FDJ.fr team bike of the seven-time Finnish national champion
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Jussi Veikkanen's Lapierre Aircode Ultimate - 2015 FDJ.fr team bike(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Jussi Veikkanen (FDJ.fr)(Image credit: sirott)
At least the saddle is in Veikkanen's national colours(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Power data is provided by a SRM Shimano 11-speed crank. A K-Edge chain catcher doubles as the magnet for the SRM(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Elite Cannibal carbon bidon cages re the choice for team FDJ.fr(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
The head tube sits below the aero profiled top tube(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
A Shimano press-fit bottom bracket standards provides plenty of width for a wide down tube(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
The rear derailleur cabling exists at the very rear of the dropout. Di2 wiring does not get cleaner than this(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Keeping things aero, an integrated seat post clamp is hidden by a rubber cover. Unusually, Lapierre have gone with a standard 31.6mm round post(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
To make this brake placement work, the brake cable is routed through the top tube instead of the usual down tube routing(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Out back, the team apparently requested standard brake calipers for easier servicing compared to the direct-mount system behind the bottom bracket(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
A cut-out in the fork shape cleanly hosts a Shimano Dura-Ace direct mount brake caliper(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
The Lapierre Aircode frame uses Kamm Tail aero profiles for aerodynamics without sacrificing real-world performance in comfort and stiffness(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Jussi Veikkanen is a seven-time national road champion of Finland(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
PRO produce 'team-only' four-bolt stems for its sponsored teams. In the case of Veikkanen's ride, a special 131mm length is also featured(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Jussi Veikkanen has spent much of his career in the white and blue colours of Finland, having won a total of seven national road titles since 2003. This season is his 11th with the French FDJ.fr team – not consecutively, he spent 2011 with Omega Pharma-Lotto – and the 13th year that Lapierre has been the official bike partner for FDJ.
Veikkanen has ridden the French bike brand for all but one year of his professional career, and is now piloting the Aircode Ultimate, a bike that was only released in the middle of last year.
Given Veikkanen's national champion status, we would have expected to see some custom Finnish touches in the paintwork, but beyond the name tag it's difficult to differentiate this ride from the rest of the 2015 FDJ.fr team bikes.
The Lapierre Aircode Ultimate is the brand's flagship aero road bike, and features Kamm Tail aerodynamic tube profiles, assymetrical tubing and wind-cheating tricks at every curve and corner.
One striking aero aspect is the head tube that drops below the top tube, not too different to that of the Specialiazed Venge. A narrow and swept top tube follows on from behind the stem.
The front fork features a Shimano Direct Mount brake caliper that is subtly tucked into the carbon legs for smoother airflow. Interestingly though, the team do not use a direct mount brake at the rear, despite there being mounts for it beneath the chainstays.
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In a earlier look at the 2015 Lapierre range, it was pointed out that the team use a standard brake at the seat stays, showing that sometimes practicality does overtake performance in the WorldTour.
"Though the underneath brake is better aerodynamically, the mechanics at FDJ asked for a standard brake on the team bikes," said Lapierre engineer Rémi Gribaudo. "The reasons for this are the practicalities of quick wheel changes and that the type of bike stands they use on the road for working on the bikes hold the bike by the fork dropouts and the BB shell; with the under-chainstay brake it is impossible to adjust on the stand. So we kept the standard mount on the frame moulding."
Because of this change of brake position, the cable routing differs slightly from the usual internal downtube routing. Instead, the brake housing on the team bike is run through the top tube.
Where it's common for aero road frames to use proprietary seat post, the Aircode sticks with a standard 31.6mm round post. The post is held in place with an expanding wedge, that's hidden beneath a rubber cover.
A Dura-Ace Di2 groupset is a near obligatory addition to the bike of a Shimano sponsored team. Here, the only component outside of the Shimano Dura-Ace branding is the SRM Shimano 11-speed crank, which remains particularly close to a Dura-Ace 9000 crank in aesthetics, design and performance.
Where its common for Shimano Di2 equipped team bikes to take advantage of addition shifter points, Veikkanen's ride features just the standard Dura-Ace 9070 STI brake/shifter lever.
Just as the Dura-Ace Di2 is easily the most common groupset in the 2015 WorldTour peloton, the Dura-Ace C50 tubular wheels are frequently seen across numerous teams. Glued to these 50mm deep carbon rims are hand-stitched Schwalbe ONE tubulars in a 24mm width.
As we've seen on the likes of Team Sky and Alpecin-Giant team bikes, the PRO Vibe stems used by the WorldTour are slightly different to aftermarket offerings, featuring a simpler four-bolt front faceplate in exchange of the usual two-bolt Puzzle Clamp piece. The stem is also an unusual 131mm long, just 1mm longer than those that are available for sale.
Complete bike specifications
Frame: Lapierre Aircode Ultimate – Medium size Fork: Lapierre Aircode Ultimate, tapered carbon Headset: Ritchey Pro 1 1/8 – 1 1/4in Stem: PRO Vibe ‘Team-Issue’, 131mm, -6 degree Handlebar: PRO Vibe Carbon Compact, 42cm (c-c) Tape: PRO Gel Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9010 Direct Mount Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-9000 Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070 Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-9070 Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-9070 Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070 Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-9000, 11-28T Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-9000 Crankset: SRM Shimano 11-speed, 172.5mm, 53/39T Bottom bracket: Shimano press-fit Pedals: Shimano 9000 Dura-Ace Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace C50 tubular Front tyre: Schwalbe ONE tubular, 24mm Rear tyre: Schwalbe ONE tubular, 24mm Saddle: fi'zi:k Antares R1 Seatpost: PRO Vibe Di2 LTD carbon, 31.6mm x 0mm offset Bottle cages: Elite Cannibal carbon (2) Computer: SRM Power Control 7 (not pictured) Accessories: K-Edge SRM chain catcher
Critical measurements Rider's height: 1.78m (5ft 10in) Rider's weight: 66kg (145lb) Saddle height from BB, c-t: 740 mm Saddle setback: 55mm Seat tube length (c-t): 520mm Seat tube length (c-c): 490mm Tip of saddle to centre of bar: 555mm Saddle-to-bar drop: 90mm Head tube length: 150mm Top tube length (effective): 550mm Total bicycle weight: 7.28kg (16lb) (w/o SRM Power Control 7 head unit)
