Alex Howes has spent his career coming up through the ranks of the Slipstream Sports program. During his tenure he’s had a handful of wins in the Tour of Utah as well as the now defunct USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
- Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 and R9150 Di2 groupsets: all you need to know
- Gallery: Ben Swift's Colnago C60
- Gallery: Caleb Ewan's Scott Foil
In Adelaide he’s riding a size 54 Cannondale SuperSix EVO frame with Shimano Dura-Ace 9070 derailleurs, shifters and brakes. With <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-Cannondale-Drapac's CeramicSpeed partnership, the whole team is riding the brand's Oversized Pulley System, which is claimed to save three watts. To keep Oversized Pulley Wheels from rubbing on the 28-tooth cog on the Ultegra 11-28T cassette, Cannondale-Drapac mechanic Fred Bassey tells us that they need 116-links in the chain and to bend the derailleur cage slightly. The team is also running CeramicSpeed bottom brackets.
Like just about every other rider here in Adelaide, Howes is running a 53T big chainring, but on the inside he’s only running a 38T. He’s also using Cannondale Hollowgram SiSL2 cranks and a SRM power meter. The cranks have seen some abuse and it looks as though Howes is a heel-in rider, based on the mark on his crank.
Atop a FSA K-Force carbon seatpost is a Fizik Antares VS saddle with the pressure relieving channel.
The team is sponsored by Mavic so it’s no surprise to see 40mm Cosmic Ultimate rolling stock, however the label on the tubulars has been scrubbed off — though they appear to be a Veloflex Carbon casing.
At the front, Howes is running 400mm FSA Energy Compact bars with an out in front Garmin mount attached and a 130mm, -17-degree FSA OS series stem.
Complete bike specifications
- Frame: Cannondale SuperSix EVO
- Fork: SuperSix EVO, SPEED SAVE
- Stem: FSA OS series stem, 130mm, -17-degree
- Handlebar: FSA Energy Compact, 400mm
- Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace 9070
- Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace 9070
- Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 9070 Di2
- Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 9070 Di2
- Cassette: Shimano Ultegra, 11-28T
- Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-speed
- Crankset: Cannondale Hollowgram SiSL2, 53/38T
- Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Wheelset: Cosmic Ultimate
- Saddle: Fizik Antares VS
- Seatpost: K-Force
- Bottle cages: Tacx Deva
Critical measurements
- Rider's height: 1.80m
- Rider's weight: 61kg
- Saddle height from bottom bracket: 745mm
- Centre of saddle to centre of bar: 725mm
- Total bicycle weight: 7kg / 15.4lb