Milano-Sanremo champion makes his mark at Tour of Britain
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Gerald Ciolek’s (MTN-Qhubeka) Trek Madone 7-Series ready to go at the 10th Tour of Britain in Peebles(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
MTN-Qhubeka use Zipp 404 Firecrest tubulars with 25mm tyres. Those tyres should be Bontrager, but they’re not, because US brand doesn’t currently produce a 25mm tubbie(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The Kammtail is an aerofoil shape with the trailing edge truncated.(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The Bontrager Duotap is an integrated frame sensor that transmits data to head units(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The Trek Madone 7-Series has a cleverly integrated chain catcher(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Two Elite Custom Race bottle cages – a pro peloton favourite – will carry refreshments(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Qhubeka – the team’s headline sponsor – gives a helping hand to communities all over Africa by supplying bikes in disadvantaged communities(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
A Bontrager Paradigm XXX saddle is set back 50mm on Ciolek’s Madone(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Ciolek, this year’s Milan-Sanremo winner, takes team leadership duties.(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Neat internal routing cables exits above the drop-out(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
At the back end too, the rich Project One paint job is showing its age(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Ciolek’s frame has had a tough life – the front derailleur bracket is missing a chunk(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The hollow axle on the SRAM Red SRM crankset means Ciolek’s bike is on the UCI weight limit – smaller team frames were filled for extra weight(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Ciolek’s Speedplay pedals have seen some action(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The 7-Series frame is electronic or mechanical groupset compatible (Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The Trek 7-Series’s fork is cut away to take direct mount brakes and MTN-Qhubeka use Bontrager’s version(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
Ciolek has a workmanlike Bontrager cockpit: an angular 130mm Rhythm Pro stem and 42mm alloy Race Lite Anatomic-C bars(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The only difference between the MTN-Qubeka Madone 7-Series and the commercial model, is the clever dossard holder – an after production addition.(Image credit: Sam Dansie)
The first ever African Pro Continental squad is growing in stature with each race and Milano-Sanremo winner Ciolek, who will celebrate his 27th birthday on Thursday’s stage 6 to Caerphilly, was touted as one to watch on the sprint stages. Indeed, a team mechanic was confident enough to say if we’d waited we could have had photos of a stage winning bike. That proved to be correct.
Ciolek’s Tour of Britain Trek Madone 7-Series looks like it has had a hell of a season and bears the scars and chips gathered on numerous days’ racing. However the cosmetic damage to the Project One paint job belies a rock solid race platform.
With 12 UCI wins to the squad’s credit this year, MTN-Qhubeka’s immediate future is looking bright and in July, Ciolek re-signed with the squad for two more years. And in the last couple of weeks, it announced Castelli as clothing sponsor for two years and reaffirmed Trek as bike sponsor for the coming season too.
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The hollow axle on the SRAM Red SRM crankset means Cioek’s bike is on the UCI weight limit – smaller team frames were filled for extra weight
Complete bike specifications
Frame: 54cm Trek Madone 7-Series H1 Fork: Trek Madone KVF full carbon Headset: 1 1/8-to-1 1/2" tapered Stem: Bontrager Rhythm Pro 130mm Handlebars: BontragerRace Lite Anatomic-C bars 42cm Tape/grips: Bontrager cork Front brake: Bontrager Direct Mount Rear brake: Shimano Brake levers: SRAM Red Front derailleur: SRAM Red Rear derailleur: SRAM Red Shift levers: SRAM Red DoubleTap Cassette: SRAM Red 26-11 Chain: SRAM PC1090 Crankset: SRAM RED SRM 53-39 Bottom bracket: Trek BB90 integrated Pedals: Speedplay Wheelset: Zipp 404 Firecrest Front tire: Veloflex Carbon 25mm Rear tire: Veloflex Carbon 25mm Saddle: Bontrager Paradigm XXX Seat post: Bontrager Ride Tuned Carbon Bottle cages: Elite Custom Race (2) Computer: SRM PowerControl7 (not fixed)
Critical measurements
Rider's height: 179cm (5' 10") Rider's weight: 75kg (165lb) Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 740mm Saddle setback: 50mm Seat tube length, c-c: 533mm Tip of saddle nose to C of bars (next to stem): 575mm Head tube length: 150mm Top tube length: 543mm Total bicycle weight: w/o computer 6.82kg (15.04lb)
Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.
