Coming off the back of new aero framesets from Specialized and Cannondale, BMC launched the new aero-specific frameset earlier this week ahead of the Tour and is the first update to the Timemachine Road model for five years.
Alongside expected aero-specific features such as lowered seat stays, truncated aero tubing and proprietary aero cockpits, the BMC Timemachine Road 01 also features various fairings to further improve aerodynamic performance.
BMC say the bottle cage system is faster with bottles in than withoutJosh Evans/Immediate Media
Italian component and accessories specialists Elite collaborated with BMC to produce frame-specific bottle cages and a storage box, which sits in the lowest section of the main frame triangle.
As well as offering storage space, the design reduces air turbulence over the bike and is claimed to perform better with bottles in the cages than without.
Furthermore, on the left-hand fork leg, another fairing is attached to the front and inside to improve air flow around the hydraulic brake hose and disc calliper.
Another look at the fork drop outs and disc brake fairingJosh Evans/Immediate Media
Interestingly however, the UCI do not allow additional fairings to be added to bicycle frames or components and a team mechanic confirmed the fairings will have to be removed before races, potentially resulting in more drag than a regular tubing and bottle cages design would have produced.
Last year, BMC launched an all-round racing bike model – the Teammachine SLR01. A direct-mount rear derailleur hanger is carried over from the Teammachine design and the integrated stem dubbed ICS by BMC, which also allows for internal cable routing is updated for the Timemachine Road 01, offering a wider and thinner height profile.
Kung’s stem measured a massive 170mm (centre to centre)Josh Evans/Immediate Media
The 1.93-metre-tall Stefan Kung, who enjoyed an extended stint in the leader’s jersey at Tour de Suisse, rides a size 58 frame and the proprietary ICS stem measured a huge 170mm – the longest stem we’ve seen in the professional peloton.
The BMC frameset is equipped with a full Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 groupset, including R9100-P crankset-based power meter, R9100 pedals and R9100 C40 wheels, although it is expected the bike will be paired with C60 wheels when raced on.
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at the latest BMC aero frameset.
Full specification
Frame: BMC Timemachine Road 01 Carbon, size 58
Fork: BMC Timemachine Road 01 Carbon
Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9120, with integrated aero fairing
Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9120
Brake/shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace R9150
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 with BMC direct mount hanger
