Thomas De Gendt rode into an underwhelming 119th place (out of 152 riders) at the Tour de Romandie prologue last week. Despite the performance, we thought it rude not to take a closer look at the Lotto-Soudal edition Ridley Dean Fast.
- Massive Tour de Romandie prologue tech gallery
- Team Sky wears 2018 Castelli rain jacket at Tour de Romandie
The Belgian time trial specific frameset is equipped with a full Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset. To complement the aero frame and Italian groupset, a full rear disc Campagnolo Bora Ultra wheel sits at the back of the bike, while a de-stickered HED H3 front wheel is at the front end.
Despite Campagnolo making an 80mm Bora Ultra front wheel, many riders opt to race non-sponsored wheels for time trials for that extra marginal gain. Four of the top-ten placed riders in the Tour de Romandie prologue raced on non-sponsored wheels, with most of them de-stickering the components to save their sponsor’s blushes.
The flat prologue gave De Gendt the opportunity to ride a gear combination of 56/44 on the front and 11-27 on the rear. A low and flat cockpit setup was paired with all-black Lizard Skins handlebar tape.
Both the front and rear brake are positioned to stay out of the wind, to the rear of the forks and underneath the bottom bracket respectively.
The 172.5mm Campagnolo Super Record cranks are equipped with a SRM power meter and finished with a pair of Look Keo Blade pedals.
Full specifications
Critical measurements
- Rider height: 1.77m / 5ft 8in
- Rider weight: 69kg / 152lb
- Saddle height, from bottom bracket (c-t): 745mm
- Seat tube length (c-c): 516mm
- Tip of saddle nose to centre of bars (at stem): 575mm
- Head tube length: 97mm
- Top tube length: 511mm
Complete bike specifications
- Brake/gear levers: Campagnolo Super Record
- Front derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
- Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
- Cassette: Campagnolo Super Record, 11-27
- Crankset: Campagnolo Super Record with SRM power meter, 56/44T chainrings, 172.5mm crank length
- Rear wheel: Campagnolo Bora Ultra TT
- Front wheel: HED H3, de-stickered
- Tyres: Vittoria tubular
- Handlebars/stem: Ridley Dean Fast full carbon integrated cockpit
- Tape/grips: Lizard Skins
- Pedals: Look Keo Blade carbon
- Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Team Edition
- Seatpost: Ridley Dean Fast Aero carbon
- Computer: Not photographed (SRM PC-8)
Click or swipe through the gallery above to see more of De Gendt’s bike.