FDJ’s young French climbing talent Thibaut Pinot made a big splash at last week’s Critérium du Dauphiné, and was runner-up to Joaquim Rodriguez in the final stage despite only just turning 21.
His performance was also notable for what he was riding, which appeared to be a new version of the Lapierre Xelius. Details are sketchy at present but a photo posted on the Facebook page of UK distributors Hotlines page suggests it’s the 2012 model, complete with Shimano Dura-Ace C35 tubular wheelset.
Hotlines said they were as in the dark as us about what the new bike could be, so we've been unable to get firm details of what the bike actually is. So what do you think? New model or new paintjob?
