Marcel Kittel's Giant-Alpecin team bike - 2015 Giant Propel Advanced SL(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheels are an extremely common sight in the peloton this year(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Fouriers mini-v brakes instead of Giant's own(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
The Fouriers mini-v brakes offer two cable positions for easy changing between different rim widths(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
ANT+ speed data is given by this integrated 'Ride Sense' sensor(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
"Keep Challenging"(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Cabling is kept aero with shrink tubing holding the brake housing and Di2 wire together David Rome / Immediate Media Pro bike Marcel Kittel s 2015 Giant Propel Advanced SL Another look at the shrink wrap covering the brake cable and Di2 wire David Rome / Immediate Media Pro bike Marcel Kittel s 2015 Giant Propel Advanced SL Front on, the Propel is extremely slim and slippery David Rome / Immediate Media Pro bike Marcel Kittel s 2015 Giant Propel Advanced SL A cable port is placed behind the stem, here a rubber cover fills in the extra space around the Di2 wire David Rome / Immediate Media Pro bike Marcel Kittel s 2015 Giant Propel Advanced SL For the People's Choice Classic criterium, Kittel changed to alloy bottle cages and a depper Dura-Ace C75 rear wheel(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Another look at the shrink wrap covering the brake cable and Di2 wire(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Front on, the Propel is extremely slim and slippery(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
A cable port is placed behind the stem, here a rubber cover fills in the extra space around the Di2 wire(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Classic criterium David Rome / Immediate Media Pro bike Marcel Kittel s 2015 Giant Propel Advanced SL A Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 rear derailleur shifts across a relatively large (for a sprinter on a flat stage...) 11-28T cassette(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
These Elite carbon bottle cages were swapped out for alloy cages prior to the People's Choice Classic criterium(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Bonded to a Shimano Dura-Ace crank, the Pioneer Power meter offers independent left-to-right power measurement, among many other data metrics(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
What better rider to promote Alpecin hair product than Marcel Kittel(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Pioneer is a new sponsor of the Giant-Alpecin team for 2015(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
If you're racing as a professional, your frame must pass standards(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
A PRO Turnix saddle gives Kittel a place to sit when he's not flat out sprinting(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Pioneer tells us the team-only computer colours are just a 'skin' over the computer, which allows them to make these custom units relatively easily(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Another look at 140mm PRO stem. If this stem could talk, it would tell you it hates it's job(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Shimano Dura-ace 9070 Di2 is pretty common in the peloton this year, and Kittel's is no different(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
Sprint shifters feature for rear shifting control from the drops(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
For the People's Choice Classic criterium, Kittel changed to alloy bottle cages and a depper Dura-Ace C75 rear wheel(Image credit: David Rome / Immediate Media)
German strong-man – Marcel Kittel – has created quite the reputation for himself since his first Tour de France stage win in 2013. With a team-name change for 2015, the big, blonde sprinter is off to a flying season start with yet another win at the People's Choice Classic criterium, an opening event to the Santos Tour Down Under.
With Shimano stepping away as title sponsor, Alpecin has moved in to share the jersey space with Giant Bicycles. Alpecin are makers of caffeinated hair products, an incredible fit given Kittel’s well-known love for styled hair.
Just like Kittel’s bike we looked at last year, his 2015 team bike remains as Giant’s top-end aero road frame – the Propel Advanced SL in a size large. First launched at the 2013 Santos Tour Down Under and unchanged since, the Propel continues to remain competitive within the booming aero-road bike market.
For 2015, Giant-Alpecin has changed power meter sponsor from SRM to Pioneer. With this, the team has received ‘team-issue’ white and black colours for the Pioneer SGX-CA500 computers and white battery covers for the crank-mounted power meter.
Despite Giant now updating it’s Propel Mini-V brakes to an alloy model similar to those used by the pro’s since the bike’s 2013 launch, the team continues with its aftermarket Fouriers model brakes. It’s unknown whether this is because the team has a large stockpile of the Fouriers, or if they prefer the performance compared to Giant’s updated offering.
PRO, Shimano’s in-house componentry brand, remains as the supplier of the cockpit components, including saddles.
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The PRO Vibe stem remains a curious one – with a four-bolt faceplate and 1 1/4in (aka OD2) steerer clamp. Since last year, PRO offers a 1 1/4in stem in the form of the Vibe 7S, however, the four-bolt faceplate of Kittel’s stem remains entirely different.
The rest of the build remains unchanged from last year, with a Shimano Dura-ace 9070 Di2 using an internal battery and sprint shifters for shifting from the drops.
Kittel continues to use a slightly larger than normal 11-28T cassette. We were told last year that this often saves him from chain crossing and having to use the edge of the cassette where other issues can arise if previously caught up in crash.
And grasping at differences from last year’s ride, Kittel is now using a lighter weight bottle cage in the form of the Elite Pase Custom Carbon. Unusually though, at the line of the pre-event criterium race, Kittel was back to using his old Elite Cuissi Gel bottle cages and a deeper Dura-Ace C75 rear wheel.
With a change in power meter and bottle cages alone, we weighed his 2015 ride at 7.23kg (15.94lb) including the Pioneer head unit. Compare this to 7.26kg (15.97lb) excluding the then-SRM head unit of last year’s ride and there’s a marginal weight saving.
Complete bike specifications
Frame: Giant Propel Advanced SL – size Large (57.5) Fork: Giant Propel Advanced SL – OverDrive 2 Headset: 1 1/4 to 1 1/2in internal Stem: PRO Vibe 1 1/4in, 140mm x -10 degrees, (potential prototype) Handlebar: PRO Vibe 7S Compact, round 42cm (c-c) Tape: PRO PU-SL Front brake: Fouriers DX-005 Mini-V Rear brake: Fouriers DX-005 Mini-V 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 + SW-R610 sprint (on drops) Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-9000, 11-28T Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-9000 Crankset: Shimano Dura-ace, 175mm, 53/39T, with Pioneer power meter Bottom bracket: Shimano BB-71 press-fit Pedals: Shimano 9000 Dura-ace Wheelset: Shimano Dura-ace C50 tubular Front tyre: Vittoria Corsa Evo CX 25mm – 120PSI Rear tyre: Vittoria Corsa Evo CX 25mm – 120PSI Saddle: PRO Turnix Carbon, 142mm Seatpost: Giant ISP Bottle cages: Elite Pase Custom Carbon (2) Computer: Pioneer SGX-CA500
Critical measurements
Rider's height: 1.88m (6ft 2in) Rider's weight: 82kg (181lb) Saddle height from BB, c-t: 802mm Saddle setback: 112mm Seat tube length (c-c): 580mm Tip of saddle to center of bar: 639mm Saddle-to-bar drop: 210mm Head tube length: 185mm Top tube length (effective): 585mm Total bicycle weight: 7.23kg (15.94lb)
