2010 Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso rode this year's Tour de France aboard his familiar Cannondale SuperSix Hi-Mod.
Basso has been racing this version since returning to the sport early last year but Cannondale only officially launched it to the public in May. In addition to a 150g weight reduction, Cannondale say a new construction method and updated tube shapes yield additional chassis stiffness over the previous generation.
Rather than use last year's one-piece chainstays-plus-bottom bracket shell combination, Basso's SuperSix uses one-piece seatstay and chainstay assemblies that join to a monocoque front triangle with large surface area bonds.
The whole area is anchored with long carbon fibre strips that reach all the way around the seat tube and top tube up top, and around the seat tube and down tube below. At least in concept, it's analogous to how guide rings are secured to fishing rods, and Cannondale claim it's a more efficient use of material than even tube-to-tube construction.
The team's equipment sponsors have essentially carried over from last year, including Campagnolo, Mavic, FSA, Speedplay, Fizik and Elite. As such, the major items are unchanged, with a Record transmission and brakes, and Cosmic Carbone Ultimate wheels wrapped with Schwalbe-labelled tubulars.
Basso is running 22mm-wide tyres most of the time. These are labeled as Schwalbe Ultremo but they bear a strong resemblance to Veloflex Carbons
Upgrades include Speedplay's ultralight Zero Nanogram pedals and Elite's latest Sior carbon bottle cages, but Basso has made more significant changes to his cockpit. A traditional-bend FSA Energy T handlebar takes the place of the company's New Ergo bend we saw him with last year and a forged-and-machined OS-115 stem – in a longer 140mm length – stands in for the carbon-wrapped OS-99 model.
Even at a whopping 140mm long, FSA's OS-115 stem is still quite light
Also significant is a swap from Fizik's Aliante to the far flatter-profile Antares. Even with the change in frame size from last season's 58cm to this year's 56cm – mostly in an aim to get a shorter head tube – point-to-point reach from the saddle tip to the centre of the bars has gone up 15mm. Couple in the more aggressive traditional bend and the result is that Basso can now stretch out more than before.
The stout front end features a tapered 1-1/8 to 1-1/2in head tube
Complete bike specifications:
- Frame: Cannondale SuperSix Hi-Mod, size 56cm
- Fork: Cannondale SuperSix Hi-Mod
- Headset: Cannondale Si integrated
- Stem: FSA OS115, 140mm x -6°
- Handlebars: FSA Energy T, 44cm (c-c)
- Tape/grips: Fizik bar:tape
- Front brake: Campagnolo Record D Skeleton w/ carbon-specific pads
- Rear brake: Campagnolo Record D Skeleton w/ carbon-specific pads
- Brake levers: Campagnolo Record Ergopower Ultra-Shift 11s
- Front derailleur: Campagnolo Record 11s
- Rear derailleur: Campagnolo Record 11s
- Shift levers: Campagnolo Record Ergopower Ultra-Shift 11s
- Cassette: Campagnolo Record 11s, 11-25T
- Chain: Campagnolo Record 11s
- Crankset: SRM Wireless PowerMeter Cannondale SI/SL, 175mm, 53/39T
- Bottom bracket: Cannondale BB30 Ceramic
- Pedals: Speedplay Zero Nanogram
- Wheelset: Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate
- Front tyre: Labeled as Schwale Ultremo
- Rear tyre: Labeled as Schwale Ultremo
- Saddle: Fizik Antares Braided
- Seatpost: FSA K-Force Light SB25
- Bottle cages: Elite Sior (x2)
- Computer: SRM PowerControl 7
Critical measurements:
- Rider's height: 1.83m (6ft)
- Rider's weight: 70kg (154lb)
- Saddle height, from BB (c-t): 782mm
- Saddle setback (ask mechanic): 94mm
- Seat tube length, c-t: 570mm
- Seat tube length, c-c: 530mm
- Tip of saddle nose to centre of bars (next to stem): 625mm
- Saddle-to-bar drop (vertical): 110mm
- Head tube length: 155mm
- Top tube length: 560mm
- Total bicycle weight: 6.85kg (15.1lb) – as quoted by mechanic