Tour de France bikes: Alejandro Valverde's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX — gallery

Blue-fade design and extreme seat position for Spanish veteran

Alejandro Valverde's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for the 2018 Tour de France

Josh Evans/Immediate Media

Josh Evans

Published: August 18, 2018 at 5:00 pm
Alejandro Valverde's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for the 2018 Tour de France - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Movistar uses Elite Vico Carbon bottle cages - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Valverde used a Garmin Edge 1030 computer - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at the front end of Alejandro Valverde's Canyon Ultimate - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
The front end of Valverde's bike was neat - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A closer look at the Campagnolo Super Record rim brakes with rim-specific brake pads - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Valverde ran an integrated carbon cockpit from Canyon as opposed to a traditional handlebar and stem combination - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Valverde ran an all-white Fizik Antares saddle - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
InterestingValverde ran a set-back seatpost but positioned the saddle forward beyond the safety limits - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
The blue fade design on Movistar's Canyons for 2018 make the bikes stand out among the WorldTour peloton - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Colour-coordinated handlebar tape from LizardSkins complemented the frameset colour design - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
A look at the front wheel on Valverde's bike - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Valverde's Power2Max Campagnolo power meter crankset was equipped with 54/42 chainrings for the flatter opening stages of the Tour de France - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Valverde opted for standard Look Keo Classic pedals - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
The seat cluster on the Canyon Ultimate was an uncluttered affair - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Campagnolo Bora Ultra 50 wheels have special team-issue decals for Movistar this season - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
25mm Continental Competition ALX tubular tyres are a popular choice among the WorldTour peloton - Josh Evans/Immediate Media
Movistar uses Campagnolo Super Record EPS drivetrains - Josh Evans/Immediate Media

Movistar Team switched from its long-running team colours of navy and green to a lighter blue and white team kit design for the 2018 season.

The team jerseys’ light blue colour fades to a navy blue on the shorts and Canyon replicated this design on the team-issue framesets.

Alongside the frameset, LizardSkins provided Movistar with matching handlebar tape, Campagnolo offered special blue wheel decals and Power2Max also provided the team with colour-coordinated power meter hardware on the cranksets.

Colour-coordinated handlebar tape from LizardSkins complements the frameset colour design - Josh Evans/Immediate Media

For the opening, flatter stages of the 2018 Tour de France, Alejandro Valverde ran 54/42 Campagnolo Super Record chainrings in conjunction with the full Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset, with the Italian company also providing the team with Bora Ultra carbon wheels.

As with the commercial bikes and framesets, Canyon supplies its sponsored teams with the majority of the finishing kit. Valverde opted for the German company’s CP10 integrated handlebar/stem aerodynamic cockpit system as opposed to a traditional handlebar and stem combination.

Interestingly, Valverde ran a set-back seatpost but positioned the saddle forward beyond the safety limits - Josh Evans/Immediate Media

Valverde also looked to be following a pro-level trend of sliding the saddle further forward on the seatpost rails. Although, interestingly, the Spaniard’s bike is fitted with a setback seatpost from Canyon, which resulted in the seat rails being fixed beyond the recommended safety limits and resulted in a strange aesthetic.

However, Canyon does offer a different seatpost model with an in-line setup and it is unclear why Valverde opted for this extreme set up.

Click or swipe through the gallery above for a closer look at Alejandro Valverde’s Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for the 2018 Tour de France.

Full specification

  • Frameset: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
  • Front brake: Campagnolo Super Record
  • Rear brake: Campagnolo Super Record
  • Brake/shift levers: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
  • Front derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
  • Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
  • Cassette: Campagnolo Super Record
  • Chain: Campagnolo Record 11-speed
  • Crankset: Power2Max Campagnolo Super Record, 54/42 chainrings
  • Wheelset: Campagnolo Bora Ultra 50 with custom decals for Movistar Team
  • Tyres: Continental Competition ALX, 25mm tubular
  • Handlebars/stem: Canyon CP10
  • Tape/grips: LizardSkins
  • Pedals: Look Keo Classic
  • Saddle: Fizik Antares
  • Seatpost: Canyon S13 VCLS
  • Bottle cages: Elite Vico Carbon
  • Computer: Garmin Edge 1030
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
© Our Media 2024