Usually, browsing Instagram at work is something that would at least get a stern look from your boss (Josh, I was at work, honest!). . Pro riders, brands, and more often than you might imagine, meme accounts.
Last night, Dutch speedman and current European champion Fabio Jacobsen uploaded a video of himself tinkering with his new race bike. Given the stage management of the big teams, we suspect this was more of a "soft launch" than an actual slip-up, but in any case, he appears to be sporting not only Roval's new aero cockpit, but also Mirror's new saddle model.
The Soudal-Quickstep handlebars are somewhat complicated. Some riders, including Jacobsen, have used the Roval Rapide aero handlebar, but some have opted for the Alpinist cockpit. Some, like Evenepoel and Senechal, choose Shimano subsidiary Pro's S-Works stem and bar instead. Typically, the Pro Vibe Aero SL models are also optimized for aerodynamics, but unusually for this level of setup, they have internal routing only up to the stem.
We assume that team riders are still given the freedom to choose their ideal setup, but in any case, this appears to be another option that will soon be available.
Like the Provive Aero SL, the Alpinist bar runs the hoses under the integrated stem, but with a slight covering. This new setup, which will likely be called something like "Rapide Cockpit" as well as other Roval designations, seems to use the same hose routing. The stem has a similar shape, but the top of the bar has a pronounced aero shape, very different from the round shape seen on the Alpinist.
A little more under the radar, Lorena Wiebes of Team DSM also seems to have Instagrammed this before our very eyes about a week ago.
Jacobsen traditionally opts for the longer saddle of the S-Works Romin EVO with Mirror, but the saddle seen here on his bike is not that, the holes are different. It is also too long for S-Works Power with Mirror. By deduction and guesswork, this is a new 3D printed saddle, a Mirror version of the Phenom, a long-nosed model similar to the Romin, but with a flatter rear end and a more pronounced relief channel.
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