Bikes of the Pros: 2011 Edition

For the 2011 edition of Bikes of the Pros, we’re going to take a slightly different tack and organize things by team, at least at the start. As the year rolls on and new bikes and technology appear, the article will be updated.
We’ll start with the bikes being ridden by the UCI Pro Teams and go from there.

Pro Teams:

AG2R – La Mondiale | Astana | BMC Racing Team | Euskaltel – Euskadi | Garmin – Cervelo | HTC – Highroad | Katusha | Lampre – Farnese Vini | Liquigas – Cannondale | Leopard-Trek | Movistar | Omega Pharma – Lotto | Quickstep | Rabobank | Radioshack | Saxo Bank – Sungard | Team Sky |Vacansoleil |
just over 1 kg.

Ag2R – La Mondiale

2011 will see the AG2R – La Mondiale team on the latest edition of the Kuota KOM: The Evo. The KOM Evo features a one piece monocoque front triangle with a tapered headtube (1.5″ to 1.125″) and a BB30 bottom bracket. Progressive tube dimensioning ensures the same ride across all frame sizes. Asymetrical chainstays provide the best comfort and power transfer. The KOM Evo has a slightly sloping top tube and comes in six sizes from XXS to XL. A size M frameset weighs just over 1 kg.

Astana

The Specialized S-Works Roubaix SL3

Alberto Contador's S Works Tarmac SL3 from the 2011 Giro d'Italia

Alexandre Vinokourov and the rest of Astana is slated to continue with bikes from Specialized in 2011.
The Roubaix SL3 is Specialized’s “comfort” road bike, but that does not mean that it can’t race. It went to victory with Fabian Cancellara at Paris-Roubaix in 2010. The new FACT IS 11r carbon SL3 frame weighs less than 1000grams, with increased torsional stiffness, and Zertz seatstay inserts for the fastest most compliant endurance bike available. The FACT full carbon monocoque fork with vibration-damping Zertz inserts is ultra light and durable.

BMC

One of the benefits of having a bicycle manufacturer as your title sponsor is a wide variety of bikes to choose from. The riders of the BMC Racing Team four road bikes at their disposal:

The BMC impec team

The Impec: BMC set out to create a new paradigm in bicycle design with the impec. The result? Their Load Specific Weave (LSW) and Shell Node Concept (SNC). No bicycle has ever been designed with such a consistently futuristic approach. The impec was ridden by 2009 World Champion Cadel Evans and 2009 US champion George Hincapie in 2010 and will likely find itself under more BMC Racing Team riders in 2011.

The BMC teammachine SLR01

The new teammachine SLR01 was the choice of 2008 World Champion Alessandro Ballan in 2010. The teammachine SLR01 is a racing bike made without compromise, which achieves the seemingly impossible: maximum stiffness with the greatest possible comfort. The Tuned Compliance Concept applied to the chainstays, seatstays and forkblades provides vertical flexibility and thus a tangibly more comfortable ride. Meanwhile, a stable bottom bracket hub and steering head area guarantee propulsion without compromise and incredibly precise handling.

The BMC promachine SLC01

The promachine SLC01 of Karten Kroon is not just a visual masterpiece – it is also technically unique. Ultralight and with impressive stiffness values, it provides the rider with an exemplary handling experience. The promachine holds the road well, remains precise through bends and its load transmission is second to none. This is a bike for world champions – and now for you, too.

The BMC racemaster SLX01

Before moving to the impec, the Racemaster SLX01 was George Hincapie’s choice. The prize winning design unites carbon and aluminum in a racing frame that guarantees uncompromising rigidity and a high degree of ride comfort at the same time. The integrated streampost seatpost can be adjusted for height with a single turn and remains perfectly aligned due to its tear drop shaped profile. The result is a comfortable and incredibly fast racing machine made for curvy mountain passes and for effortless gliding over any tarmac.

Recent news seems to indicate that the team is moving from a Campagnolo drivetrain to Shimano’s electronic Di2/Dura Ace system. Team captain Cadel Evans recently tweeted that he received a bike with the group.

Euskaltel-Euskadi

The Euskaltel-Euskadi squad has been on Orbea bikes since their inception. That relationship will continue on into 2011 and will see the team riding the latest incarnation of the Orca line: the Orca GDi2. The GDi2 continues Orbea’s fine technical tradition and mates that technology with Shimano’s Di2 electronic shifting system.

Garmin-Cervelo

2010′s Garmin-Slipstream and Cervélo Test Team organizations have somewhat merged to form the new Garmin-Cervélo. It should be no surprise to learn that the team will be riding Cervélo bikes in the new year. As was the fashion at the Cervélo Test Team, we anticipate that you’ll see the riders choosing from a number of bikes in the Cervelo line. Two that you’re sure to see are the R5 and the R3.

The Cervelo R5

The R5 is one of the lightest frames in the world, but it is no lightweight. Because Cervélo does not lower its stiffness and strength standards for its lighter frames, the R5 boasts incredibly high test scores, but at an even lower weight than the R3. The R5 achieves this by using most of the technology developed at the Project California facility and showcased in the R5ca. The R5 is part of the R-series, designed to make the difference on the hills and mountains.

The Cervelo R3

The original R3 has set the standard for lightweight yet stiff, strong and comfortable frames over the past five years. Its super-thin seatstays, Squoval tube shapes and in-house developed layup were a major leap forward in frame design. The completely re-engineered 2011 R3 takes another leap. The BBright system almost DOUBLES the already impressive BB stiffness and the tapered 1-3/8th tapered FK30 fork tracks like no other.
Look for Cervelo riders to be choosing the RS model in the Spring classics.

The vaunted Cervelo R5ca made an appearance at the 2011 Amgen Tour of California being ridden by Ryder Hesjedal.

HTC-Highroad

The big news for HTC-Highroad and the other teams sponsored by Specialized Bicycle Components is the new McLaren Venge. It made its debut just before Milan-San Remo and was ridden to victory just a couple of days later by Matthew Goss.

The Specialized S-Works McLaren Venge with its F1 cousin

Matthew Goss rides the new Specialized Venge to victory at Milan-San Remo

The Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL3

Specialized Bicycle Components and High Road Sports have joined forces to create a powerful partnership aimed at building a global cycling franchise based on the world’s most successful men’s and women’s cycling teams.  Team HTC-High Road, operated by High Road Sports, announced a multi-year partnership beginning in 2011 to continue its unequaled success using the market leading, technically advanced products of Specialized Bicycle Components.
The team is expected to have Specialized’s S-Works Tarmac and S-Works Roubaix bikes at their disposal. Shimano has stayed on with the team to provide drivetrain components. The Pro Tour-dominating SL3 FACT IS 11r carbon frame of the Tarmac has phenomenal stiffness to weight ratio, with tapered head tube and OSBB carbon shell. A full carbon monocoque fork with tapered steerer provides for the ultimate in precision handling and acceleration.

Katusha

The Focus Izalco Team

The Katusha team will make a switch from Ridley to Focus in 2011. After the demise of the Milram squad, Focus was looking for a new Pro Tour team to sponsor and Katusha fit the bill. It’s expected that the Katusha riders will be using the Focus Izalco Team model, which receives some upgrades from it’s 2010 specs.  The 2011 model features a new design, and the internal cable routing has been enhanced with the rear derailleur cable now also routed through the chain stay.

Lampre-Farnese Vini

The Wilier Sette99/Zero.7 debuts just in time for the 2011 Tour de France

Just in time for the Tour de France, Lampre-Farnese Vini will likely be taking delivery of an all new bike from Wilier. Called alternatively the Zero.7 or the Sette99, it weighs in at 12 pounds, 6 ounces, making it one of the lightest production bikes out there.

The Wilier Cento1 SLR

Wilier continues to provide support to the Lampre – Farnese Vini team, and the latest bike that they have provided to the team is the Cento1 SLR (Cento Uno Superlegerra). Wilier’s flagship racing bike represents an extraordinary balance of weight, stiffness and strength. The stiffness to weight ratio is unrivaled due to the use of the world’s most sophisticated carbon fiber: 30 ton for resilience in low-stress areas and 60 ton where applied loads are the greatest. Zinc oxide nanoparticle resin is used for low-void integrity and LIT molding is used for maximum compaction. Finally, the special weave of the carbon skin provides impact resistance and vibration dampening.
The oversized BB utilizes integrated CNC alloy inserts to shave grams while optimizing power transfer. The monocoque carbon headset cups are constructed in mold to further reduce weight. Average frame weight is 920 grams.

Liquigas-Cannondale

The Cannondale Super-Six Hi-Mod

For 2011, Cannondale steps up from technical sponsor of the Liquigas team to a title sponsor, the next evolution of a partnership that was founded on the tradition of combining world-class cyclists with best-in-class bicycles. The partnership will help in the development of new Cannondale products.
Liquigas – Cannondale team riders such as Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali will continue to ride the flagship Cannondale SuperSix Hi-Mod. This is the bike that rode to victory at the Tour of California and the Giro d’Italia. At just 890 grams, with unmatched stiffness-to-weight and an alive, communicative ride-feel, SuperSix is engineered to win. The bikes will feature an FSA cockpit and Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels. Not in line with the picture above, the team makes a move to SRAM for drivetrain components in 2011.

Leopard-Trek

The Trek Madone in Leopard-Trek colors

At last, a name! The Schleck brothers, Fabian Cancellara, Jens Voigt and the rest of the Leopard-Trek team will be going up the road on (surprise, surprise) Trek Madones. The most likely choice for the team in the Madone 6.9 SSL. The drivetrain will be Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 electric gruppo and many of the other components are expected to come from Trek house brand Bontrager.

Movistar

Pinarello extends their reach into the ProTeam ranks by providing equipment to the new Movistar (formerly Caisse d’Epargne) team. It looks like the Basque squad, much like Team Sky, will be riding the Dogma 60.1. The cockpit looks to be from Pinarello’s MOST line but the big news here is the all new Campagnolo electronic drivetrain. You can see the wire and the battery packs in the updated image above.
The video shows the first build with the new electronic system. It’s a little hard to tell from the video, but to my eyes, the lever throw looks longer than Shimano’s Di2 system.

Omega Pharma-Lotto

The Canyon CF SLX Ultimate 9.0 Team

The Omega Pharma – Lotto team will ride into 2011 on the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 Team. Canyon’s bike for the long tours and classics, it gets a styling revamp for 2011 that is event more adapted to the colors of the team: On the right side, all in bright red lettering are painted, while a left-precious green on white ground flashes in the eye.No other bike in the peloton offers such a combination of stiffness and comfort.

The Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 Team will feature the Campagnolo Super Record group and Mavic R-Sys SL wheels.

Quick Step

Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavenel and the rest of the Quick Step team will continue to ride bikes from Eddy Merckx in 2011.

The Merckx EMX-7

The workhorse bike of the team in 2011 will be the new EMX-7. It uses advanced carbon fiber technology to produce the strongest, stiffest yet lightest racing bike of them all. It’s the bike that Tom Boonen and the Quick Step Team will be using next year, day in, day out, for every race and training session. It’s the illustration of what Eddy Merckx Cycles does best – namely producing the best engineered and best produced racing cycle on the planet. To read more about their bikes, visit the Quick Step web site.

Rabobank

The Giant TCR Advanced SL 0

Rabobank’s Giants in the wild at the Tour of Oman – foto Cor Vos ©2011

With its winning combination of stiffness, light weight, compliance and sharp handling, the Giant TCR Advanced SL is often imitated, never duplicated. Featuring the highest-performance Advanced SL-grade composite, hand-crafted construction and race-winning compact geometry with an integrated seatpost and massive MegaDrive downtube, TCR Advanced SL is the hors categorie performer.

Team Radioshack

The Trek Madone 6.9 SSL in Team Radioshack colors

When you think Lance Armstrong, you likely think Trek Bikes. I frankly can’t picture him on anything else, and I’m sure that makes Trek very happy. The relationship carries into 2011, with Bontrager providing the cockpit bits and SRAM doing drivetrain duties. Here are just some of the details:

• Madone 6 Series Pro fit frame
• Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 wheels
• SRAM Red gruppo and brakes
• Bontrager XXX Lite VR handlebar
• Bontrager XXX Lite carbon stem

With Lance scheduled to step down from road racing, it’s safe to say that Radioshack and Trek would love to see someone on the team really step up and be the new star.

Saxo Bank – Sungard

See Astana and HTC-Highroad. Specialized, the hardest working brand in Pro Cycling is also continuing their relationship with Bjarne Riis’ Saxo Bank – Sungard team for 2011.

Team Sky

Team Sky continues their relationship with Pinarello in 2011 and will once again be riding the Dogma 60.1 road bike in blue and black livery.
With the Dogma 60.1, Pinarello has raised the bar to new heights – and that is saying something for a company who, from 1992-95, supplied all the bikes ridden by Miguel Indurain as the great Spaniard won a record-breaking five consecutive Tours de France.
The Dogma 60.1 belongs to a new generation of frames that, with its revolutionary asymmetric design, is set to challenge traditional concepts of racing bicycles. The design means that the force applied to the bike is balanced evenly across the entire frame – the result is less force dispersion, greater efficiency and, of course, more speed.

Vacansoleil

Vacansoleil, a Dutch team that is British only in their license, is making a move from the Dutch Batavus brand to Ridley for 2011. Ridley managing director Jochim Aerts and Luijckx Daan from the Vacansoleil team announced the three-year deal in September of 2010. Ridley supplied bikes to the Katusha team in 2010, but passed up on an option with the Russian team to hook up with the Dutch-based Vacansoleil team.