Van Avermaet rides the brand new Giant TCR Disc at Opening Weekend's 200km Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race in Belgium
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Greg van Avermaet's Giant TCR disc(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
With bad weather predicted, Greg opted to employ Giant's Uniclip SpeedShield fender(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Velon's data tracker transmits Van Avermaet's live power data, speed, heart rate and cadence(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Shimano Dura-Ace is used exclusively throughout the build(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Van Avermaet elected to use a 54/42T chainring combo in partnership with the Dura-Ace R9100-P dual-sided power meter(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Cadex 42 Tubular wheels are the choice of the day for the Belgian(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The rims are shod in Vittoria Corsa 28mm tyres provide a good meld of performance and compliance(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The ever-popular Shimano PD-R9100 pedals (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Ornate bar tape comes compliments of Giant(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Sprint shifters strategically placed allowing Van Avermaet to keep an optimal sprinting position (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Giant Contact SLR Integrated drop bar is available in four sizes and weighs 367g (420mm)(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Integrated drop bar keeps things tidy and aero(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Contact SLR Integrated bar/stem also features an out-front bar mount, with an added foam pad to keep things from rattling(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Giant bottle cages keep the Elite Fly Team bottles in place over the cobblestones(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The string of personalised logos that adorn Van Avermaet's downtube represent three of his most defining wins: the Olympics, the Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Roubaix (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
There's no denying who this Giant TCR belong to...(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Team CCC's Greg Van Avermaet opened his Spring Classics campaign at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race in Gent, Belgium aboard an all-new Giant TCR Disc. With the weather predicted to play a big part in the day's proceedings it came as no surprise that he and his teammates would ditch their rim-brake bikes. Opening Weekend has, after all, traditionally been used as a platform by teams to trial and dial in new equipment changes ahead of the bigger Monuments.
Visually, Van Avermaet's TCR Disc follows very much the same design blueprint as the rim-brake version featuring his unmistakable gold-painted colour scheme - a nod to his 2016 Olympic road race victory.
But unlike current road bike design rhetoric that preaches exclusively of dropped seatstays and aerodynamics, Giant has managed to keep the look of the new TCR cleaner and more classic. While the firm has retained the ISP integrated seatpost, notable changes include a subtly redesigned fork with better clearance for wider tyres, internal hose and cable routing, and an integrated down tube port for the Di2 junction box.
Unsurprisingly, Van Averamet's Giant TCR Disc utilises a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9170 groupset complete with 54/42T chainrings and 11-30T cassette. Despite the evergrowing curiosity of tubeless tyres in the pro peloton, the Belgian chose to play it safe by calling upon a set of Cadex 42 tubular wheels shod in Vittoria Corsa 28mm tyres.
The build also features several clever little additions, including a brace of strategically positioned sprint shifters integrated into the drops and a Giant Uniclip SpeedShield Fender affixed to the saddle's undercarriage. The finishing kit comprises a Giant-branded Contact SLR Integrated drop handlebar, Giant bottle cages and a Cadex Boost saddle.
The aftermath of the day's proceedings - Van Avermaet was left impressed by the way his Giant TCR Disc performed at Opening Weekend's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Despite finishing in 13th position and not getting the result he had hoped for Van Avermaet was impressed with how his TCR Disc performed over the gruelling 200km course. "I'm really happy with it. There were no problems and overall there was a good feeling - it's a really good bike for the cobbles and it will be my Classics bike."
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Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Throughout this career, Aaron has spent almost two decades writing about bikes, cars, and anything else with wheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor.
Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022 Zwift eSports World Championships.
