Jack Haig. It’s a name you may not have heard before, but soon it will be hard to ignore. Haig won the best young rider classification at the 2014 Santos Tour Down Under, while riding in support for his Uni-SA teammate, Caleb Ewan.
His recent results give a glimpse of a very bright future for the 20-year-old from Bendigo, Victoria. Last year, Haig was the 2013 Australian National Road Series overall winner, and also won the U23 Cross-Country National Mountain Bike Championships, with lap times comparable to elite men’s World Cup rider Dan McConnell.
For 2014, Haig is part of the Avanti Racing Team, a team that has developed riders such as Richie Porte, Nathan Earle, Nathan Haas and Steele von Hoffe. We caught up with Haig and his very bright and light Avanti Corsa SL during the Tour Down Under.
The Corsa SL Team is Avanti’s new flagship race frame and prioritises lightweight and stiffness over aerodynamics – the latter is taken care of by the Corsa DR frame.
A stand-out feature of Haig's Corsa SL is the Shimano Dura-ace direct-mount rear brake, hidden underneath the box-section chainstays that stem straight from the full width of the bottom bracket. Up top is a smoothly blended integrated seat clamp that holds a 27.2mm seatpost, along with uninterrupted seatstays to provide additional compliance.
With a full Shimano Dura-ace 9070 Di2 drivetrain and matching SRM, the build is every bit as good as those of his professional competitors' bikes. The small addition of Di2 sprint shifters on the drops is a surprise - it's more often seen among sprinters.
Haig’s choice of lightweight over aerodynamics continues with his Dura-ace C24 wheels, an indication that he’s a true climber. With his bike coming in under 7kg, it was the lightest we weighed during our time in Adelaide.
Haig has provided his own Specialized Romin Pro perch, while waiting on a new saddle from sponsor Zero. Haig is tall and lanky and rides a comparatively small frame, so a longer seatpost from another brand is used to get his required seat height.
And what does 2014 hold for Haig? "I’m planning to do well at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour to set up my road season," he said. "But I’m also focusing on Mountain Bike Nationals, Oceanias, and the first two World Cup rounds. Hopefully that will earn me a spot in the Commonwealth Games mountain bike team."
Complete bike specifications
- Frame: Avanti Corsa SL CR6, M/L size
- Fork: Avanti ADT CR6 tapered
- Headset: Internal tapered (unbranded)
- Stem: Easton EA90, 130mm, -10 degree
- Handlebar: Easton EA70, 42cm (c-c)
- Tape: Zero micro wrap
- Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace 9000
- Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace 9010 direct-mount
- Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070
- Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 FD-9070
- Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 RD-9070
- Shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 STI Dual Control ST-9070 + SW-R610 sprint (on drops)
- Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-9000, 11-28T
- Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-9000
- Crankset: SRM Shimano 11-speed, 175mm, 53/39T
- Bottom bracket: Shimano BB-71 press-fit
- Pedals: Shimano 9000 Dura-ace
- Wheelset: Shimano Dura-ace C24 tubular
- Front tyre: Kenda 'SC' (appears to be 23mm-wide Veloflex Carbon)
- Rear tyre: Kenda 'SC' (appears to be 23mm-wide Veloflex Carbon)
- Saddle: Specialized Romin Pro
- Seatpost: Felt aluminium, straight
- Bottle cages: Blackburn Camber CF (2)
- Computer: Garmin out-front mount (computer not pictured)
Critical measurements
- Rider's height: 1.90m (6ft 3in)
- Rider's weight: 68kg (150lb)
- Saddle height from BB, c-t: 796mm
- Saddle setback: 73mm
- Seat tube length (c-t): 505mm
- Seat tube length (c-c): 490mm
- Tip of saddle to center of bar: 585mm
- Saddle-to-bar drop: 120mm
- Head tube length: 165mm
- Top tube length (effective): 565mm
- Total bicycle weight: 6.92kg (15.22lb) without Garmin