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May 12, 2023
All the details behind the bike that Mads Pedersen sprinted to victory at the Giro d’Italia
Now in his sixth year with Trek-Segafredo, Mads Pedersen isn’t showing any signs of slowing down when it comes to his win tally. Ever since his World Championship victory in 2019, the Danish rider has been establishing himself as one of the best sprinters and puncheurs in the WorldTour peloton.
Such a fast rider needs a suitably fast bike, and Pedersen’s seventh-generation Trek Madone SLR which he is currently riding at the 2023 Giro d’Italia certainly fits this bill. It’s the American brand’s aero-focussed model, with striking truncated square end tube shapes that employ the advantages of airfoils with aim at reducing weight while increasing stiffness and stability.
When it comes to frame design and shaping, perhaps the most striking elements of the Trek Madone SLR are the chunky down tube and tall bottom bracket, as well as the hole in the seat tube which Trek describes as ‘Isoflow.’ Isoflow aims to accelerate the air coming from the head tube and since the seat tube junction area of the bike is where a lot of turbulence is generated by the airflow, Isoflow should greatly improve the aerodynamics of the Madone SLR. It also is said to reduce the overall weight of the bike and make it more compliant too, as well as giving the Madone an undeniably spaceship-like look.
Read more: Giro d’Italia pro bike: Mark Cavendish’s Wilier Filante SLR
At the front of the bike, Pedersen is using Bontrager’s integrated bar and stem system which is also supposed to aid aerodynamics. Bontrager improved the aero cockpit when this version of the Madone was released in 2022 – it features a shallow reach and a different width between hoods and drops, The resulting position is narrower and more TT-like, a common trend in the WorldTour peloton. Pedersen opts for a very low slammed stem and aggressive position, as well as no bar tape along the tops of the handlebars, presumably for added aerodynamic gains.
When it comes to the hoops to support the Madone, Pedersen has been using the Bontrager Aeolus RSL in 62mm rim depth, a common rim depth choice among the modern peloton when a race is likely to come down to a sprint finish. They feature ceramic Kogel Bearings. The Aeolus RSL wheels are paired with 28mm Pirelli P Zero…
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