Check out the Italian rider's 2018 S-Works Tarmac race bike
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Elia Viviani is on the new S-Works Tarmac SL6 (Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
The new Tarmac uses direct mount brakes(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Quick-Step's bikes are minimally branded(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
One of the Quick-Step mechanics jokingly told us that his favourite tools are name stickers(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrains don't drop many chains, however there is nothing wrong with a bit of backup (Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Quick-Step Floors are a wolfpack(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Last year just about all the teams were riding Ultegra cassettes, this year the majority are using Dura-Ace(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
The Specialized power meter appears to be a dual-sided unit (Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Viviani stops the bar tape at the hoods on his PRO Vibe bars(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
One of many riders to take advantage of sprint shifters(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
This cloth bar tape appears to be Supacaz, but according to the brand's website they don't make cloth tape(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Viviani's saddle of choice is a Specialized Toupe(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
He's running a Dura-Ace R9150 Di2 derailleur at the back(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Viviani is rolling on 26mm Specialized Turbo tubs with the Gription compound(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Viviani's Roval CLX 50 Rapide wheels have upgraded CeramicSpeed bearings(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
53-39t chainrings and 172.5mm cranks at the front (Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
Like team BORA-Hansgrohe, Quick-Step Floors are using a new previously unseen Specialized power meter(Image credit: Colin Levitch / Immediate Media)
WorldTour team Quick-Step Floors have just announced they will be riding PRO’s Vibe bars and stem on their Specialized Tarmac, Venge ViAS and Roubaix road race bikes for 2018, and we've had a close-up look at Elia Viviani's race set up for the Tour Down Under.
The Vibe bar and stem combo is an aerodynamic design that features internal routing for Di2 wires, mechanical cables or hydraulic lines. PRO says the new top cap and bolt orientation make the stem more aero too.
Viviani’s bars measure 400mm wide and are only wrapped to the hoods, leaving the flat tops open, which allows the bars to retain any claimed aerodynamic advantage.
The new Di2 junction box can be tucked inside the new Vibe handlebars at the end of the drop, but Viviani goes the old way with his S-Works Tarmac: the junction box sits under the stem with a rubber band. We measured his 120mm stem at 125mm.
Quick-Step Floors is also running the previously unseen Specialized power meter, changing over from the 4iiii units the team rode last season. The new Specialized unit appears to have a spider mounted pod as well as a left-side crank sensor.
Viviani’s bike is equipped with a full Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 groupset, with sprint shifters mounted on the drops, and is running 53–39t chainrings, 172.5mm cranks and a 11–28t Dura-Ace cassette.
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The bike rolls on Roval CLX 50 Rapide complete hoops with CeramicSpeed bearings and is finished with 26c Specialized Turbo Gription compound tubular tyres.
Standing at 1.7m tall, Viviani rides a size 54 in the new S-Works Tarmac SL6, with a saddle height of 735mm, and when we weighed the bike it tipped our scales at a meagre 6.62kg — so the mechanics will need to add a bit of weight before race day.
Complete bike specifications
Frame: S-Works Tarmac SL6
Fork: S-Works FACT carbon
Stem: PRO Vibe 125mm, -10-degree
Handlebar: PRO Vibe 400mm
Tape: Supacaz cloth tape
Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100
Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100
Brake/shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace R9150
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100, 11-28t
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace 11-speed
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100, 53/39T, Specialized Power meter
Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, Colin has written tech content for cycling publication for a decade. With hundreds of buyer's guides, reviews and how-tos published in Bike Radar, Cyclingnews, Bike Perfect and Cycling Weekly, as well as in numerous publications dedicated to his other passion, skiing.
Colin was a key contributor to Cyclingnews between 2019 and 2021, during which time he helped build the site's tech coverage from the ground up. Nowadays he works full-time as the news and content editor of Flow MTB magazine.
