Update 28/09/21: The new Cervélo R5 Disc has now been launched, with a headline claimed frame weight of 703g and tyre clearance increased to 34mm. Read on for our initial spy shot story of the four-generation R5.
Primož Roglič of Team Jumbo-Visma rode what appears to be a new Cervélo R-series lightweight road bike to second-place at the La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.
Given its similarities to the current R5 Disc, we can likely assume this is the Cervélo R6 Disc. Roglic finished runner-up to world champion Julian Alaphillipe at the second of the Ardennes Classics, after an uphill sprint on the Mur de Huy.
Details are scant, and Cervélo has declined to comment beyond the customary “our athletes are an essential part of our development process...”. However, reading between the lines, that statement seems to confirm the brand is testing a new bike.
Aero front-end
It looks to be a fairly minor update. The most obvious change from the pictures we've seen comes at the front, with the bike now sporting fully hidden cables, thanks to its use of FSA’s ACR (Aerodynamic Cable Routing) headset, stem and handlebar system.
The ACR system routes the cables, wires and hoses through the headset spacers, headset and a specially designed compression plug (the latter is specifically intended for internally routing the front brake hose through the fork).
This allows the use of a standard, round steerer tube on the fork, and means the bike is compatible with both fully integrated and non-integrated FSA ACR cockpits. The Bianchi Oltre XR4 and high-end Merida Reacto builds are just two examples of bikes that use this system.
Snazzy paint job aside, little else appears to have changed dramatically from the outside.
Roglic’s new R-series bike appears to carry over a similar blend of lightweight, aerodynamically-optimised tubes (Cervélo calls them ‘squoval’), brought together in a relatively classic manner. No dropped seat stays here.
The kit on Roglic’s WorldTour bike is sponsor-correct, meaning a full suite of Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 Di2 components and Shimano Dura-Ace C40 carbon tubular wheels, shod with Vittoria Corsa tubular tyres. We’d expect consumer builds to feature wheels from Reserve, Cervélo’s new wheel brand.
Alas, there’s still no sign of a new Dura-Ace groupset yet, sadly, but we’ll keep our beady eyes peeled, as always.
