Belgian 'cross champion earns silver medal at Worlds
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Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napolean Games) earned a silver medal at the 2013 cyclo-cross world championships aboard Ridley's revamped X-Night. (Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Once again, we're seeing older-style Shimano XTR pedals. Despite the newer version's increased platform area, 'cross racers apparently favor the previous style for their more consistent performance in heavy mud.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The Rotor 3D+ machined aluminum crank is equipped with Specialites TA chainrings.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napolean Games) was undoubtedly hoping for a nationals/worlds double in Louisville but a bobble on the last lap ensured that it wasn't to be.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napolean Games) is apparently quite confident in the carbon fiber rails on his 4ZA Cirrus Pro saddle.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
4ZA Cirrus Pro narrow-profile aluminum cantilevers are fitted front and rear. Tire clearance is generous through the widely set fork crown.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Dugast's new Fast Bird tubulars were mounted front and rear the day before the race. (Image credit: Jonny Irick)
A 4ZA Cirrus Pro carbon fiber bar is clamped in a 4ZA Cirrus Pro forged aluminum stem. (Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The stack of headset spacers is justified by 'cross racers' generally taller bar heights relative to roadies.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napolean Games) used Shimano's previous-generation Dura-Ace Di2 group en route to his silver medal.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Klaas Vantornout (Sunweb-Napolean Games) recently nabbed the Belgian national championship so he requested a special bar tape treatment from his mechanic, Bart Risbourg.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Chain stays are tall and fat on the new Ridley X-Night.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The PressFit30 bottom bracket shell is filled with a Rotor bottom bracket.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mud clearance is generous through both the seat stays and chain stays on Klaas Vantornout's (Sunweb-Napolean Games) new Ridley X-Night - a crucial detail during Saturday's messy conditions.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Ridley has slimmed down the seat stays on the new X-Night considerably, which is said to yield a much more forgiving ride.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The all-carbon fork features a tapered steerer tube, which should minimize shuddering on the traditionally mounted cantilever brakes.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Lightweight KCNC KQR skewers clamp down on newly carbon fiber dropouts.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Vantornout's new X-Night bears several key differences from the old version. For one, it's lighter – to the tune of 350g in the frame itself, according to Ridley, plus another 150g reduction since the revamped internal routing no longer requires full-length cable housing. Moreover, Ridley has toned down the old X-Night's ultra-stiff ride, infusing some DNA from the road-going Helium SL in the seat stays, slim 27.2mm-diameter telescoping seatpost, and nominally round main tubes. Ridley claims that bottom bracket and front triangle stiffness, however, have nonetheless gone up.
Mud clearance has improved, too, which could have proved decisive judging by the conditions for the masters racers on Friday. Luckily, Saturday's mud was sloppy and greasy but didn't freeze on impact.
While still very much at the traditionally European end of the spectrum, Ridley has lowered the bottom bracket slightly by 3mm for more stable cornering while the head tube height has dropped to allow more aggressive positions for riders that want it. We're guessing Vantornout is indifferent to the lower stack given the 25mm of spacers beneath his stem.
Vantornout probably is happy with the new dual mechanical/electronic-compatible routing, however, which provides a clean look for his Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 7970 group (although his frame still had a vestigial housing stop on the chain stay). Shimano also provides the M970-generation XTR pedals and WH-7900-C35-TU carbon tubular wheels, which were wrapped in Dugast's new Fast Bird tires when we stopped by the Belgian team area Friday afternoon.
Vantornout skips over the matching Dura-Ace crank in favor of a machined aluminum Rotor's 3D+, which saves some weight thanks to an oversized, 30mm-diameter aluminum axle instead of Shimano's chromoly 24mm-diameter unit. Rotor fills out the press-fit shell with its own bottom bracket, too.
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Otherwise, most of the rest of the build is filled out with Ridley's 4ZA house brand, including a Cirrus Pro carbon bar, forged aluminum stem, carbon-shafted seatpost, carbon-railed saddle, and lightweight narrow-profile aluminum cantilevers (consumers will have the option of disc brakes on the new X-Night when it becomes available in May).
Finishing things off are a pair of lightweight, red-anodized KCNC quick-release skewers and a Belgium-themed handlebar tape job courtesy of mechanic Bart Risbourg.
Total weight as pictured is 7.37kg (16.25lb).
The Rotor 3D+ machined aluminum crank is equipped with Specialites TA chainrings.
Complete bike specifications
Frame: Ridley X-Night, 56cm Fork: Ridley X-Night Headset: FSA Z-CX 1 1/8-to-1 1/2" tapered Stem: 4ZA Cirrus Pro, 120mm x -7° Handlebars: 4ZA Cirrus Pro, 42cm (c-c) Tape/grips: 4ZA Stratos Front brake: 4ZA Cirrus Pro CX w/ Shimano carbon-specific pads Rear brake: 4ZA Cirrus Pro CX w/ Shimano carbon-specific pads Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-7970 Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-7970 Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-7970 Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-7970 Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7900, 12-27T Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-7901 Crankset: Rotor 3D+, 175mm, w/ Specialites TA 46/39T chainrings Bottom bracket: Rotor PressFit 4630 Pedals: Shimano XTR PD-M970 Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace WH-7900-C35-TU tubular Front tire: Dugast Small Bird tubular, 32mm Rear tire: Dugast Small Bird tubular, 32mm Saddle: 4ZA Cirrus Pro Seat post: 4ZA Cirrus Pro Bottle cages: n/a Computer: n/a Other accessories: KCNC KQR quick-release skewers
Critical measurements
Rider's height: 1.86m (6' 1") Rider's weight: 69kg (152lb) Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 816mm Saddle setback: 77mm Seat tube length, c-t: 613mm Seat tube length, c-c: 570mm Tip of saddle nose to C of bars (next to stem): 569mm Saddle-to-bar drop (vertical): 100mm Head tube length: 160mm Top tube length: 560mm Total bicycle weight: 7.37kg (16.25lb)
