Features of the Dare VA by Jonas Abrahamsen
- Drive/gear shift: FSA K-Force/Shimano Dura-Ace (2x12; 58/44, 11-34 t.), Ceramic Speed cage
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Impellers: DT Swiss ARC 1100 62 millimetres
- Tyres: Schwalbe Pro One TLE (25 mm)
- Computer: Garmin Edge
- Saddle: Prologo Scratch
- Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Dare Velocity Ace-AFO officially presented
This is only the second Tour de France for the UCI Pro Team Uno-X Mobility. The Norwegians did not achieve any real tangible successes on their debut last year. This makes the team all the more proud these days: On the very first stage, 28-year-old rider Jonas Abrahamsen took the lead in the mountain classification and only relinquished it on the eleventh stage. After a second place on the second stage, he was even able to wear the green jersey of the best sprinter for three days. The Tour de France 2024 was therefore already a success story for Uno-X Mobility after the first week. Of course, the Norwegians didn't expect this; the mechanics didn't have dotted helmets or even appropriately painted frames on board. At least they had lettering for Abrahamsen's racer in the colours of the sprinter and mountain jerseys, which the mechanics cut out of foil themselves in a hurry.
The Norwegian brand Dare has had little international significance to date. The brand has been associated with the team, then known as Uno X, since 2019 and develops its bikes with feedback from the riders. From 2025, however, the Norwegian team will be riding Ridley racing bikes. The Belgian brand was still an outfitter for Lotto-Dstny until the end of 2023, but was replaced by Orbea.
Dare VA: Pure aero machine
The Dare VA, which is ridden almost exclusively by the team, is a pure aero machine. Although the team has a lightweight model for two climbing specialists, these are only rarely used on difficult mountain stages. The racer is brand new and has only been in use since this season, with sales due to start in a few weeks. The very flat design of the frame is complemented by a deep aero seatpost and a handlebar combination that almost resembles an aeroplane wing. At 37 centimetres, it has the UCI minimum dimension on Abrahamsen's bike. The package is completed with 62 millimetre high DT Swiss rims - aerodynamics are therefore a high priority for the bikes. Low weight was less of a priority, and we weighed the bike ready to race at just over eight kilograms.
The wheels are equipped with Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2, the cranks and chainrings come from FSA and are completed by a Power2Max power meter. On the flat sprint stages, Abrahamsen rode a 58/44 gearing, while the specialists at Ceramic Speed supplied the riders with tuning pulleys and ceramic bearings for the wheels and bottom bracket. Uno-X Mobility is the only team in the Tour de France peloton to be supplied with tyres by German manufacturer Schwalbe. The tyre width is unusual: at 25 millimetres, the tyres are narrow, whereas most other teams now use 28 millimetres or more. Only on the gravel segments on stage 9 did the riders opt for wider tyres, where 30 millimetres were planned. The Pro One TLE are ridden tubeless, with an inlay mounted in the front wheel for safety reasons to prevent the tyre from jumping off in the event of a sudden loss of pressure.
TOUR at the Tour de France: Exclusive live blog
Jens Klötzer
Editor
