We've already told you about the first edition of the Serenissima Gravel, the race organized by Pozzato and won by Alexey Lutsenko. Now, however, we want to focus on the Astana rider's bike. Almost by irony of fate Wilier had presented a few days before the Rave SLR bike dedicated to Gravel which Alexey used for the SerenissimaHe'll tell us about it Gabriele Tosello mechanic of the'Astana Premier Tech.
No revolution, more comfort
«The frame has geometries similar to those of the road Tosello tells us – I must say that in Wilier they have maintained a very competitive structureThe rear triangle and trail are longer to allow for tire clearance up to 42mm. The headset is a little higher, we are talking about half a centimeter, but it has not caused any measurement problems, on the contrary provided more stability on the front end so Alexey was able to push to the maximum."
Did the riders use the size bikes they use on the road?
Absolutely, The bikes were delivered to us on Thursday and the riders tried them out immediately to give us initial feedback.. Also because the next day they would have already run there, in short, a baptism of fire.
How did they find each other?
Very good, the first impression was immediately positive, the feature of not changing the measurements and the positioning on the saddle was an advantage for us. For this reason We have already asked Wilier if we can use the Rave SLR also for Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix for next year..
Did it particularly impress you then…
In addition to not having to change the measurements, What impressed us most was the frame's ability to absorb bumps in the terrain, which is a huge plus.It weighs more than the Wilier Zero we use all year round, but in the end, weight doesn't matter in these races.
Let's move on to the setup, we've seen many single chainrings, but not you, why?
We had the opportunity to preview the new Dura Ace 12-speed and so we jumped at the chance. The choices were 54-40 or 52-36 for the front crankset, while the sprocket pack was the classic 11-30, we opted for the compact (52-36 ed.). We saw that the single chainring was not the best choice, the riders develop too high a speed to use it to its full potential, let's say it's more of a cycle touring choice.
The new Dura Ace gets a stress test right away…
Let's say yes – says Gabriele laughing –
What tires were used?
The choice fell on the Vittoria Terrano, 35mm section. Here too there was something new for us: we used tubeless tires for the first time.
How come you've never tried them?
On the road we didn't need to use them, however, in races like this they are fundamental, we also saw it on the Colbrelli's bike at Roubaix. We are thinking of re-proposing the Vittoria Terreno in combination with the Rave SLR frame at the next Strade Bianche and RoubaixMaybe not such large sections but with a 30 mm, maximum 32 mm, these 35 mm ones would become too complicated to push on asphalt sections.
Did you “adapt” easily?
There were no problems with the pressure and assembly, we inflated the tires to 2,7 or 2,8 barThe most complicated thing we asked for a little help with dosages is the liquid to put inside the tubeless.
Will you use it in the future?
Technology and development are pushing in that direction, but that's also right, especially in races with rough terrain.The pressure is lower thanks to the use of liquid and it also self-seals on micro punctures…
What about brakes and handlebars?
The brakes were the same as always, diameter of 160 mm at the front and 140 mm at the rearThe handlebars were the road ones.
