2014 Defy Advanced SL of Giant-Alpecin double Monument winner
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The winning bike of the 2015 Paris-Roubaix, the 2014 Giant Defy Advanced SL(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
There is only one pro road race in the world where you'll see a shifter/brake combination like this(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Degenkolb had all kinds of things bolted, strapped, zip-tied and taped to his cockpit. The most important might be the sticker of his newborn's footprint(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Next year this podium could be holding a bike with disc brakes(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The clincher tread suggests nearly twice the pressure of what riders use at Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Shimano-Alpecin had 30mm tubulars with clincher Vittora Pavé treads glued on them for their race bikes(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
The rubber is getting bigger and bigger at Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Degenkolb ran 53/44 rings on his 172.5mm Shimano Dura-Ace cranks with a Pioneer power meter(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
In the infield of the Roubaix velodrome, race organizers created a bike podium next to the riders' podium. Zdenek Stybar's Specialized S-Works Roubaix is at left and Greg Van Avermaet's BMC GranFondo RBX is at right(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Better knock on wood! MyKnoaky is a good luck charm produced by former pro Andreas Klier(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
Di2 wires are not likely to experience a force that would cause them to disengage while riding. But, just in case…(Image credit: Courtesy Castelli)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) wins Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Astride a last-year-model bike decorated with his newborn baby's footprint and a wooden good luck charm, John Degenkolb sprinted to victory in the 2015 Paris-Roubaix. Degenkolb rode a 2014 Giant Defy Advanced SL equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace 35 wheels shod in custom-made 30mm Vittoria tubulars.
Although wide, 27 and 28mm tubulars have long been the standard in the queen of the cobbled classics, a few riders chose to race 30mm tires this year, accepting a little additional rotational weight and perhaps a touch more rolling resistance in exchange for more comfort and suspension. For Giant-Alpecin, mechanics outfitted team race bikes with 30mm tubular casings with VIttoria clincher treads glued to them, while the back-up bikes on the team cars had 28mm versions.
Along with the rest of his Giant-Alpecin team, Degenkolb raced the Hell of the North on last year's bikes, the 2014 Giant Defy Advanced SL, because Giant specced still-UCI-forbidden disc brakes on its 2015 model.
We could see the 2015 Giant Defy Advanced SL with disc brakes in professional competition later this year, as the UCI recently announced that "all teams will have the opportunity to use bikes with disc brakes at two events of their choice during August and September." Then the gates will be wide open for disc in 2016, still under UCI 'testing', with the idea being that, "if the experience is satisfactory, disc brakes will be officially introduced to the UCI WorldTour in 2017… the aim is to eventually introduce disc brakes to all levels of road cycling".
Vittoria glued clincher treads onto 30mm tubular casings. The air pressure recommendations are nearly double what most riders used
Complete bike specifications Frame: 2014 Giant Defy Advanced SL, size medium Fork: Advanced SL-grade composite, full-composite OverDrive 2 steerer Handlebar: PRO PLT, 42cm Handlebar tape: PRO Stem: PRO Vibe, 120mm Seatpost: Integrated seatpost Saddle: PRO Turnix, 142mm width Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Shift Levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070, w/ sprint shifters and climbing shifter Front Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 Rear Derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9070 Brake Calipers: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000, 11-28t Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000, 53/44t, 172.5mm Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C35 Front Tire: Vittoria Pavé CX 30mm Team Rear Tire: Vittoria Pavé CX 30mm Team Bottle Cages: Elite Aluminum Computer: Pioneer Other Accessories: Additional top-mounted rear brake lever, K-Edge chain catcher
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Critical measurments Rider’s height: 180cm/5'11" Rider’s weight: 77kg/170lb Saddle Height: 73.7cm Saddle Setback: 7.2cm Saddle nose to center of bars: 56.5cm Handlebar height (centre of hub to midpoint of handlebar): 51.5cm
