Stefan Kung's BMC Timemachine Road 01(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The head tube features a subtle hourglass-like design(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 levers control the braking and gear shifting for Kung(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The front brake fairing keeps the brake hose and caliper out of the wind, but will need to be removed for racing(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A look at the bottle cages and storage system(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
As with BMC's Teammachine framesets, the Kung's bike is equipped with a Shimano Dura-Ace R9150 drivetrain(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The thru-axles use a hex key for tensioning, and a closer look at the disc brake mounting bolts(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Like the Teammachine SLR01, the seat post is tightened via a wedge system accessed on the inside of the main triangle(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
BMC's logo sits on the flank of the head tube(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Like most modern framesets, the Timemachine Road 01 uses a proprietary seat post(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A look at the narrow rear profile of the bike(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
BMC's ICS integrated stem system also features an integrated accessories mount(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The left fork leg features an aero fairing which a BMC mechanic said would need to be removed before racing(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A BMC mechanic switched over cranksets ahead of a training ride ahead of the Tour de France(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A look at the underside of the bottom bracket area(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The BMC Timemachine Road 01 uses standard Shimano flat mount front and rear(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The top of the down tube features a swoop indent design seen on many modern aero framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Striped BMC decals sit on the underside of the down tube(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Another look at the fork drop outs and disc brake fairing(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Flat topped handlebars and conservative handlebar taping further improve aerodynamics at the front end(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
BMC's ICS stem system has been updated slightly for the new Timemachine Road 01 with a wider profile and slimmer depth(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The stem allows for internal cable routing to keep things neat at the front end(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A look at the rear brake configuration(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Kung's stem measured a massive 170mm (centre to centre)(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
BMC say the bottle cage system is faster with bottles in than without(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Kung rides a size 58 frameset(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Subtle black on black decals adorn the top tube of the frameset(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
No rear rim brake caliper results in a clean looking rear end(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The Timemachine Road 01 uses the same direct mount rear derailleur hanger as the Teammachine SLR01(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Thru-axles force the gear cable to come out of the seat stay above the 'drop out' aread(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
A flat profile to the rear of the seat tube is a common design feature on aero-specific framesets(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The seat post offers 0, 15 and 30mm offset by adjusting the seat clamp location(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Kung looks to have opted for the 15mm offset option(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
The fork thru-axle thread looks to be replacable in case of any thread damage, as opposed to replacing the entire fork(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Angular lines at tube junctions characterise the aesthetics of the bike(Image credit: Josh Evans/Immediate Media)
Coming off the back of new aero framesets from Specialized and Cannondale, BMC launched the new aero-specific frameset earlier this week ahead of the Tour. It is the first update to the Timemachine Road model in five years.
Alongside expected aero-specific features such as lowered seat stays, truncated aero tubing and proprietary aero cockpits, the BMC Timemachine Road 01 also features various fairings to further improve aerodynamic performance.
Italian component and accessories specialists Elite collaborated with BMC to produce frame-specific bottle cages and a storage box, which sits in the lowest section of the main frame triangle.
As well as offering storage space, the design reduces air turbulence over the bike and is claimed to perform better with bottles in the cages than without.
Furthermore, on the left-hand fork leg, another fairing is attached to the front and inside to improve air flow around the hydraulic brake hose and disc calliper.
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Interestingly however, the UCI does not allow additional fairings to be added to bicycle frames or components, and a team mechanic confirmed the fairings will have to be removed before races, potentially resulting in more drag than a regular tubing and bottle cages design would have produced.
Last year, BMC launched an all-round racing bike model - the Teammachine SLR01. A direct-mount rear derailleur hanger is carried over from the Teammachine design and the integrated stem dubbed ICS by BMC, which also allows for internal cable routing is updated for the Timemachine Road 01, offering a wider and thinner height profile.
The 1.93-metre-tall Stefan Kung, who enjoyed an extended stint in the leader's jersey at Tour de Suisse, rides a size 58 frame and the proprietary ICS stem measured a huge 170mm - the longest stem we've seen in the professional peloton.
The BMC frameset is equipped with a full Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 groupset, including R9100-P crankset-based power meter, R9100 pedals and R9100 C40 wheels, although it is expected the bike will be paired with C60 wheels when raced on.
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at the latest BMC aero frameset.
