Less than a second was all that separated Tour de France team time trial winners Orica-GreenEdge from second-placed Omega Pharma-QuickStep on stage 2 in Nice. But it was enough to deliver the team their first yellow jersey since their formation in 2011.
The honour of wearing yellow in the 2013 Tour de France will fall to Simon Gerrans, who has clearly hit a purple patch after winning a thrilling sprint into Calvi yesterday. Two wins in two days meant spirits were running high at the team hotel after the TTT. Fans draped in Australian flags stood in the lobby, and when BikeRadar went to visit the drinks were already flowing.
Unveiled in 2009, the Plasma is in its third incarnation
Simon Gerrans’ Scott Plasma 3 was just off the mechanic’s washstand. The bike has been a staple for the team, and the frame hasn’t changed much since it was launched in 2009. Even today, the integrated steering assembly, hidden back brakes and aerofoil tube shaping mean it has stood the test of time well.
While the squad use new Shimano Dura-Ace 11-speed on their road bikes, the TT frames are kitted in previous generation 10-speed Di2 technology – not that it did any harm today.
The rear brake is conventional, upended and housed in a recess above the seatstays.
Judging by the marked disc, the derailleur pulley runs extremely close to the rear wheel
The rear wheel is a state of the art Pro Textreme disc, and the front a standard – if logo-less – Shimano C75. It was the perfect combination for the flat, still 25km stage on the Cote d'Azur.
Click through our image gallery, above right, for a detailed look at the Scott.