Thomas Voeckler’s Colnago C59 race bike is interesting in its simplicity. Perhaps unusually for a French-sponsored team comprising mostly French riders, Europcar’s mounts are Italian through and through, with only the tyres and bottle cages breaking the stranglehold.
The frame is a C59 Team Edition that isn’t available to buy, as far as we’re aware, but looks externally identical to the C59 Italia. It uses Colnago’s preferred lugged carbon construction, which the company believe allows for a better fit for a greater number of riders.
The frame is built for mechanical or electronic cable routing, and Voeckler’s electric shifting model has a mount for the EPS battery low on the down tube, to help with centre of gravity. The top and down tubes are visually ribbed, mimicking Colnago’s classic steel Master frames and providing greater rigidity.
Voeckler’s groupset is Campagnolo Record EPS and he runs a completely standard setup, with 172.5mm cranks and 53/39 chainrings driving an 11-25T cassette.
Europcar had just returned from their final pre-Tour training ride when BikeRadar caught up with them, and while the rest of the team trained on 50mm Bora wheels, Voeckler was running Campagnolo’s incredibly light Hyperon Ultra Two tubulars with Campagnolo carbon-specific blocks. While they’re great all-round wheels, they’re often saved for mountainous stages, so maybe he was testing them for later in the race.
A team mechanic told us that Voeckler is incredibly fastidious about the setup of his bike, especially the position of his levers and saddle, noticing the tiniest variation in either.
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Unusually among modern pros, he insists on using an old design of Selle Italia’s Flite saddle, which has more padding at the nose than average. The Colnago high-modulus carbon seatpost also has a generous setback, adding to the relatively short 530mm top tube and allowing Voeckler his trademark tuck.
Dedacciai supply the aluminum Zero 100 stem clamping a carbon Presa handlebar, which is a compact design with a very short 127mm drop, preferable for riders with a large difference between their saddle and handlebar heights. Pedals are Look Keo Blades, with the 16Nm release tension carbon spring fitted.
Hutchinson tubulars maintain French pride. Riders have the choice of the black-walled all-round rubber compound, as fitted to Voeckler’s bike, or a medium compound tubular with amber walls, which is softer and grippier.
Dutch Tacx Uma carbon cages look after bottle retention, and Sigma supply the newly launched wireless Rox 6.0 computer, which can measure altitude, heart rate and cadence (although only a fork-mounted speed sensor was mounted).
Each team bike includes the rider’s name on the Colnago seatstays and a graphic commemorating the 100th Tour de France on the top tube, as well as the exclusive Europcar paint job.
Watch our video on Voeckler's Colnago C59 Team Edition below.
Complete bike specifications
Frame: Colnago C59, 52cm Fork: Colnago C59, tapered Headset: Colnago integrated Stem: Deda Zero 100 (12cm, c-c) Handlebar: Deda Presa Carbon (42cm, c-c) Tape: Colnago cork, white Front brake: Campagnolo Record with Campagnolo carbon-specific pads Rear brake: Campagnolo Record with Campagnolo carbon-specific pads Brake levers: Campagnolo Record EPS Front derailleur: Campagnolo Record EPS Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Record EPS Shift levers: Campagnolo Record EPS Cassette: Campagnolo Record EPS 11-25T Chain: Campagnolo Record Crankset: Campagnolo Record, 172.5mm, 53/39T Bottom bracket: Campagnolo Record Ultra Torque with external cups Pedals: Look Keo Blade with 16Nm spring tension Wheelset: Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra Two Front tire: Hutchinson 22mm tubular Rear tire: Hutchinson 22mm tubular Saddle: Old design Selle Italia Flite Seatpost: Colnago HM Carbon Bottle cages: Tacx Uma carbon Computer: Sigma Rox 6.0 Other accessories: Aivee CNC chain catcher
Critical measurements
Rider's height: 1.75m (5ft 9in) Rider's weight: 62kg (137lb) Saddle height from BB (c-t): 735mm Saddle setback: 73mm Seat tube length, c-t: 520mm Seat tube length, c-c: 480mm Tip of saddle nose to c of bar: 560mm Saddle to bar drop (vertical): 170mm Head tube length: 145mm Top tube length: 530mm (actual) Total bicycle weight: 6.94kg (15.3lb) with SRM cranks and head unit
