Israel-Premier Tech will race Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix on gravel bikes; the riders will take on the notorious cobbles aboard the Factor Ostro Gravel.
Why would they ditch the just-launched Ostro VAM road bike for the pavé?
Gary Blem, equipment manager at Israel-Premier Tech, said, “We did quite a lot of testing on the cobbles after opening weekend with [team riders] Tom Van Asbroeck and Riley Sheehan, comparing the new Ostro VAM with the Ostro Gravel, and the overwhelming consensus was that the Ostro Gravel would be the best choice for Paris–Roubaix.
“The Ostro Gravel has a longer wheelbase so it tracks slower which is perfect for a race like Paris-Roubaix as it gives the riders more time to react, and the increased tyre clearance allows us to run 32mm tyres.”
The tyres in question are Continental Grand Prix 5000 S.
Taking a size 54 frame as an example, the Ostro Gravel has a wheelbase of 1014mm while the Ostro VAM has a wheelbase of 985mm. That’s a pretty significant difference in geometry.
The Ostro Gravel has a higher stack and a longer read than the Ostro VAM, with a slacker head angle to calm the steering.
Factor says that the Ostro VAM is optimised for 28mm tyres with a 23mm internal rim width, while the Ostro Gravel can take 32s easily (it’s rated to take tyres up to 700C x 45mm).
“The Ostro Gravel is a bike built for comfort, and direct feedback from our riders was that they would opt for comfort over aerodynamics,” said Gary Blum. “Fortunately, given it is an incredibly aero gravel bike, there is no compromise on aerodynamics, and having just completed our recon ride, we are confident this is the best Factor bike for our team this Sunday.”
When launched back in 2022, Factor was keen to emphasise that the Ostro Gravel was a ‘crossover’ option capable of highly efficient road riding as well as taking on the gravel – it’s not like Israel-Premier Tech will be racing on some heavyweight adventure bike here. The Ostro is certainly at the performance end of the gravel spectrum.
“The Ostro Gravel takes its ‘win everywhere’ mentality from its road racer stablemate, the Ostro VAM, and is likewise developed to dominate its category with incredible aerodynamics, superior handling, high stiffness and low weight,” says Factor.
“Our team used a ‘zoned aero’ strategy which focused the front of the bike on aerodynamics because it meets clean, or freestream, airflow, and the rear of the bike on lightness, where the airflow is too chaotic and ride quality is the priority.
“In particular, a lot of time was spent on the head tube, where an all-new tube shape unlocked significant drag reductions by manipulating the ‘laminar separation bubble’ that occurs near the front of airfoils at lower speeds.”
> Factor launches the Ostro Gravel
Although pro teams always tell us that it’s not a consideration, the opportunity to show another of Factor’s bikes in the huge shop window that is pro cycling can’t hurt the relationship with the sponsor either.
If you’ve ever ridden the Paris-Roubaix cobbles, you’ll know that anything that softens the ride and/or improves your control is welcome, but we’re surprised to see Israel-Premier Tech park the Ostro VAM, even for the harshest race of the season. Let us know if you think it’s a good move.
11 thoughts on “Israel-Premier Tech to race gravel bikes at Paris-Roubaix”
Wow, a pro team actually
Wow, a pro team actually seeing sense in the bike choice for Roubaix……….Go and watch Peak Torgue’s video on this subject.
Velophaart_95 wrote:
I think I’ll respectfully disagree, only 5 years ago for 2019, the Specialized supplied team riders (Bora, Quickstep) considered the more endurance oriented Roubaix too slow for Paris-Roubaix and Specialized produced the much racier Roubaix Team which is effectively a longer & lower Roubaix with Tarmac geometry. That year, Phillippe Gilbert won and there were Bora & Quickstep riders in 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th.
Only 55km of the course is pavé. the other 204km is pan-flat tarmac, so I could see the gravel bike being at a disadvantage on 80% of the race.
That said, it’s often a lottery anyway and we’ll see on Sunday ?
Disagree all you like, but
Disagree all you like, but the Roubaix is a better bike for this race – problem is the pro teams are obsessed with aero/weight……
Peak Torque & Dylan Johnson discussed this in that You Tube video; the pro world continues to show levels of stubborness with new tech…….
What baffles me is the Trek women’s team are on the Domane, whilst the men are on the Madone, which beggars belief……..
“Only 55km of the course is
“Only 55km of the course is pavé”
– is true but it often decides the race. To finish first, first you have to finish etc. And 55km of pave is brutally hard, random and risky.
If it came down to a sprint in the velodrome the gravel bike might not have the snap of a full road race spec bike, but .. you have to get there.
I expect most pros race the bikes that feel right to them and they spend so much time training on road race bikes that the move to something too different might not work for them or take too much adjustment time. I don’t know. Maybe.
There’s some engineering suggestions that what a slightly larger tyre and different geometry may lose on the tarmac (very little I believe) can be more than made up for on the pave, or even simply increasing your chances of riding the pave without mishap – not all riders can drift it like Lizze Deignan. Racing is more than an engineering problem or calculation, the optimum bike-rider mix isn’t all science.
As you say, we have to see. Fascinating race… I love it.
I can’t imagine that all the
I can’t imagine that all the other pro teams have refused to test gravel bikes in the past (providing their sponsor produces something appropriate). The cobbles make up about 55km of a total of 260km. They surely wouldn’t want to ride something that is noticeably slower on the tarmac sections.
Having said that, wet cobbles, fatter tyres and a gravel race bike might make a difference. This is going be good publicity for Factor but could IPT have someone up for a good placing among their ranks?
I certainly can; pro road
I certainly can; pro road teams are known for being conservative and stuck in their ways. Most of them come across as pretty clueless……they’re not in the same league as the top motorsport teams, whether WEC, WRC or even F1.
Didn’t one team race with a
Didn’t one team race with a 1x setup Why would you race s gravel bike for a race that has 200k of flat road sure you’ll loose time in the gravel sections but that only 55 k
I’ve not ridden a lot of pave
I’ve not ridden a lot of pave but enough to think that the potential pace or safety/staying upright ability differences between bikes are greater on the pave than they will be on flat tarmac. A few km of rough pave at full effort is just so hard, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done on a bike.
So the next Q is – are the potential time gains or lowered risks on the pave more than 4x any loss on the tarmac, the ratio of tarmac to pave distance or time? I don’t know but I think it’s more likely possible in a bunch race than if it were a TT.
(if 1x avoids a dropped chain or aids more constant power through reduced chain skip.. plus it’s flat.. close ratio 1x could be wise)
Velophaart_95 wrote:
I know some teams have been accused of being unwilling to change but Sky moved the goalposts in the 2010s and other teams have done the same. Or do you think they’ve all been asleep at the wheel since Lance retired?
I don’t see any point in comparing cycling with motorsport, they are totally different things. It’s like comparing a t-shirt with a spacesuit. What use is it for me to compare riding my bike in lycra with driving a car? None.
When a top rider is hitting the pave at those speeds the difference between a gravel bike and road bike might be worthwhile. But unless you can ride as fast and hard as those riders then even one’s own experience is irrelevant.
Remember too that aero gravel
Remember too that aero gravel bikes are a recent development. That makes them much more palatable.
I think the article mentions
I think the article mentions the fact that the VAM won’t take a 32 mm tyre hence moving to something with more clearance, which in their range is a “gravel bike”. Perhaps it wouldn’t sound as big a leap if it was called an “All road bike”?
Tyres are the real improvement and 32mm is no longer a penalty. I have 32mm GP5000 STR on my Al gravel bike (with guards as the roads are filthy!) and it flies on tarmac, particularly downhill, even at the 50-60 psi used for Roubaix.
Another factor though is that whilst most of the race is flattish tarmac, only the rider on the front benefits from the 5w saving that the fastest aero frame will give you, everyone else gets a 25% reduction in pwer required so maybe up to 100w in some cases