Welcome to phase two of our Opening Weekend tech gallery. The mud from Omloop Het Niewusblad had settled in a single day, and Sunday dawned chilly, however brilliant and sunny in Kortrijk for Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
The early morning cloud cleared, and by the point the staff buses and vehicles had been pulling into their designated get started zone, the solar used to be out in earnest, and the nice and cozy blue skies gave the impression to welcome the beginning of the Eu spring classics length after a protracted, chilly iciness.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
First, I used to be again at Bora-Hansgrohe to get a greater take a look at their wheels and tyres. I consider it is a new Roval wheel and tyre from Specialised. The rim lacks any style branding and has a black hub. Spot the distinction with the rear wheel in the back of it which has the staff factor silver one. It used to be additionally deeper than the rear wheel, as a way to our eyes it is the first ‘street mullet’ wheelset we’ve got observed in use.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Subsequent, I headed to Professional Staff Wagner Bazin WB to try their De Rosa 70 motorcycles, fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace and Ursus wheels. The gray, inexperienced and white seemed just right in combination within the morning solar, and it for sure used to be refreshing to peer one thing rather than the usual WorldTour tools for a metamorphosis.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The wheels are from the Italian emblem Ursus, and 30mm Goodyear Eagle F1 R tyres are fitted for Kuurne.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The staff used to be working SwissStop disc rotors, pads and lockrings, the primary aftermarket brake portions of the day.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Maximum groups are compatible a work of inside tube over their race transponders for an aero achieve, however there have been some exposed gadgets at Wagner Bazin WB.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Rotor Aldhu chainsets with INspider energy meters for the staff. So much is happening on this shot. Spot the protecting movie over the crank arm and the bearing sponsor sticky label from Cema, a bearing producer from Taiwan. In the end, the chain is if truth be told the M1800 unit from Shimano, an Ultegra spec, no longer Dura-Ace.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The Israel Premier Tech Issue motorbike’s paint has a deep lustre that attracts you in. That is Jake Stewart’s motorbike; no tall spacer stack is wanted for the British racer.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Some other neat race quantity holder right here. Stewart completed the race 14 seconds down in seventieth position.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Here’s Stewart’s fuelling technique. I am not positive what a ‘Krispy’ is, however it sounds adore it may well be tasty.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Carbon-Ti through axles at the Colnago frames. This one’s observed some motion, doubtlessly with some frantic wheel adjustments.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
This mechanic at Q36.5 used to be torquing those shifter clamp bolts off prior to the beginning, perhaps after a last-minute place exchange for a rider.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Lidl Trek’s 1x SRAM aero chainrings had been paired with RED XPLR gravel derailleurs and cassettes. It is a 54T entrance ring.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Purple XPLR makes use of a 13-speed cassette that may be run with a standard 12-speed SRAM chain. The derailleur is burly and robust and has more impregnable take hold of spring stress than the usual Purple rear mech, which will have to be positive over the cobbles.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Spot the carb combine written at the Lidl-Trek aero bottles, which wish to be used with the newest model of the Madone to make sure the utmost aero get advantages.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Extra exterior cabling in this usual Zipp stem. The brake hoses are warmth contracted in combination. I feel they might be run shorter, however the mechanics have left a bit of additional duration to make long term changes and paintings more uncomplicated.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Continental Conti Trainer tubeless radials for the Lidl bus. I am not positive how a lot sealant they had been working in those, however they had been spotless.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Wout van Aert is king in Belgium. The Visma-Rent a motorbike bus used to be swarmed as quickly because it arrived, and fanatics fortuitously waited to catch a glimpse in their hero.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The staff’s Cervelo motorcycles had Wolf Teeth disc rotor lockrings fitted.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Visma and Fast Step had been by way of a ways the most well liked groups, and I needed to get my elbows out right here, too. The staff had been working usual Roval CLX Staff wheels so far as I may see, no longer the prototype wheels and tyres Bora are the usage of.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Professional motorcycles are equipment and select up fight scars right here and there. This used to be Yves Lampaerts’ 2nd motorbike at the staff automobile roof rack.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The Di2 electric twine is saved in position in this Fast Step motorbike, however spot the extra piece of transparent tape conserving it tidily hooked up to the chainstay, I guess to minimise the danger of it getting snagged and to forestall it catching the wind by any means.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
There appears to be a major focal point on aero good points at Intermache Wanty. Multiple staff motorbike had a handlebar setup like this; they had been very easily probably the most competitive round.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Spot the tubeless valves. Intermache use Hutchinson tyres and it is a new, ‘Race’ style of the Blackbird, possibly now the highest of that emblem’s efficiency line. Additionally they profit from the Newmen Streem tubeless valve gadget, which means that the shorter valves keep hidden within the rim for an aero achieve. The sticky label you’ll be able to see covers the rim’s valve hollow.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
A staff mechanic used to be satisfied to turn me the staff’s pump extension software to achieve the recessed valves.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
This Astana mechanic seemed despairing once I requested what used to be occurring right here. The mechanics had been looking to troubleshoot some roughly time-trial handlebar attitude factor the usage of a virtual attitude software.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The Astana X-Lab AD9 motorcycles seem to be somewhat inventory so far as I will inform. They had been hidden away between this wall and the staff bus, which made getting at them difficult.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
There is not any mistaking the Lapierre body design of staff Picnic PostNL. The white paint pen marker signifies Van den Berg’s seatpost top.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
This intimidating fuelling agenda used to be probably the most spectacular I noticed at the day. It used to be from Steffen de Schuyeneer’s motorbike over at Lotto.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Lotto had been some other staff the usage of aftermarket brake elements. The staff had been the usage of Galfer disc pads, rotors and lockrings as a substitute of Shimano. Galfer are a Spanish emblem with origins in bike merchandise.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
A floating Galfer rotor on the rear and burly lockring. Spot the ‘open’ Orbea dropout at the non-drive facet, which I guess makes wheel swaps a slightly quicker.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
If doubtful, get {the electrical} tape out. I guess that is to minimise any laptop rattles at the cobbles.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Some other wholesome spacer stack over at Jayco AlUla and a 10mm spacer on best, the staff’s crimson and chrome Massive Propel race motorcycles simply appear to glow within the brilliant sunshine.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
A fairly extra DIY stem be aware have been deployed right here; I do not know what this implies, however it is almost definitely the place the entire giant hills arrive.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The staff’s Cadex Aero tubeless tyre data is so easy to identify. I feel this generally is a new, unreleased style from Cadex
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
A stall close to the staff’s setup house had a variety of biking memorabilia on the market, a large number of it spanning a number of a long time. I resisted the temptation and saved strolling.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Decathlon AG2R had been driving the RCR-F aero motorbike, that is Belgian classics big name Oli Naesen’s. The staff informed me they used fairly shallower wheels for Omloop’s extra unforgiving parcours. The RCR-F hasn’t formally been launched but, however we’ve got observed it in trying out way back to summer time 2024.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The Deda handlebar has a deep best phase profile and appears very competitive.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
Multiple squad had been working the Continental Aero 111 tyre. It used to be at the beginning advanced along side SwissSide, the AG2R wheel sponsor.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
The Bahrain Merida motorcycles all the time glance dialled. Spot the Elite Ice Fly 500 thermal bottles, which is able to assist stay beverages cool.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
I used to be admiring this neat carbon fibre quantity holder at Bahrain, which seems hand-crafted to me.
(Symbol credit score: Tom Wieckowski)
In the end the entire riders had zipped via to the beginning, and the staff vehicles loaded up and rolled out. The classics are formally underway.
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