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2022 World champs Biniam Girmay Cube C:68X

Check out Biniam Girmay's custom painted Cube Litening C:68X for the World Champs

Was this Eritrean colour scheme the loudest in the World Champs Road Race?

by Jamie Williams

UPDATED Sun, Sep 25, 2022 21:53

Girmay had a quiet World Champs Road Race today by his own lofty standards but his bike was anything but...check out this custom-painted Cube Litening C:68X in the colours of Eritrea.

After a second place at the under 23 World Championship Road race in 2021 and a strong season including dominating the opening week of the Giro D'italia, Girmay went into the 267km Wollongong as a race favourite. Unfortunately for Girmay, things didn't go quite to plan and the Eritrean rider was unable to make the front selection, that doesn't stop us ogling at his bike for the occasion though!

> Remco Evenepoel solos his way to World Championship victory

The colours of course are inspired by the Eritrean flag, as you can see from the rider nametag that adorns the Cube Litening C:68X Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux team bike. This is the brand's outright aero offering rather than the recently released lighter 'Air' version we saw used at the Vuelta a Espana. The course was by no means flat though with a total of 3,945m of elevation.

> Cube launches Litening AIR C:68X Series road bikes with a claimed frame weight of 799g

As a rider for a Shimano-sponsored team, Girmay chooses to use the latest 12-speed R9200 groupset despite the cranks suggesting otherwise. That is the older style R9100 power meter crankset with 54/42T chainrings. Attached to them is a set of Look Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedals to keep all that power in check.

> Review: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 Groupset

If you look very very closely at the chain you will notice that it is not only waxed but a Shimano M8100 Ultegra version. Now, this photo was taken a few days before the event so it could well have been swapped out for a 'race day' chain but it just goes to show that even the pros aren't always using the top-tier equipment.

> Review: Shimano Ultegra R8170 Di2 Disc Groupset

Biniam Girmay is 1.84m tall and uses a 56cm frame, also painted onto the top tube is the frame name as well as "Veni, Vidi, Bini" - a take on the famous Julius Caeser quote Veni, Vidi, Vici - I came, I saw, I conquered.

Newmen make a large range of carbon wheels in different depths, Girmay opted for the 65mm deep R.65 Streem presumably in the hope that the race would come down to a fast finish. Mounted to the wheels is a set of Continental GP5000S TR tyres set up tubeless.

> Review: Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR

To fit the race-number mount to the seat post the trusty zip tie method has been chosen. Girmay uses a Prologo saddle and bar tape, Elite Custom Race Plus bottle cages and a CeramicSpeed oversized pulley wheel system.

> Remco Evenepoel's 2022 Vuelta winning bike

That's an aggressive shifter position!

What do you make of Girmay's custom paint scheme? Let us know in the comments section below...

Biniam Girmay

cube c:68x

2022 Cube Litening Air C:68X

Bike at bedtime

Custom painted bike

Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux

Jamie Williams

Jamie has been riding bikes since a tender age but really caught the bug for racing and reviewing whilst studying towards a master's in Mechanical engineering at Swansea University. Having graduated, he decided he really quite liked working with bikes and is now a full-time addition to the road.cc team. When not writing about tech news or working on the Youtube channel, you can still find him racing local crits trying to cling on to his cat 2 licence...and missing every break going...