Taylor Phinney's Cannondale Slice has a few unusual things going on - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Digital Di2 shifting or TRP mechanical braking? With a little glue, the answer: both - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
TRP's brake systems are generally well regarded, but the brand is shut out of the full drivetrain game - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
When combined with the bayonet fork, the fore/aft depth on the Slice's head tube is enormous - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
To hide the junction box, or make charging more accessible? Cannondale mechanics go with a tidy version of the latter - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Mavic's new, pro-only Carbon Pro Comete clinchers can be run as rim or disc wheels - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Clinchers can made with lower rolling resistance than the tubular tires that pros normally race - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
While big chainrings are for leverage, big pulleys are designed to improve efficiency by avoiding tight bends on the chain - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Speaking of effieciency, Mavic opted to supply Cannondale with dual-purpose wheels to cover both rim and disc bikes - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Phinney uses a Specialized Romin on the road, and this well-padded Fizik Arione model for time trials - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Eyeballing saddle height is not something pro mechanics do. Marking the saddle provides a static point of reference for stack and reach measurements - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Phinney rode into the KOM jersey on stage 2 of the Tour off the back of a good stage 1 time trial - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Not quite a Tony Martin 58t, but Phinney's 56t seems to serve him just fine, with two top-20 time trials in his first Tour - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Hopefully the ceramic bearings are a bit smoother than the paint job - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
A little duct tape temporarily seals the disc's valve cut-out - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
In his first Tour de France, American Taylor Phinney placed 12th and 17th in the race's two time trials aboard a Cannondale Slice. Perhaps more impressively, he fought his way into the break on stage 2 and claimed the polka-dot climber's jersey for a day. Somewhat curiously, his Slice TT bike is equipped with aero Mavic wheels that can work with rim and disc brakes.
Like other WorldTour teams, Cannondale-Drapac has been experimenting with disc-brake bikes in races this year. Phinney's teammate Alberto Bettiol made history at the start of the race, becoming the first rider to race a Tour time trial on a disc-brake machine. Phinney also raced disc-ready wheels in the time trials — but on a rim-brake bike.
Mavic's new Carbon Pro Comete clinchers can be run as rim or disc wheels - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
For Mavic, sponsoring Cannondale presented a logistical challenge: how to supply a full complement of aero, climbing, cobbles and time trial wheels for both rim- and disc-brake bikes. For the time trials, Mavic opted to go for some wheels that could work for both.
"When you're trying to support the team during this transition between rim and disc, it is impossible to supply a full season's worth of wheels for both options," said Mavic brand manager Chad Moore. "So, we maximize efficiencies where we can when there is no impact on performance. They can easily run those TT wheels with or without rotors to work on both types of bikes."
The Centerlock hubs are the easiest giveaway that the wheels are ready for discs, but the front wheel's spoke lacing is a marker, too.
Speaking of effieciency, Mavic opted to supply Cannondale with dual-purpose wheels to cover both rim and disc bikes - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Phinney and at least a few other of his Cannondale teammates also raced on prototype clinchers that Moore said were "very fast and very grippy." World time trial champion Tony Martin and other top riders have used clinchers in the past, as they can be made with lower rolling resistance than stock tubulars.
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at Phinney's Cannondale Slice, and be sure to visit Cyclingnews.com for complete coverage of the 2017 Tour de France.
Clinchers can made with lower rolling resistance than the tubular tires that pros normally race - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.
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