Protagonist or not, Charles Verona He is another road racer who answered the call at the first UCI gravel world championshipWe met him and cycled with him.
An Canyon Grail CF SLX in large size taken in hand after the Vuelta, with the electronic transmission and single chainring in frontBut let's look at the main curiosities of the Iberian rider's bike.
With the bike and a bit of normality
«After the Vuelta – he says – they delivered the Canyon Grail to me, I spent a few days to arrange it as best as possible according to my characteristics. I I also used the gravel bike to take some of the strain off the VueltaNormally I'm just focused on road cycling and time trials. In this last month I have never abandoned the bicycle, but it's also true that I enjoyed my family and also a bit of normality, which for us riders is synonymous with the good life."
«If I can stay with the best at the start then I will commit myself until the end of the race, but if I suffer and struggle, as is likely to happen, then I'll step aside and enjoy the day in a setting I really like. Running in Italy stimulates me and always gives me special emotions and, this is the first gravel world championship».
The Grail CF SLX in detail
Verona has retained the full carbon double-deck integrated cockpit, the one with the double horizontal bar. There is a Sram Red eTap AXS drivetrain, with 12 rear ratios (the sprockets are XPLR) and a 46-tooth single chainring (full). There is the Quarq power meterA special feature: Verona wanted the two additional buttons for changing gear, positioned on one of the two straight bars of the handlebars.
The wheels are Zipp 303 Firecrest with 40mm Continental tubeless tires.During the ride, after the first, most technical section of the route, the athlete stopped to lower the pressure, brought to around 2,5 bar at the rear and 2,2 at the front.
The saddle is a Fizik Terra Argo with alloy rails. The seatpost is the Canyon full carbon with the split stem, flexible and shock-absorbing.
Road racer with off-road shoes
Unlike many of his fellow road racers, theMovistar athlete he mounted some off-road pedals and related Fizik footwear dedicated to off-roading.
