Alexander Kristoff's Norwegian-champ Canyon Aeroad CF SLX (Image credit: Nick Legan)
Every rider at the Tour has a GPS transponder(Image credit: Nick Legan)
If you win a national championship you can probably get your own saddle, too (Image credit: Nick Legan)
SRAM sponsors Katusha, but doesn't yet make a direct-mount brake, which the Aeroad requires, so the team uses unbranded Dura-Ace calipers instead (Image credit: Nick Legan)
The Aeroad's integrated stem/bar looks better with this purpose-built computer mount than rubber bands around the stem(Image credit: Nick Legan)
Katusha and AG2R-La Mondiale are the two teams using SRAM Red eTap at the 2016 Tour de France(Image credit: Nick Legan)
Zipp 404 Firestrikes have an etched brake surface for improved braking(Image credit: Nick Legan)
Another look at the GPS transponder(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
SRAM Red, Quarq and Look Pedals for Kristoff(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff's Canyon Aeroad CF SLX(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Katusha's Alexander Kristoff won the Tour de France field sprint on stage 11 behind the highly unusual configuration of the yellow jersey (Chris Froome), the green jersey (Peter Sagan) and the green jersey's teammate (Maciej Bodnar) who went clear with Froome's teammate Geraint Thomas with 12km to go in the windy stage. As Kristoff continues his hunt for a stage win, we take a look at the current version of his trusty Canyon Aeroad CF SLX.
While some riders switch bikes to fit the stage — a cobbles bike for Paris-Roubaix, an aero bike for the flat stages, a lightweight bike for the mountains — Kristoff goes all aero, all the time. The bike he is racing at the Tour is quite similar to what he used at the cobbled classics of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
Kristoff and his Russian team raced on Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 last year, but this year Katusha has SRAM's new wireless Red eTap group. Despite the change from Shimano to SRAM, Shimano direct-mount calipers remain (albeit unbranded), for a simple reason: SRAM doesn't yet make direct-mount brakes, which the Canyon frame requires.
The other unbranded piece of kit is the nearly solid Rotor chainring, which Kristoff and his teammates have been using off and on this season.
Check out the gallery above for a closer look at Kristoff's Aeroad CF SLX, and be sure to visit our race page for complete coverage of the 2016 Tour de France.
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