SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO – After the victory on Mount Petrano, the second consecutive, Vingegaard briefly explained that he had changed bikes, this time using the Cervelo R5, because the toughest route required a climber's bike. He later added that it was a shared choice between him and the team.
Since last year, as well as at the Tirreno-Adriatico, Roglic had followed the same strategy techniqueWe interviewed Vingegaard at the start to get him to tell us about the technical differences and the choices made in this regard.
Friday's S5
La S5 with which the Dane conquered the Valle Castellana stage, attacking 29,5 kilometers from the finish on the climb of San Giacomo, is Cervélo's aero bikeThe frame allows the fitment of tyres up to 34 mm, although Vingegaard's choice fell on tyres Vittoria Corsa Pro 28. The S5 used by Vingegaard and his teammates is equipped with a 52-tooth Sram single chainring and a 10-36 cassette from Sram Red.
«We decided to use it – explains the Dane – even before the race. We make a plan in advance, putting together the technicians' intuitions and my feelings and usually our ideas coincide.The S5 is very fast and easy to drive, which is why I chose it on the day of Valle Castellana, because after the mountain there was a long stretch in the valley. The descent that day was very fast, but Being alone allowed me to take freer trajectories So even though the bike is less responsive in certain changes of direction, I still managed to go down very well. And since I decided to attack first, I needed a way to maintain my speed.
«Having a single crown – he continues – doesn't create any difficulties for me. Partly because I also use it in training and then because in front I can choose between a 50 or a 52 (At Tirreno he used a 52, ed.) while at the back I can get up to a 36, so going uphill is not a problem at all. Obviously, different gear ratios are used, but now, between the potentiometer and the pedal stroke counter, I know exactly how to choose the best gear.
The R5 on Saturday
The next day to win over Petrano, instead of the single chainring, a double crankset has returned on the Cervélo R5, the climbing bikeThe new R5 frame is 130 grams lighter than the previous model (6,85 kilos without pedals), with the integrated cable solution that has reduced aerodynamic drag on a bike that is not one of its ultimate goals to be super aerodynamic.
«It feels different because it's obviously lighter – says Vingegaard – and also at the bottom bracket level you feel that it has a super response to changes in pace when climbingShe's very stiff and you know that when she changes pace she has an extra weapon."
The R5, as we have written in our test, has the BBRight bottom bracket, with a width of 73 millimeters. Over the years, Cervélo has maintained this setup, which guarantees rigidity at the heart of the bike and makes the asymmetrical parts compact.
From one to the other
«I have no problem switching from one bike to another – says Vingegaard – because everything is the same except the frame. The saddle is the same, the handlebar height is the same, nothing changes and even the pedalling rhythm is quite similar to what I can achieve with the single chainring.We are quite used to these passages, because we adopt the same strategy in all the stage races."
Among the identical details between the two bikes there is also the use of Sram gear levers: not the Red ones but the smaller Force onesA fairly common solution among athletes with small hands or who want a tighter grip on the handlebars.
