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Mathieu van der Poel won the Strade Bianche riding Canyon’s Aeroad frame’s budget carbon fiber specification, the Aeroad CF SL, after his handlebars malfunctioned during Tuesday’s Le Samyn, prompting Canyon to request that his teams will use “alternative bicycles.”
All of the Canyon-sponsored athletes have been forced to switch bikes after Van der Poel’s handlebars inexplicably broke during the final stages of Le Samyn, leaving the Dutchman with the need to drop a portion of his bars and complete the race. race with your gear stick dangling from the cables. .
Before the race, it was rumored that Van der Poel and his teammates would switch to Canyon’s lightweight racing bike, the Ultimate, which shares the same high-spec CFR carbon tray as his preferred Aeroad racing bike.
However, tech-savvy onlookers would have noticed that the Dutchman was riding an Aeroad.
Both the high-spec Aeroad CFR and the second-tier Aeroad CF SLX are currently under an arrest investigation by Canyon, as they both use the same integrated cockpit with adjustable bars and bobbin-style stem that broke at Le Samyn. However, the lower spec Aeroad CF SL uses the CP10 cockpit found on the previous Aeroad model, giving Van der Poel an additional option.
It could be that the Alpecin-Fenix mechanics simply changed the fork from a CF SL to their CFR frame, however the frame that led to the victory at Strade Bianche caused the now externally routed cables to enter the frame on the side. opposite the motor. the head tube.
The CFR’s integrated design means there are no cable entry ports on the frame, as evidenced by a close look at the same area of the CFR frame that you mounted on Le Samyn.
One possible explanation for this is that the mechanics used Van der Poel’s Aeroad CFR frame with a drill to give him cable ports, allowing him to use his usual racing bike with the older, externally routed cab. However, the most likely scenario is that Van der Poel rode the already available CF SL.
Assuming Canyon did not provide Van der Poel with an exclusive CFR model with external wiring, any of the above explanations goes a long way in shedding light on the importance of aerodynamics versus weight for Van der Poel.
The CF SL is said to share the exact same tube shapes as the CFR Aeroad model, so the aerodynamic performance of the lower-tier frame will share the same 7.4-watt improvement that Canyon claims the new Aeroad offers over its predecessor. .
We don’t know of any aerodynamic tests that directly compare the new Aeroad frame shape to that of the Ultimate, but the difference is likely to be significant.
Canyon estimates the weight of the Aeroad CF SL frame to be 1,020g, compared to the 915g frame for the CFR, and the ultralight 614g for the Ultimate CFR.
The movement is also very helpful in showing the capabilities of today’s so-called ‘budget’ bikes.
The Aeroad CF SL is available at a starting price of £ 3699.00, shod with Shimano 105. Van Der Poel’s frame, corset, was specified with the high-level components you’d expect to find in the WorldTour peloton, with Shimano Dura-Group. Ace and wheels.
