Is this the new Bianchi Oltre XR4 CV aero bike?

Is this the new Bianchi Oltre XR4 CV? The photo was posted by the Bianchi sponsored Lotto NL Jumbo team on its Twitter page during the Tour de Suisse this week, and the UCI’s list of approved frames and forks shows that the Italian bike company registered a new bike, the Oltre XR4 CV, on 23rd March 2016. 

Of course, our speculation could be well off, but there’s every reason to suggest this is the new bike listed on the UCI’s approved list. The Oltre was first introduced in 2012, updated with the Oltre XR2 in 2014, and apart from the cheaper Oltre XR1 last year and the superlight Specialissima, there hasn’t been an update to Bianchi’s flagship race bike since, so you could say it’s due for an overhaul. 

If the XR4 really is the new bike, it would seem Bianchi has skipped the XR3. Maybe it’s saving that name for another new model, maybe it’s saving itself from embarrassing associations with Ford’s iconic Escort hot hatch from the 90s?

We know what the CV stands for, that’s CounterVail, a technology designed to dampen vibrations and first introduced on the Infinito CV endurance bike a number of years ago. 

It would be no surprise if Bianchi has infused its flagship race bike with this CounterVail technology, which integrates a special material into the carbon fibre layup. It rolled out the same tech in its Specialissima after being well received on the Infinito CV and racers need comfort and smoothness as much as sportive riders. 

The photo doesn’t give us much to go on, but enough to suggest that Bianchi has refined the shape of the tubes presumably to increase its aerodynamic efficiency. The down tube has a different profile to the current XR2, the seatstays meet the seat tube well below the top tube, and the head tube area looks to have been tweaked. 

You can see the data of @W1lcokelderman with the @VelonCC Pro Cycling App. https://t.co/24CfPfWViL pic.twitter.com/wVn4Lr1xr1

— LottoNLJumbo Cycling (@LottoJumbo_road) June 13, 2016

It’s also clear that Bianchi has sought to increase rear end stiffness, a likely request from the racers, with much chunkier profile seat stays and beefed up chain stays. We guess the extra vibration damping qualities of the CounterVail technology has allowed the designers to move away from the previously very skinny rear stays, presumably maintaining a similar level of compliance.

One other very clear change is the switch to Shimano’s Direct Mount brake calipers. No sign of disc brakes...

That's all we know for now, once we know more, we'll update this story.