'Gorilla' runs Lizard Skin in his cages, on 40cm Deda Superzero bars
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Since Marcus Burghardt took over the German national title, Andre Greipel is back onto a plain black Ridley Noah SL for the 2017 Tour de France(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Sometimes the simplest solutions are best: mechanics mark fit setups at the seatpost, saddle and sometimes handlebars(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Bora Ultra 50 tubulars have a diamond-etched brake surface(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Campagnolo Super Record EPS makes extensive use of carbon, even on the outer derailleur cage(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
SRM is no longer making power meters for Shimano cranks, since the Japanese giant announced plans for its own meter. Campagnolo cranks, however, still get the German device(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
So, professional help (a mechanic) was called in with Scotch tape(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Greipel wrapped the stage profile as a free floating band around his stem, but struggled with attaching the team's notes on feedzone and sprint lines to his stem(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Greipel is hoping to add to his tally of 11 Tour wins (noted on his number plate)(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Turbomatic was a popular saddle years ago, going back to the days when Jan Ullrich was the big German star(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Greipel has his own Selle Italia Turbomatic(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Lizard Skin bar tape comes in three thicknesses (1.8, 2.5 and 3.2mm), with most Tour pros opting for the middle thickness(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Lotto-Soudal mechanics use a bit of Lizard Skin to keep bottles from ejecting(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
How clean is your cassette?(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Noah SL's F-Split fork cleans up the air around the spinning wheel, Ridley claims(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Gorilla graphics make it easy to spot Greipel's bike(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
André Greipel's Ridley Noah SL for the 2017 Tour de France(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
André Greipel's spare bike on the team car(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) may no longer be the big German at this year's Tour de France, as that title goes to four-stage-winner Marcel Kittel (Quick Step). But André "the Gorilla" Greipel is still battling for stage wins in France, and here is a look at the big man's bike.
Greipel was the German national road champion until just before this year's Tour de France, when Marcus Burghardt took over the mantle. As such, Greipel is no longer racing with the full German colours on his Ridley Noah SL.
At the Tour, Greipel has a plain black Noah SL with his Gorilla graphics in a few spots. Ridley's aero bike is notable for its hyper-stiff ride and its unique split fork blades, which the company claims reduce air drag on the front wheel.
Aside from an immaculately clean drivetrain and über-high-end Campagnolo Super Record EPS components and Bora Ultra wheels, there are a few remarkable pieces on Greipel's bike.
The German sprinter has changed up his cockpit slightly this year, going from Deda's oversized but round 35mm handlebar to the Italian company's Superzero aero bar. And while his stem remains long, Greipel has gone down to a 40cm bar from 42, accordingly to a Lotto-Soudal mechanic.
Lizard Skins provides the grip, not just on the bars but inside the water-bottle cages too, where little patches of DSP tape provide traction to prevent bottles from ejecting on rough roads.
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Click through the gallery above for a closer look at Greipel's Ridley Noah SL bike.
