Lucy Kennedy opted for the Oltre XR4 over the Specialissima(Image credit: Kevin Anderson)
The Aussie is running Dura-Ace cranks with Shimano's integrated power meter. A K-Edge chain catcher is also bolted onto the front derailleur for peace of mind (Image credit: Kevin Anderson)
The rear end of Kennedy's bike sees a Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur attached to a direct mount hanger and an 11-30t cassette(Image credit: Kevin Anderson)
Post Willunga Hill it's no surprise Kennedy is running C40 tubs. However the Dura-Ace rotors break the trend of XTR stoppers we've seen on the other Team BikeExchange bikes(Image credit: Kevin Anderson)
It's not the Vision one-piece bar and stem we are used to seeing attached to the front of Bianchi WorldTour bikes, but the FSA K-Force bars and stem are pretty clean(Image credit: Kevin Anderson)
Now in her fourth year with GreenEdge cycling, Lucy Kennedy is flying the Team BikeExchange colours for 2021. Over the past few seasons, the Queenslander has had a successful Australian summer of racing, taking the top spot at the last two editions of the Heral Sun Tour and second at the 2019 Cadel Evans Great Ocean road race and Tour Down Under.
Hot on the heels of Sarah Gigante up Willunga Hill, Kennedy rode into second place at this year’s COVID-19-affected Santos Festival of Cycling. The Aussie lost nearly two minutes on stage two but managed to claw her way back the next day up Willunga Hill to move into second place on the general classification going into the criterium on the final day.
With the team swapping from Scott to Bianchi this year, Kennedy chose to ride the Italian outfit's best aero road bike offering, the Oltre XR4. Painted in Bianchi’s trademark celeste colourway, the Aussie’s bike is decked out with a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain. However, with the news that Shimano has just received FCC approval for something, we can’t help but wonder if those wires that emerge from the frame near the derailleurs will soon disappear once Kennedy returns to Europe and the team’s full-service course.
(Image credit: Kevin Anderson)
At the front, Kennedy is pushing Dura-Ace cranks with matching pedals and the brand’s integrated power meter. Her 53-39t chainrings are mated with an 11/30t cassette, and a direct mount derailleur hanger ensures the rear mech has a solid foundation to push against and is said to speed up roadside wheel changes too.
Kennedy’s controls are mounted to a set of FSA K-Force bars, newly updated to include what the brand calls Aerodynamic integrated Cable Routing (ACR). This is important because it allows the brake hose and shift wires to run inside the bar through the FSA ACR Stem straight into the frame without ever being exposed to the wind to create drag. The 32-year-old has a long and low position on what is already an aggressive frame, using no headset spacers.
Rolling on Shimano’s Dura-Ace C24 tubulars, which are finished in Pirelli P-Zero Velo rubber, Kennedy is running Dura-Ace rotors — 160mm front and 140mm rear — in contrast to fellow Team Bike Exchange riders Luke Durbridge and Cameron Meyer, who were both taking advantage of XTR stoppers.
Another notable swap with sponsor changes for Team BikeExchange are saddles, from Syncros over to Fizik, and it seems Kennedy has settled on the carbon-railed Vento Argo R1.
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(Image credit: Kevin Anderson)
Tech Specs: Lucy Kennedy’s Bianchi Oltre XR4 Disc
Frameset: Bianchi Oltre XR4 Disc
Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 Hydraulic disc, 160mm XTR Rotor
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.
