Michael Matthews will ride this Giant Propel Advanced SL around the rolling parcours of the 271.1km elite men’s 2023 World Championships course.
The Propel is Giant’s aero road bike, with the top-tier Advanced SL model featuring a now rarely seen integrated seat mast.
A battle-scared groupset
Matthews’ Giant Propel Advanced Pro is built around a well-loved Shimano Dura-Ace R9270 Di2 groupset.
The 54/40t power meter-equipped crankset has seen plenty of action, with scratches covering the crank arms and most of the coating worn off the chainring teeth.
It’s unusual for riders to use anything but pristine bikes, so to see something well-used but still completely functional raced at the World Championships is almost refreshing.
The 2022 World Championships bronze medallist pairs his battered crankset with a wide-range 11-34t cassette.
A small chain catcher from Fouriers – which also supplies his out-front computer mount – is attached to the integrated derailleur mount.
As is de rigueur for a pro bike in 2023, Matthews has turned his levers inwards in search of precious aero gains.
The 2017 green jersey winner also has sprint shifters fitted to the hooks of his unidentified carbon ergo-shaped bars.
New Cadex Amp saddle makes racing debut
Matthews’ bike is fitted with the new Cadex Amp saddle.
Sitting alongside the more traditional Boost, the Amp is Cadex’s take on the ever-popular short-nose-wide-wing saddle design popularised by the Specialized Power.
The premium saddle features a forged carbon shell with integrated rails. The rails attach at the very rear of the shell, enabling the saddle to flex more easily, improving compliance.
Tubeless tyres… or are they?
Matthews’ bike rolls on a carbon-spoked Cadex 50 Ultra wheelset. These are fitted with a pair of 28mm wide Vittoria Corsa Pro tyres set up tubeless.
Confusingly, the rims are marked up as the ‘C50 Tubular’.
As far as we’re aware, Cadex has never produced a tubular version of its C50 Ultra rims, and the Corsa Pro is not available as a tubular either. We’ll put this one down to a logo design error.
