This article first appeared on Cyclingnews.
A new aero frameset from Ridley has been spotted at Tour de Suisse. The frameset is wrapped in a red and black plastic wrap, presumably to hide full design detailing, and was raced by Andre Greipel and Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Soudal) on Stage 2 of the race.
The frameset also features a new integrated aero carbon cockpit and frame-specific seatpost.
The bike is not yet listed on the UCI's list of approved frames and forks for racing, but another manufacturer recently spoke to Cyclingnews and said it is now able to give a date for the UCI to publish its new frames on the approved frames and fork list.
Ridley's aero-specific frameset, the Noah, was last updated for the 2015 season, with the fork receiving a more recent update at the beginning of 2017. It is possible that this model is the 2019 Ridley Noah.
Starting at the front of the bike, the first noticeable updates are on the fork. Tabs to the rear of the dropouts are in clear view, a design feature seen on the Pinarello Dogma F10 and Bolide framesets, which Pinarello claims is an aerodynamic advantage.
Also on the fork, the four vents which were a key feature on the latest Ridley Noah fork update have disappeared and the fork crown sees a larger, yet sleeker, design, which integrates seamlessly into the head of the down tube.
Following market trends of new, high-end framesets, the fork also accommodates direct mount rim brakes, which are seen again at the rear.
Towards the lower section of the down tube, up the seat tube and onto the seatpost, an indented design feature runs throughout and links to the rear part of the top tube. It is unclear whether the feature is an aesthetic or aerodynamic addition.
The indent on the seatpost marries up with the seat tube and the tubing profile suggests the seatpost is frame-specific.
At the head of the top tube, the integrated aero cockpit runs seamlessly into the frameset and was clearly a heavily considered design feature. With or without spacers, it would appear the headset is completely hidden due to a headset cover that pairs up with the top tube/head tube junction perfectly.
To the rear of the top tube, the tubing rises up slightly at the seatpost area, likely to accommodate a new clamping mechanism for the seatpost.
Click or swipe through the gallery above for a detailed look at the new aero bike from Ridley.