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The cobbled classics have traditionally introduced with them a complete host of event-specific bike tech. Suspension systems, specialist framesets, and even auto-inflating tyres have all been utilized in the previous few years, however the winners of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad did so on fairly commonplace bikes – so are they onerous as nails, or have aero road bikes simply bought higher?
Jan Tratnik’s Cervelo S5
After escaping with Nils Polit within the closing few kilometres, Men’s winner Jan Tratnik waited patiently on the German’s wheel earlier than hitting the wind with a assured dash within the final 200m.
The Slovenian completed three seconds forward of Polit to say his first victory for the reason that stage two time trial within the 2023 Vuelta a Burgos. He did so aboard his Cervelo S5, which had only some minor tweaks for the primary cobbled race of the 12 months.
The Cervelo S5 frameset has been the go-to weapon for the dominant Visma Lease-a-bike squad on all parcours from Grand Excursions to flat dash finishes within the final couple of years.
In contrast to different groups this weekend, the Dutch squad opted to maintain their bikes nearly inventory, moreover some small adaptions to tyre strain and tubeless setup.
Tratnik and the remainder of the Visma Lease-a-bike squad rode 30mm Vittoria Corsa Professional TLR tyres with Vitorria’s Air Liner tyre liner with a view to scale back the possibility of punctures. Mechanic Bart Kennis instructed us that the riders have been working tyre pressures “between 3 [45 PSI] and 4.5 bar [65 PSI]”, a testomony to modern-day tubeless know-how.
Kennis additionally talked about that together with the Reserve 40|44 wheelset have been “quicker” aerodynamically when paired with the broader 30mm rubber. The S5’s 34mm tyre clearance was a lot to deal with the 30mm tyres, even with the reserve wheel’s tremendous vast 25mm inside rim width.
The Slovenian additionally opted for some bigger than commonplace chainrings, pairing a 54/41 chainset to his 10-33 Sram Pink cassette. For perspective, this implies his largest gear, a 54/10 is roughly equal to working a 60t chainring on a Shimano setup with an 11t rear sprocket.
Aside from that, the bike was completely commonplace. Earlier within the day we spoke to DSM Mechanic Bruno Maltar, who indicated that DSM riders have been utilizing a equally commonplace setup.
“The know-how right this moment is a lot additional on than simply 5 years in the past,” he mentioned, explaining the cobbled classics are “simply one other day” for the mechanics, due to extra succesful aero bikes.
Marianne Vos’ Cervelo S5
Regardless of repeated assaults from Lidl-Trek’s Elisa Longo Borghini and Shirin Van Anrooije, the Ladies’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad got here right down to a dash end permitting a dominant to Marianne Vos claim victory.
Very like the lads’s squad, the Visma Lease-a-bike Ladies’s group have been all driving the tried and examined Cervelo S5. Vos too switched out the same old 28mm tyres in favour of the extra comfy 30mm variations.
Vos saved her Sram Red eTap AXS groupset somewhat extra commonplace up entrance with a 50/37t chainset, however did change the run of the mill 10-33 cassette out for a wider vary 10-36 variant for the steeper gradients.
We have got eyes on the bottom for the opening weekend of cobbled racing, so keep tuned for extra tech coming quickly.
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