George Hincapie (Team High Road) would have ridden this one-off special rig had it been muddyJames Huang
In the end with the dry weather, Hincapie didn’t go with this unique buildJames Huang
Hincapie’s carbon frame resembles Giant’s OCR model more than the race-oriented TCRJames Huang
There isn’t nearly as much reinforcement in this area as we’re used to seeing.James Huang
The fork is supposedly borrowed from Giant’s ‘cross frameset.James Huang
Hincapie’s machine features an aluminium steerer tube.James Huang
The fork crown is somewhat ungainly in appearance but offers heaps of mud clearance.James Huang
Cantilever studs are cleanly integrated up front.James Huang
The wide-profile brakes deliver maximum rim clearance but the lever feel leaves much to be desired.James Huang
The curved seat stays should give ‘Big George’ a softer ride.James Huang
There’s also lots of clearance out back, too.James Huang
There are no fancy aero wheels here, just box-section tubulars laced around Dura-Ace hubs.James Huang
A wider 25mm Schwalbe tubular gives a little more cush.James Huang
The tread wraps down the side of the casing for better sidewall protection and improved gripJames Huang
The stem is drilled clean through to accommodate the front brake cable routing.James Huang
The extra security of an aluminium handlebar should be very welcome come cobble time.James Huang
Hincapie’s bike is fitted with standard Dura-Ace crankarms.James Huang
The inner ring is upsized to a 44T to better suit the high speeds and relatively flat terrain.James Huang
Standard Dura-Ace fare here, and there’s no chain watcher to stand guard against dropped chains.James Huang
The stock Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailleur is well proven on the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix.James Huang
Dura-Ace STI Dual Control levers control the action.James Huang
The Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals provide Hincapie with plenty of surface area.James Huang
The Selle Italia Flite TT Team Edition saddle is a ubiquitous choice among the pros.James Huang
Hincapie comments before Sunday’s actionJames Huang
High Road’s George Hincapie had two bike options for Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix: his usual Giant TCR Advanced SL Team machine, or a modified build in case it was muddy.
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As it turned out, the weather was dry enough for him to use his standard rig, and he eventually finished 9th, 5’12 behind winner Tom Boonen. But had it been wet, we would have seen him on a unique machine.
Like many bikes we spotted in the days leading up to the event, Hincapie’s Paris-Roubaix special blends attributes of both road and ‘cross bikes. The carbon frame strongly resembles Giant’s standard TCR Composite frame but the rear end is fitted with unique dropouts that effectively yield longer chain stays. This should make for a slightly more comfortable ride that provides a bit more stability thanks to the extended wheelbase.
The carbon-legged fork is lifted straight off Giant’s TCX ‘cross frameset to provide some balance to the longer rear. Not surprisingly, the steerer tube is aluminium, not carbon fibre.
Both ends offer plenty of mud clearance and the longer fork blades also serve to raise the bottom bracket slightly. Wide-profile cantilever brakes are fitted all around, with the rear requiring custom-fitted mounts bonded and riveted to the seat stays. A simple cable hanger is inserted at the seat collar to accommodate the new routing requirements but instead of using a steerer-mounted hanger up front (Hincapie runs his stem slammed right on top of the headset), Team High Road mechanics have simply drilled straight through the stem.
The rest of the equipment largely reflects common trends among Hincapie’s competition. Wheels consist of traditional aluminium box-section tubular rims laced to standard hubs (Shimano Dura-Ace, in this case) with 14g non-butted stainless steel spokes and brass nipples in a softer-riding three-cross pattern.
The extra security of an aluminium handlebar should be very welcome come cobble time.: the extra security of an aluminium handlebar should be very welcome come cobble time.
There’s also lots of clearance out back, too. : there’s also lots of clearance out back, too.
The rear tyre is a special 25mm-wide version of Schwalbe’s Stelvio tubular while the front is labelled as a Schwalbe Ultremo although that’s clearly not what it really is. The large 25mm-wide casing is capped with a mild tread pattern throughout but the rubber extends far further down the side of the casing than usual for increased sidewall protection and more predictable handling on uneven ground.
Gearing is also in accordance with much of the field: Hincapie’s standard Dura-Ace crankarms are fitted with an aggressive 53/44T combination befitting the fast pace and relatively flat profile while an 11-23T cassette provides all the gears he needs. Typical Dura-Ace derailleurs are bolted on, front and rear, and are controlled by Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control levers as usual.
In the end, this one-off bike didn’t get used, but it is a good example of what lengths pro teams go to for this extremely demanding race.
Will it ever rain again at Paris-Roubaix? Maybe next year…
Full specification
Frame: Giant TCR Advanced Team Paris-Roubaix Special
Fork: Giant TCX
Front brake: Alloy wide-profile cantilever w/ BBB CrossStop pads
