork blades also serve to raise the bottom bracket slightly. Wide-profile cantilever brakes are fitted all around, with the rear requiring custom-fitted mounts bonded and riveted to the seat stays. A simple cable hanger is inserted at the seat collar to accommodate the new routing requirements but instead of using a steerer-mounted hanger up front (Hincapie runs his stem slammed right on top of the headset), Team High Road mechanics have simply drilled straight through the stem.

The rest of the equipment largely reflects common trends among Hincapie's competition. Wheels consist of traditional aluminum box-section tubular rims laced to standard hubs (Shimano Dura-Ace, in this case) with 14g non-butted stainless steel spokes and brass nipples in a softer-riding three-cross pattern. The rear tire is a special 25mm-wide version of Schwalbe's Stelvio tubular while the front is labeled as a Schwalbe Ultremo although that's clearly not what it really is. The large 25mm-wide casing is capped with a mild tread pattern throughout but the rubber extends far further down the side of the casing than usual for increased sidewall protection and more predictable handling on uneven ground.

Gearing is also in accordance with much of the field: Hincapie's standard Dura-Ace crankarms are fitted with an aggressive 53/44T combination befitting the fast pace and relatively flat profile while an 11-23T cassette should provide him with all the gears he needs. Typical Dura-Ace derailleurs are bolted on, front and rear, and are controlled by Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control levers as usual.

What will Hincapie ultimately end up using? We'll all have to wait until Sunday morning to see.

Photography

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Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com

• George Hincapie (Team High Road) has another go at Paris-Roubaix with this one-off special rig.
• It's still uncertain whether or not Hincapie will go with this unique build instead of something more standard. The weather will likely be the ultimate decider.
• Will this be Hincapie's year?
• Hincapie's carbon frame resembles Giant's OCR model more than the race-oriented TCR.
• There isn't nearly as much reinforcement in this area as we're used to seeing.
• The fork is supposedly borrowed from Giant's 'cross frameset.
• Hincapie's machine features an aluminum steerer tube.
• The fork crown is somewhat ungainly in appearance but offers heaps of mud clearance.
• Cantilever studs are cleanly integrated up front.
• The wide-profile brakes deliver maximum rim clearance but the lever feel leaves much to be desired.
• The curved seat stays should give 'Big George' a softer ride.
• There's also lots of clearance out back, too.
• There are no fancy aero wheels to be found here ; just well-built box-section tubulars laced around standard Dura-Ace hubs.
• A wider 25mm Schwalbe tubular gives a little more cush.
• The front tire is labeled as a Schwalbe Ultremo , but it clearly isn't one. The tread wraps far down the side of the casing for better sidewall protection and improved grip on the uneven surfaces.
• The stem is drilled clean through to accommodate the front brake cable routing.
• The extra security of an aluminum handlebar should be very welcome come cobble time.
• Hincapie's bike is fitted with standard Dura-Ace crankarms.
• The inner ring is upsized to a 44T to better suit the high speeds and relatively flat terrain.
• Standard Dura-Ace fare is found here, too , and there's no chain watcher to stand guard against dropped chains.
• The stock Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailleur is well proven on the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix.
• Dura-Ace STI Dual Control levers control the action.
• The Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals provide Hincapie with plenty of surface area.
• The Selle Italia Flite TT Team Edition saddle is a ubiquitous choice among the pros.
• Hincapie comments on the next day's action.

Full specification

Frame: Giant TCR Advanced Team Paris-Roubaix Special
Fork: Giant TCX

Critical measurements
Rider's height: 1.91m (6' 3") ; Weight: 74.8kg (165lb)
Seat tube length, c-c: 510mm
Seat tube length, c-t: 570mm
Top tube length: 560mm
Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 805mm
Saddle nose tip to C of bars: 620mm
C of front hub to top of bars: 595mm

Front brake: Alloy wide-profile cantilever w/ BBB CrossStop pads
Rear brake: Alloy wide-profile cantilever w/ BBB CrossStop pads
Levers: Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control ST-7800
Front derailleurs: Shimano Dura-Ace FD-7800-F
Rear derailleurs: Shimano Dura-Ace RD-7800-SS
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7800, 11-23T
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-7801
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace FC-7800, 175mm, 53/44T
Bottom bracket: Shimano SM-FC7800

Front rim: Fir ST120 tubular
Rear rim: PRO R75T tubular
Front hub: Shimano Dura-Ace HB-7800, 32h
Rear hub: Shimano Dura-Ace FH-7800, 32h
Spokes: Sapim stainless steel, 14g, w/brass nipples
Front tyre: Schwalbe 'Ultremo' tubular, 25mm
Rear tyre: Schwalbe Stelvio tubular, 25mm

Bars: PRO Vibe 7S Anatomic OS, 44cm (c-c)
Stem: PRO PLT OS Road, 130mm x -6°
Headset: FSA integrated
Tape/grip: PRO

Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace SPD-SL PD-7810
Seat post: Giant formulaOne Composite
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite TT Team Edition
Bottle cages: Elite Patao
Computer: None

Total bike weight: 8.1kg (17.9lb)