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TECH NEWS

MTN-Qhubeka and Gerald Ciolek’s Trek Madone team bike

The Trek Madone of Gerald Ciolek's South African UCI Professional Continental team

South African UCI Professional Continental team MTN-Qhubeka’s German sprinter Gerald Ciolek yesterday stuck his Trek Madone team bike over the Milan-San Remo finish line ahead of race favourite Peter Sagan and another Trek rider Fabian Cancellara. His victory marked the first time a Pro Continental team has won a monument and the first time an African registered team has won one on the first time a team from Africa has ridden a monument.

Trek have been supporting MTN-Qhubeka since 2011, and this season supply their top-end Madone 7.9. The team also enjoy the support of SRAM, so a full complement of SRAM Red, with Bontrager finishing kit (bars, stem and seatpost) and Zipp wheels. That's a tidy package then, and certainly gives nothing to the bigger WorldTour teams. All things considered, the bikes and equipment of the pro peloton make for a very level playing field.

The Madone 7.9 is the same frame and fork as that ridden by Team Radioshack. It’s their latest model and incorporates some nifty aerodynamic features to help it slice more cleanly through the air. The rear brake has been relocated from the seat stays to down under the chainstays, just behind the bottom bracket.

Up front the downtube has been shaped to cut better through the air. Taking the lessons learnt from developing their time trial bike, the Speed Concept, Trek have used a Kammtail Virtual Foil shape. Along with the repositioned rear brake, these changes contribute to a 25 watt saving when riding at 40kph. You can read our review of the Madone here. It's the same off-the-shelf frame that Radioshack are using. Though guys like Cancellara will probably have a custom made version.

Trek are supporting the team's ambition to mobilise change in Africa by donating $200 to Qhubeka for each team paint scheme chosen through their Project One customisation programme.

They’re racing in Zipp wheels, with the 404 being the popular choice for races like Milan-San Remo. Bontrager supply aluminium handlebars and stems, and seatposts. The bikes with their bold colour scheme certainly stand out in the peloton.

You can see all the WorldTour team bikes here. We’re looking at producing a roundup of all the Continental team bikes soon

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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6 comments

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Dr. Ko | 11 years ago
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They could have done something like a Leopard design with spots. It really looks like a reborn version of what was it called? Livewrong?  2

Maybe I should send them this design for 2014:
http://innercitymobility.blogspot.de/2013/02/ped-visibility-or-not.html (the lower design)

Now imagine Ciolek with wild haar? Does that remind anyone of someone?  1

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farrell | 11 years ago
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At last, Trek have found some use for all that yellow paint they had left over....  3

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koko56 | 11 years ago
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Oh noes!!1

While I already like the new Treks, this color is my fave!

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phax71 | 11 years ago
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and the award for most overly saturated photo goes to ....

Sort it out Studio guys!!!  1

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notfastenough | 11 years ago
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Don't think Speedplay do orange, but they do sell in red.

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koko56 | 11 years ago
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Are those pedals red or orange?

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