Dogma with stripped-down Di2 shifter buttons, oval rings and Stages power
Image 1 of 14
Chris Froome's Pinarello F8(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Veloflex tubulars are often seen in the Tour de France, sometimes with their own brand, as here, and sometimes with another brand hot-badged on(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Fizik is rolling out new saddles at the Tour de France, but Froome has an 'old' Antares(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Stages power meter on the left crank measures left-leg power, and doubles the number for a wattage readout(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The F8 sports a wide chain protector behind the small chainring(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Product from companies that don't sponsor the team get the blacked-out treatment(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Pinarello has a clean solution to making a single frame for both mechanical and electric drivetrains: tidy covers for unused ports(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The ovalized rings may not be pretty, but Froome has found success with them(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The F8 fork has a bow-legged stance, which supposedly minimizes turbulence(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Many of the Team Sky Garmin's are stickered over with Stages, the power meter Sky uses. Not this one(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Removing the faceplate keeps the functionality without the bulk. Also note the blacked-out K-Edge Garmin mount(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Many riders have found Shimano's climber switch to be bulky. When you are Chris Froome, you can do something about it(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Each Team Sky stem is marked to exact length - not the claimed standard 10mm increments(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Even on a carbon superbike, sometimes the humblest solutions are the best, such as electrical tape to keep the valve stem from rattling(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The reigning champion of the Tour de France, Chris Froome will roll off the start in Leeds, England Saturday aboard a new Pinarello Dogma F8, a curvaceous Italian machine with some interesting aerodynamic flair and a mix of professional polish and handmade alterations.
Truncated aerofoil tubing - called FlatBack in Pinarello parlance - a tidy integrated seatpost clamp, internal cable routing and a bowlegged fork borrowed from the company's Bolide time trial bike all suggest aero gains over Froome’s previous 65.1.
While the majority of the machine features showroom-level parts, there is also a bit of DIY handiwork present, from the blacked-out Osymetric chainrings and K-Edge Garmin mount to the partially disassembled Di2 climber switch next to the stem.
But functionality is clearly the top priority regardless. Built up with Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheels, the bike flirts with the UCI legal limit minimum weight of 6.8kg, tipping the BIkeRadar scale at 15.08lb / 6.84kg.
Power-meter duties are handled by Stages, the small single-crank device that measures wattage output at the left leg and doubles it for a single power number.
Will this add up to another Tour de France win? Time will tell.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
