Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) rode this Bianchi Infinito CV to a fourth-place finish at Paris-Roubaix - James Huang/Future Publishing
As is increasingly common with similar cobbles-focused bikes, the rear end of the Bianchi Infinito CV features heavily shaped stays in an effort to smooth out the bumps - James Huang/Future Publishing
Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) went with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 group at Paris-Roubaix - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Shimano Dura-Ace crankarms are fitted with Pioneer's latest power meter and 53/44-tooth chainrings - James Huang/Future Publishing
Tacx Tao aluminum bottle cages were a popular choice at this year's Paris-Roubaix - James Huang/Future Publishing
Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) would finish his day in fourth place - James Huang/Future Publishing
A Selle San Marco Regale saddle with Xsilite rails is clamped to an FSA K-Force carbon seatpost - James Huang/Future Publishing
The traditional-bend bars are set up with the bottom of the drops roughly level with the ground - James Huang/Future Publishing
Belkin ran huge 30mm-wide Vittoria Pavé CG tubulars mounted to Shimano Dura-Ace 50mm-deep carbon wheels at Paris-Roubaix - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Shimano Dura-Ace brake calipers are set up with the quick-release levers in the open position in case a neutral wheel with a narrower rim is required - James Huang/Future Publishing
Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) used a single top-mounted brake lever at Paris-Roubaix - James Huang/Future Publishing
Supplemental sprint shifters neatly poke out of the Lizard Skins DSP handlebar tape - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Pioneer computer head can display an incredible amount of information - though we doubt Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) had much opportunity to look at it during the race - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Miche seatpost post has a rotatable shim to help safeguard carbon seatposts from crimping - James Huang/Future Publishing
The uniquely shaped seat stays on Sep Vanmarcke's (Belkin) Bianchi Infinito CV the day before Paris-Roubaix - James Huang/Future Publishing
Bianchi says its Countervail technology squelches vibrations by selectively inserting layers of viscoelastic material into the carbon fiber lay-up - James Huang/Future Publishing
Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) went with a very tight 11-23T cassette for the flat parcours of Paris-Roubaix - James Huang/Future Publishing
The tapered head tube sports an hourglass profile - and yes, the front brake cable housing does look a touch short - James Huang/Future Publishing
A strip of tape keeps the valve stem from rattling inside the rim - James Huang/Future Publishing
The carbon headset cover is shaved down to yield a few extra millimeters of handlebar drop - James Huang/Future Publishing
Shimano Dura-Ace bottom bracket cups are threaded into the PF30 adapters - James Huang/Future Publishing
The cockpits of Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped team bikes are becoming an increasingly busy place these days - James Huang/Future Publishing
Magnets for the Pioneer power meter are neatly taped to the chain stays - James Huang/Future Publishing
A simple chain catcher provides a bit of extra security - James Huang/Future Publishing
Paris-Roubaix's biggest challenge for the bikes used there has always been its brutal pavé – more akin to a dirt field full of haphazardly placed granite blocks than anything resembling a road. Manufacturers continually try to infuse as much vertical flex into the riders' machines as possible but for Sep Vanmarcke of the Belkin squad, it's also now a matter of attenuating vibration via Bianchi's novel Countervail technology.
Bianchi perhaps wisely doesn't reveal too much about Countervail, aside from saying that it incorporates some elastomeric materials that are layered into the carbon fiber in select areas of the frame. Though it doesn't provide lots of movement like any sort of suspension, our experience suggests that it does remove some of the sting of the cobbles, particularly in combination with the flattened chain- and seat stays.
As is increasingly common with similar cobbles-focused bikes, the rear end of the bianchi infinito cv features heavily shaped stays in an effort to smooth out the bumps: as is increasingly common with similar cobbles-focused bikes, the rear end of the bianchi infinito cv features heavily shaped stays in an effort to smooth out the bumps - James Huang/Future Publishing
Truth be told, though, Vanmarcke almost certainly got a bigger benefit for his huge 30mm-wide tubulars – the widest we've seen yet from Vitttoria at the Hell of the North. Team mechanics wouldn't disclose Vanmarcke's tire pressures but we observed more than a few riders on race day setting up with just 65psi or so.
Belkin ran huge 30mm-wide vittoria pavé cg tubulars mounted to shimano dura-ace 50mm-deep carbon wheels at paris-roubaix: - James Huang/Future Publishing
Those tires were wrapped around 50mm-deep Shimano Dura-Ace carbon wheels, which teams say actually ride softer than the company's 35mm option.
Shimano also provides much of the rest of Vanmarcke's build kit, including the powerful dual-pivot brake calipers (with blue-compound Shimano carbon-specific pads), carbon-bodied pedals, and Dura-Ace Di2 9070 electronic group outfitted with both climbing and sprinting supplemental shift buttons. The 175mm-long crankarms bear the Dura-Ace logo, too, but it's augmented with power-meter hardware from newcomer Pioneer.
The shimano dura-ace crankarms are fitted with pioneer's latest power meter and 53/44-tooth chainrings: - James Huang/Future Publishing
While much of the gear is decidedly high tech, some aspects of Vanmarcke's setup are actually quite traditional. The classic-bend bars are positioned with the bottom of the drops level with the ground, the lever bodies are clamped with the tips even with the drops, and there's just a single layer of tape covering the aluminum bar.
The traditional-bend bars are set up with the bottom of the drops roughly level with the ground: - James Huang/Future Publishing
Vanmarcke also went with the big gear ratios typical of Paris-Roubaix, including 53/44-tooth chainrings and a tight 11-23T cassette.
Total weight for Vanmarcke's bike as pictured is 7.86kg (17.33lb) – a rather remarkable figure when you consider the incredible abuse dished out on the cobbles. Vanmarcke crossed the line on Sunday in fourth place.
Sep vanmarcke (belkin) rode this bianchi infinito cv to a fourth-place finish at paris-roubaix: - James Huang/Future Publishing
Complete bike specifications
Frame: Bianchi Infinito CV, 59cm
Fork: Bianchi C2C Full Carbon-CV
Headset: Integrated, 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in tapered
Stem: FSA OS-99, 130mm x -6°
Handlebar: FSA Energy T, 42cm (c-c)
Tape: Lizard Skins DSP
Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9000 w/ Shimano carbon-specific pads
James Huang is BikeRadar's former technical editor. After leaving BikeRadar in 2016, he worked at CyclingTips and Escape Collective. He now runs the Substack cycling publication N-1 Bikes.
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