Because the anticipation for the Paris-Roubaix builds, Tom Pidcock’s absence looms giant. The Brit – who gained the junior and espoirs variations in 2017 and 2019 – did not have the ultimate cobbled traditional on his race programme, as a substitute opting to race Amsel as a part of his preparation for the Tour de France. Now, a crash in Itzulia has put pay to that.
Nonetheless, with the cobbles of Roubaix calling the peloton, we felt it becoming to take a look over the machine Pidcock rode earlier within the season – throughout February’s opening weekend.
This rig, tailor-made for the unforgiving terrain, mirrors what his teammates will trip, embodying Group Ineos Grenadiers’ technique for the grueling race forward – so simply what have they modified forward of biking’s Sunday in Hell?
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
For the 2024 classics season, the Ineos Grenadiers have opted for the trusty Pinarello Dogma F, sustaining a minimalist strategy to bike-bodging for the cobbles.
After all, the same old suspects of wider tyres and tweaked gear ratios are to be discovered on Tom Pidcock’s bike, however because of ever bettering tyre clearances on highway bikes, there is not any particular version cobbled traditional body to be seen for the workforce.
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
These photos are from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the place Ineos workforce mechanic Diego Costa defined a number of the minor modifications made to the workforce’s bikes.
“The one factor we’re doing in another way for the classics is the tyres. We’re driving 32mm 32mm back and front, arrange tubeless, with inserts. A number of the guys have additionally opted for double-wrapped bar tape, however that is it.”
As tyres get wider and wider, tyre pressures drop too – Costa confirmed that for the cobbles, riders had been operating between 50 and 60 PSI, or 3.5 and 4 bar on their Dura Ace C50 wheelsets.
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
As has been the case all through the British WorldTour workforce’s historical past, Ineos is driving Shimano’s range-topping Dura Ace Di2 groupset, nevertheless, for the quick and livid racing in northern Europe, Ineos has opted for bigger chainrings.
At a a lot hillier Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Pidcock rode a 54/40 chainset coupled with 11-32 cassette. For Roubaix although, count on to see bigger chainring setups, wherever from 54-60t, coupled with tighter vary cassettes for sustaining optimum cadence on the brutal tailwind course.
Though, as Costa talked about, some riders could go for double-wrapped handlebar tape for the bone-shuddering cobbles, Pidcock prefers to maintain his setup the identical previous. His Most one-piece built-in cockpit, which measures 120x380mm, is shod with Prologo Onetouch Nuetro bar tape.
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
Ending equipment is topped off with a Prologo Scratch M5 saddle, which Pidcock has set pretty far again, with a barely down tilted nostril.
It is truthful to say that Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello Dogma F does greater than carry out nicely too – it truly is a looker. The fade paint job this yr is a daring, including aptitude to the traditional body form’s class.
(Picture credit score: Future (Andy Jones))
Such a well-proportioned setup actually makes this bike one for the purists – an ideal match for the pains {of professional} biking.
