Stage one of the Critérium du Dauphiné is a bit of a scrum. If you’re a Cyclingnews subscriber you’ve doubtless already seen all the new stuff from the Dauphine mega tech gallery, where I spotted two brand new bikes (a new BMC and a new Ridley), some new handlebars, some custom paint jobs, and plenty more besides. The paddock at the very start of the race is hectic, awash with other journalists wanting to grab a scoop, and fans keen to see their favourite riders. As a result, one can’t always spot everything on the first pass.
I stuck around for stage two, too, just in case I missed anything, so consider this a bonus feature to the main gallery. There’s some new tech for sure that I didn’t spot on stage one, but there are also some more candid shots that should give you a feel for what it’s like to be at the race yourself, except without the burden of a very sweaty back from carrying a camera bag all day in the heat.
The paddock is just an adopted street, but it becomes a real hive of activity once all the busses rock up
I was informed that Jonas Vingegaard rode this 1x setup on stage one, the only rider on the team to do so. He was back on 2x for stage 2 though, perhaps feeling out the ideal setup ahead of the Tour de France
A 50T chainring combined with a Wolftooth chain catcher with a custom 3D printed head on it that doesn’t enclose the outer face of the chain
A very bling carbon pulley cage from Nova Ride was spotted on Gillaume Martin’s bike. The wear markings on the upper jockey wheel suggest clearance may be tight!
The brand new prototype BMC is going to turn heads at the start of every stage that’s for sure
Rob Stannard had some scuffing on the side of his tyres… nothing a bit of Sharpie won’t fix!
Despite switching to HED wheels, some riders are still on Corima wheels. Here the unusual MCC DX model, with 12 thick carbon spokes
Not a set of wheels you can true with a spoke key, that’s for sure
Notes of when and how much sealant has been added to a set of tyres is a real belt and braces touch from the mechanics at Intermarche-Circus-Wanty
Unlike the rest of the team, Sam Bennett uses 11sp rings as he can get them in larger sizes
He’s also a rider who just wants to be…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…