Today the Tour de France leads from the Champagne town of Epernay to Nancy, one of the longest sections of the Tour at 235 kilometres. Samuel Dumoulin, who achieved a respectable third place in yesterday's sprint finish in Reims, is back at the start. The Frenchman, who is only 1.59 metres tall, could also be among the front runners today, as he is riding a bike from the German manufacturer Focus.
Focus launched the Izalco Max on the market in 2013 and surprised with excellent values in the TOUR test. Even the pros feel comfortable on the light and stiff frameset. Dumoulin's bike is one of the smallest bikes in the peloton - the carbon frame measures just frame height 48. In order to adapt the bike to his body size, other parts have been shrunk as much as possible. The relatively short stem, narrow handlebars with little drop and the short Ares time trial saddle from Fizik, which at first glance looks a little like a child's saddle, are striking. The Campagnolo EPS drivetrain also suits the little sprinter, as the control buttons are much easier for small hands to reach - a big advantage, especially on hectic finishes. The mechanics had a little trouble reaching the minimum weight of 6.8 kilograms on Dumoulin's bike. In addition to the aluminium handlebars, stem and seat post, parts from the cheaper Chorus groupset are therefore used for the drivetrain. The SRM data is recorded by Bryton computers. The mounts are obviously not yet fully developed: many are padded with handlebar tape. More details in our picture gallery and the equipment list:
Frame: Focus Izalco Max
Wheels: Fulcrum Racing XLR with CULT ceramic bearings
Tyres: Schwalbe One 25 mm (tubular tyre)
Brakes: Campagnolo Super Record
Gear system: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
Sprocket: Campagnolo Chorus
Chain: Campagnolo Chorus
Bottom bracket: Campagnolo Super Record
Handlebars: Fizik Cyrano R3 (aluminium)
Stem: Fizik Cyrano R3
Seatpost: Fizik Cyrano R3
Saddle: Fizik Cyrano R3 (aluminium)
Handlebar tape: Fizik
Bottle cage: Elite Cannibal
Computer: Bryton
