A closer look at the Elevate-KHS rider's race bike
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James Piccoli's team edition KHS Flite 900 is a size 54cm with a 140mm stem(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Velo provide the handlebar tape, while FSA provide the cockpit(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Dura-Ace makes up the majority of the groupset, while Maxxis tubular tyres are fitted to Vision Metron 55 wheels(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Piccoli's name and the Canadian flag adorn the top tube(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
A look at the front end of Piccoli's KHS Flite 900 race bike(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
A lucky charm provides inspiration, while Pioneer provide the data(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
James Piccoli is a 27-year-old Canadian riding for American Continental outfit Elevate KHS (Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Piccoli uses an FSA K-Force Light crankset with a 386Evo ceramic bottom bracket(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Stage prompts are affixed to the top tube, so Piccoli always knows what's coming(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
A close look at the medallion atop Piccoli's stem. Read below to find out the story behind it.(Image credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
James Piccoli (Elevate-KHS) finished second overall at the Tour of Utah, 50 seconds down on Isreal Cycling Academy's Ben Hermans, after winning the opening prologue and finishing second on stage 2 to Powder Mountain.
The 27-year-old Canadian is riding aboard a 54cm team-issue KHS Team Flight 900. At 178cm, the frame might be considered small, but as is common among pros, he opts for a smaller frame with a longer stem, in this case using a 140mm FSA SL-K to provide the reach.
Affixed to this stem is an addition that is a much less common sight in the pro peloton, a lucky charm that, according to Piccoli, stems from Italy and reminds him of family.
“The charm is from a climb in Italy called the Madonna della Ghisallo, and the Medallion is supposed to protect cyclists during training and racing. My mom got it for me while she was visiting Italy, and so it makes me think of my family and all of the support I have back home while I’m racing and training. It makes the hard days a little bit easier. Thinking of the people that love and support me always makes it easy to push,” he explained.
Piccoli’s power is measured by provided by a 4iiii power meter and data is collected by a Pioneer SGX CA500. He tells Cyclingnews that on Powder Mountain, he was pushing approximately 6w/kg for 40 minutes. At his current race weight of 64kg, that’s an impressive 380+ watts, especially given the altitude. His best power stat, however, was recorded on the Camilien Houde near his home in Montreal, where he recorded 570 watts for 3.5 minutes. According to his Strava, on the final descent of the 2019 race, Piccoli topped out at a whopping 108km/h.
Although Piccoli is a student of mechanical engineering and a dab hand with carbon fibre, with which he has created his own coffee cup, time trial helmet and lightweight shoes, for the Tour of Utah, he is wearing team-issue Bont Helix shoes, and a choice of Kali's Phenom or Tava helmets.
Shimano’s Dura-Ace R9100 makes up the majority of his groupset, although an Ultegra R8000 front derailleur provides chainring shifting up front. Gear choice depends on terrain for Piccoli, with a 53/39 and 11-28 being the order of the day for flat days, and a 50/34 and 11-30 being the preference when the road points up.
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Wheels are from team sponsor Vision, who have supplied their Metron 55 tubulars, shod with unlabelled Maxxis tyres. Cyclingnews understands these to be High Road tubulars.
Pedals are provided by a lesser-known name in cycling; American brand Xpedo. Their Thrust 8 Team Edition pedals weigh in at 174g, cost US$249, and use a Look-compatible cleat system.
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at Piccoli’s KHS Flite 900.
Piccoli's KHS Flite 900 full bike specifications
Frameset: KHS team edition Flite 900 - 54cm (medium)
Front brake: FSA Direct Mount Rear brake: FSA Direct Mount Brake/shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Front derailleur: Shimano Ultegra R8000 Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 11-28 / 11-30 Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Crankset: FSA K-Force Light BB386 Evo - 175mm Chainrings: 53/39 / 50/34 Bottom bracket: FSA Ceramic
Wheelset: Vision Metron 55 tubular Tyres: Maxxis High Road tubular
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Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
