German stealth fighter for Russian Tour de France contender
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The sleek Canyon Speedmax CF Evo time trial bike of 2009 Giro d'Italia winner Denis Menchov (Katusha).(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The handlebar position on Denis Menchov's (Katusha) Canyon Speedmax CF Evo is low and aggressive.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Denis Menchov (Katusha) runs with Mavic's latest Cosmic CXR 80 front wheel, albeit without the blade smoothing the transition in between the rim and tire. The UCI has not allowed that part's use in competition.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
More electrical tape is found on the handlebar in order to keep the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 shifter wires from flapping about.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Bits of electrical tape cover the unused water bottle holes on Denis Menchov's (Katusha) Canyon Speedmax CF Evo - something the UCI has explicitly called out as illegal.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Canyon's Speedmax CF Evo doesn't use a conventional steerer tube. Instead, there are stubs at either end that sandwich the head tube, leaving an open path for the cables and wires to run straight into the frame. The front brake is cleanly integrated into the fork crown.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Denis Menchov's (Katusha) low handlebar setup requires the extensions to be mounted on the bottom of the base bar.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 electronic shifters for Denis Menchov (Katusha). Canyon has elected to make the Speedmax CF Evo compatible only with electronic drivetrains.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Extra insurance against inadvertent rotation is provided by this additional bolt.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The carbon fiber seatpost can be used with either conventional saddle rails or Selle Italia's Monolink system.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Denis Menchov (Katusha) sets himself atop a surprisingly inexpensive Selle Italia saddle that Canyon uses on some of its cheaper bikes.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Katusha's Mavic wheels are specially marked. Note the molded-in lettering beneath the bright yellow 'Mavic' logo.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The rear Mavic disc wheel is built with an aluminum tubular rim and the company's unique Exalith sidewall treatment.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Rear-facing dropouts on Denis Menchov's (Katusha) Canyon Speedmax CF Evo time trial bike.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Canyon includes an adjustable-rake fork on the Speedmax CF Evo. Denis Menchov (Katusha) has his bike set up for quicker handling.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The rear brake is tucked neatly away beneath the chain stays.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Press-fit bearing cups allow for sweeping lines down by the bottom bracket of Denis Menchov's (Katusha) Canyon Speedmax CF Evo. Interestingly, Canyon builds the Speedmax CF Evo with longer chain stays than the norm in order to provide more stable handling.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The stem and top tube form a straight, uninterrupted segment on Denis Menchov's (Katusha) Canyon Speedmax CF Evo.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Introduced officially to the media earlier this year, Canyon's new Speedmax CF Evo time trial bike is thoroughly sleek and modern – a major improvement over its predecessor and exactly what the Russian Katusha team asked for. The time trials will play a pivotal role for 2009 Giro d'Italia winner Denis Menchov if he hopes to achieve his goal of Tour de France success this year, and if all goes well, the new Speedmax CF Evo is the machine that will take him there.
Canyon may have been slow to overhaul the original Speedmax CF but the new version looks to have caught back up to the leaders in one big step. The sculpted tubes were wind tunnel-crafted using a clever modular prototype mock-up and all of the now-requisite features are incorporated: well-integrated front and rear linear-pull brakes; an external steerer tube that sits in front of the head tube for better aerodynamics; a proprietary cockpit with internal cable routing; an ultra-aggressive position with a stem that sits in-line with the top tube; and a wide-format bottom bracket shell with press-fit cups designed around Shimano's PF86 standard.
Canyon has also integrated a few interesting frame geometry features into its aero flagship, such as chain stays that are 25-30mm longer than the old bike plus a front-center that's longer, too. According to Canyon road bike product manager Sebastian Jadczak, the intentionally rangy wheelbase that results provides more stable handling – a trait that's often elusive with so much of a rider's weight concentrated on the forearm pads.
Denis Menchov favors a low, aggressive handlebar position
Katusha team equipment manager Michael Rich added that while his riders admittedly didn't log as many hours training in formation as he would have preferred earlier this season, the new Speedmax CF Evo's mellower handling personality still allowed the team to maintain a clean line during the team time trial at this year's Giro.
That extra length is also exemplified by Menchov's personal setup. Despite standing at 1.80m (5' 11"), he rides a medium-sized frame with a medium-sized stem measuring just 85mm center-to-center. Canyon has incorporated its clever adjustable-rake fork tips into the Speedmax CF Evo, too, and Menchov tempers some of the bike's inherent stability by selecting the longer rake option.
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Menchov's Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped bike as shown here isn't particular light at 8.54kg (18.83lb) though in fairness, there's a somewhat weighty aluminum-rimmed Mavic rear disc wheel fitted (with grippy Exalith-treated sidewalls) and the matching 80mm-deep Mavic Cosmic CXR 80 front wheel is no featherweight, either. Interestingly, Menchov also chooses to ride a rather mundane, steel-railed Selle Italia saddle that Canyon normally uses as OEM equipment on its cheaper bikes.
