Märkl has been riding for Romain Bardet's former team since 2021, which at the time still operated under the name DSM. This is the first Tour de France for the 24-year-old from Rhineland-Palatinate, but he already has some Grand Tour experience: he finished the Giro d'Italia in 104th place in 2023. The 1.85 metre tall Märkl is considered a man for sprints and classics; his greatest success is likely to be his participation in the 2019 Road World Championships in Doha, where he finished second in the U19 class.
Lapierre Xelius DRS - an all-rounder
Like all of his team's racers, Märkl has no choice when it comes to his work equipment: the Xelius DRS from Lapierre - the French brand only replaced Scott as the team's outfitter this year - is the only competition model in the portfolio and is considered an all-rounder that should perform well in terms of both aerodynamics and weight. The team's bikes are all painted and built in the same colour: The purple marbled paintwork is a special livery for the team for the Tour de France.
The eye-catching feature of the Xelius is the seat knot: The distinctive triangle is a kind of brand face for Lapierre, the design is intended to improve stiffness and comfort. As with all of its team-mates, the construction harbours few surprises or experiments: Märkl's Xelius is built with Shimano's Dura-Ace groupset, while the wheels come from Italian brand Ursus, fitted with Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres in 28 millimetres. The bike weighs exactly 7.6 kilograms on our scales. The only special feature is Märkl's riding position: he rides a comparatively long stem, while the saddle is mounted extremely far forward.
Technical data of the Lapierre Xelius DRS by Niklas Märkl
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano Dura-Ace (2x12; 54/40, 11-34 t.)
- Brakes: Shimano Dura-Ace
- Brake discs: Shimano Dura-Ace (160/140 mm)
- Impellers: Ursus Proxima 50 Team Edition
- Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Pro (28 mm)
- Handlebars: Lapierre
- Computer: Wahoo
- Saddle: Prologo
- Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace
Jens Klötzer
Editor
