Dutchman wins Valkenburg World Cup aboard stock version of prototype he won on in 2013
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At 5’7” (169cm) Van der Haar rides a size small TCX Advanced Pro with a 90mm stem and 42cm wide bars(Image credit: Courtesy Team Giant-Alpecin)
The 2016 TCX Advanced Pro features a redesigned rear triangle that uses a 142x12mm thru-axle(Image credit: Courtesy Team Giant-Alpecin)
Van der Haar’s TCX features Shimano BR-RS785 disc brakes and a 15mm front thru-axle(Image credit: Courtesy Team Giant-Alpecin)
Di2 electronic shifting meets hydraulic braking in Shimano’s ST-R785 levers(Image credit: Courtesy Team Giant-Alpecin)
Van der Haar's Dura-Ace 9000 cranks have a special 46/39-tooth chainring combination and a Pioneer Power Meter(Image credit: Courtesy Team Giant-Alpecin)
Van der Haar’s TCX Advanced Pro gets a custom Team Giant-Alpecin paint scheme, similar that of the TCR Advanced SL that he races on the road(Image credit: Courtesy Team Giant-Alpecin)
Winning for a third time in as many years, Van der Haar once again proved that he is the man to beat at the Valkenburg World Cup(Image credit: Cor Vos / Courtesy Giant)
Lars Van der Haar charging to the win the Valkenburg World Cup aboard a Giant TCX Advanced Pro(Image credit: Cor Vos / Courtesy Giant)
The diminutive Lars van der Haar stands tall in the world of cyclocross. At 169cm / 5ft 7in, Van der Haar is always a threat on the World Cup circuit. Here we take a look at the size small bike he used to win the Valkenburg World Cup for the third consecutive time.
This year, Van der Haar raced a production version of the Giant TCX Advanced Pro on the technical course in his home country of the Netherlands. Van der Haar won his first Valkenburg World Cup in 2013 aboard a prototype version of the bike. The TCX Advanced Pro carbon frame features a so-called D-Fuse composite seatpost. With its D-shaped profile, the D-Fuse looks similar to a truncated airfoil riders are now used to seeing on aero bikes. Here, however, the shape is designed to allow vertical flex without adding weight, compared with a traditional round seatpost.
For 2016, the TCX Advanced Pro received a 142x12mm rear thru-axle to complement to the front 15mm thru-axle that bike has had for a while.
Shimano is a major partner of Team Giant-Alpecin, and Van der Haar gets a full Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain the unusual 46/39 ring combination. Shimano BR-RS785 hydraulic brakes and Shimano tubulars round out his bike.
