Is this the bike Rowe will use at Opening Weekend?
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Luke Rowe's Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
This is Rowe's number-one bike, so will undoubtedly see the most race action this season(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The Dogma F12 down tube is concave to aid aerodynamics when bottles are fitted(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Of course, Rowe's name and the Welsh flag adorn the top tube(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Rowe's stem measures a very specific 144mm in length(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
However, we're told it's not custom made. Instead, Ineos mechanics remeasure all stems in a controlled way, to account for differences across brands and models(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The Most out-front Garmin mount is bolted into the stem bolts(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Team Ineos are one of the few teams not to embrace disc brakes(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Instead, Shimano Dura-Ace BR-R9110 direct mount calipers provide the stopping power(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Rowe's Continental Pro Ltd tubular tyres are 25mm in width(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
A bit of tape is used to hold the valve stem in place and prevent rattling(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The aerodynamic shaping of the fork and frame is a thing of beauty(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Rowe is using Shimano's range-topping Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Which is mounted using a direct-mount hanger for lower weight and crisper shifting(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Rowe is also using Shimano's Dura-Ace crank with an in-built power meter(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Mechanics have created a home-made chain-keeper, which is glued to the frame to prevent chain suck(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Mechanics have also used the K-Edge chain-keeper to prevent chain drop, but they've also used it to hold the magnet required by the Shimano power meter(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
The mechanics have been busy, as they've also glued the number holder to the rear of the seatpost(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Rowe's not a sprinter, but that doesn't mean he can't take advantage of Shimano's sprint shifters(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
Rowe's using the Fizik Arione saddle with carbon rails(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
There's also a Most 3D printed titanium saddle clamp used to keep weight down further(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
These Elite Vico Carbon bottle cages weigh in at 23g each(Image credit: Colin Levitch)
This weekend, Opening Weekend, consisting of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne on Sunday, will kickstart the 2020 Spring Classics campaign. As per our Opening Weekend preview, it looks like riders will be in for an epic battle, not only against each other but against the Belgian weather gods too - Luke Rowe even took to Instagram to showcase his recent snow-plagued recon ride.
Despite racing having been underway since early January, this upcoming weekend is considered by many as the cycling season's start proper.
Team Ineos' Luke Rowe will tackle the Opening Weekend doubleheader alongside four fellow Britons in his Team Ineos teammates Owain Doull, Ben Swift, Chris Lawless and Ian Stannard, as well as Gianni Moscon and Leonardo Basso. Dylan van Baarle was due to race but had to pull out with illness.
The last time Rowe took to the Opening Weekend startlines back in 2017, he finished sixth and third at Omloop and Kuurne respectively.
Cyclingnews recently got hands-on with Rowe's Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight at the season's (somewhat more official) opener at the Tour Down Under. Rowe has been spotted training aboard the standard Dogma F12, so we're expecting this is the bike Team Ineos will use for the early Belgian Classics, although we could see the British team take advantage of Pinarello's cobblestone-smoothing Dogma FS.
Rowe's Dogma F12 XLight is unsurprisingly similar to that of his Team Ineos teammate Rohan Dennis' bike, although there are a few differences that set them apart. Rowe is using a Fizik Arione saddle, and rather than using the integrated handlebar and stem from Pinarello's component subsidiary Most, Rowe is using a traditional bar and stem combo. The stem is labelled up at 144mm in length, yet rather than being made-to-measure specifically for the Welshman, Team Ineos mechanics explained that they re-measure each stem in the same way, to counteract inaccuracies across different makes and models.
Team Ineos are one of the few teams left in the WorldTour not to embrace disc brakes, and as such, Rowe's bike is fitted with a sponsor-supplied Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 rim-brake-equipped Di2 groupset, Shimano C60 tubular carbon wheels and a finishing kit from Pinarello's components arm Most.
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Click through the gallery above for a closer look at Luke Rowe's Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight
Luke Rowe's Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight full bike specifications
Frameset: Pinarello Dogma F12 XLight, size 56
Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9110 Direct Mount Brake Caliper
Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9110 Direct Mount Brake Caliper
Brake/shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150 Dual Control Lever
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace, 11-30T
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100-P w/ dual-sided power meter, 53/39
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.
