Just as we had the Colnago V4Rs of the co-favourite for overall victory hanging on the scales, Tadej Pogacar arrived with his team colleagues at the team hotel in Biarritz and asked with interest about the total weight of his racer. We determined 7.42 kilograms for the Colnago with pedals, computer, bottles and transponder. "That's still too heavy," the 24-year-old called after us from the balcony of his room - and put on a big grin.
The add-on parts of the Colnago V4R by Tadej Pogacar
A look at the add-on parts on Pogacar's Colnago V4Rs makes it clear what the exceptional rider meant by "still". After all, several lightweight tuning parts from Carbon-Ti are bolted to his Colnago. Both the chainrings (54/40 teeth) and the brake discs (160/140 millimetres) come from the Italian accessory specialist and are designed to save weight compared to the original Shimano Dura-Ace parts. According to Carbon-Ti, both chainrings weigh 156 grams, while the brake discs are said to weigh 184 grams. These tuning parts alone cost a total of around 856 euros.
The price for the Colnago V4Rs
The carbon seatpost from Darimo, which is also used by Israel-Premier Tech, and the fast time trial tyres from Continental add another 529 euros worth of components to the already exclusive Colnago. The wheels and the new aero cockpit from Enve are also anything but a bargain. This makes the V4Rs one of the most expensive bikes in the peloton. For the V4Rs from the TOUR test (7/2023), the Italians are already asking just over 15,000 euros.
At 7.42 kilograms, Pogacar's racing machine is around 600 grams heavier than the lightest bike in the peloton, the TCR Advanced SL by Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla), and is on a par with lightweight aero bikes. However, the Colnago V4Rs is comparatively slow: around 20 watts less at 45 km/h than the fastest professional models.
Despite the material disadvantage, Pogacar is more than promising in the battle for the maillot jaune. And one question really begs to be asked: What would happen if the UAE captain were on a lighter or more aerodynamic bike like many of his rivals?
EXKLUSV: Racing bikes of the stars & other highlights from the Tour de France in the blog
Jens Klötzer
Editor
