Greg Van Avermaet rode a new version of the Giant TCR at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and is set to use the new bike in Yorkshire on Sunday
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The new Giant TCR seen ridden by Greg Van Avermaet at Gooikse Pijl(Image credit: NDB_Photgraphy)
The bike features a new aerodynamically optimised head tube shape(Image credit: NDB_Photgraphy)
The bike also features a newly shaped fork with integrated brake hose routing(Image credit: NDB_Photgraphy)
Cyclingnews was at the start of the race and got some close up shots of the new bike. The seat cluster has been updated with a slighly beefier down tube(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The head tube is also new, with an aerodynamically optimised form and integrated cable routing(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Van Avermaet's spare for the World Championships was a rim brake model(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Here's a look at hte head tube on the rim brake model, the rim specific frame fills in the unnecessary routing holes(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The fork legs are bowed on both models(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The integrated rim brake cable exits the top tube(Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Following the Belgian's victory in Montreal, eagle-eyed viewers noticed the gold-accented bike was, in fact, an updated version of the TCR. Van Avermaet was aboard a rim brake model which looks to feature an aerodynamically optimised head tube and newly shaped fork legs.
Photos from the more-recent Gooikse Pijl confirm a disc brake model also exists, with a front brake hose that is integrated through the fork. Van Avermaet was also seen running Dura-Ace disc brakes during a recent training ride in Yorkshire.
In a refusal to follow the current trend of lowered seat stays, Giant has stuck with the more traditional frame shape with the ISP (integrated seat post) that featured on the previous model TCR launched in 2016.
When asked about his new bike, Van Avermaet confirmed the news:
"Last weekend I tested the disc bike as I think it could be important in these conditions. I’ve never been a big fan of them so far but in these conditions, it could be the right decision. I tested it last week in dry conditions and on Sunday I’ll probably ride a disc. I have some experience of racing on disc from BMC at races like Suisse. Everything is on point with the bike and it’s a new frame too."
Cyclingnews reached out to Giant, who said "the team is always testing new equipment, and indeed Greg Van Avermaet has reconned on a next-generation bike and may race it on Sunday."
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Jonas Koch is also set to use the new TCR for Sunday's World Championships road race, having also been seen riding the bike at Gooikse Pijl in Belgium.
Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
