On the eve of Paris-Roubaix Frederic Guesdon still hadn’t decided whether he was going to run one of FDJ’s newer Lapierre machines or the several-seasons-old aluminum ‘cross rig with which he’s already very familiarJames Huang/BikeRadar
On the eve of Paris-Roubaix Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) still hadn’t decided whether he was going to run one of FDJ’s newer Lapierre machines or the several-seasons-old aluminum ‘cross rig with which he’s already very familiarJames Huang/BikeRadar
Several FDJ riders were on Lapierre’s latest Sensium model with elastomer-damped seatstays at Paris-RoubaixJames Huang/BikeRadar
Lapierre designed FDJ’s Sensium WS specifically for more comfort on bad roads, as evidenced by the slender, curved seatstaysJames Huang/BikeRadar
The new Lapierre Sensium WS features a tapered head tubeJames Huang/BikeRadar
Several FDJ spare bikes were fitted with Hutchinson Road Tubeless tiresJames Huang/BikeRadar
The bottom bracket of Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) converted Lapierre aluminum ‘cross frame uses a standard threaded shell. Check out the machined driveside chainstay stub for extra clearanceJames Huang/BikeRadar
A Deda Dog Fang chain watcher is fitted to the seat tubeJames Huang/BikeRadar
No surprises here – Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) has tight-fitting Elite Ciussi Gel cages fitted to keep his bottles from ejecting on the cobblesJames Huang/BikeRadar
Even with obvious tube damage like this, Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) was still seriously considering using his old bike for Paris-RoubaixJames Huang/BikeRadar
Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) went conservative with stem and handlebar options on his old-school Lapierre X-LiteJames Huang/BikeRadar
Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) prefers the anatomic version of PRO’s PLT aluminum handlebarJames Huang/BikeRadar
Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) has a PRO wireless computer attached to the stemJames Huang/BikeRadar
175mm-long Shimano Dura-Ace cranks with 53/41T chainrings are installed on Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) LapierreJames Huang/BikeRadar
Shimano BR-A550 long-reach brake calipers are installed front and rearJames Huang/BikeRadar
The unused cantilever boss sockets are filled with glueJames Huang/BikeRadar
Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) aluminum Lapierre frame uses a carbon ‘cross fork for gobs of tire clearance – but how is the long-reach road brake caliper attached?James Huang/BikeRadar
Wow – FDJ mechanics can’t be credited for the most elegant solution here but they did come up with a way to attach a long-reach road brake caliper to the front end of Frederic Guesdon’s aluminum Lapierre. Unfortunately, the two steel plates that sandwich the crown also reduce much of the radial clearance the fork is intended to provideJames Huang/BikeRadar
The rear brake is affixed to the frame in essentially the same manner as the front – with two steel plates and an extra set of bolts sandwiching the stock brake bridgeJames Huang/BikeRadar
Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) has Shimano Dura-Ace mechanical levers installed on his old aluminum Lapierre X-LiteJames Huang/BikeRadar
Given the age of the frame (at least five years by our estimates), it’s no surprise to see a standard 1-1/8in head tube on the front end of Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) Lapierre X-LiteJames Huang/BikeRadar
FDJ equipment sponsors Shimano never made threadless headsets so instead of going with another brand, team mechanics modified an old Deore XT headset to fitJames Huang/BikeRadar
Ignore the wrench flats of Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) headset – the inner diameter has been milled to work with a threadless steererJames Huang/BikeRadar
Nothing extraordinary here – just a standard Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailleur on the back of Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) LapierreJames Huang/BikeRadar
Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) aluminum Lapierre uses a solid rear dropout with no replaceable hangerJames Huang/BikeRadar
The rear end of Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) Lapierre is decidedly ordinary, with S-bend seatstays and medium-sized chainstaysJames Huang/BikeRadar
The Ambrosio Nemesis aluminum box-section rims are laced to standard Shimano Dura-Ace 7800-generation hubsJames Huang/BikeRadar
A Fi’zi:k Aliante saddle is mounted atop a PRO PLT Carbon seatpost on Frederic Guesdon’s (FDJ) Lapierre X-LiteJames Huang/BikeRadar