This year's Giro d'Italia kicked off with a 21.7km-long team time trial around the streets of Belfast in Northern Ireland. The roads were wet, the rain was sputtering, and the winds were whipping about but that didn't keep teams from cracking out their full-blown aero machinery. Take a look at some of the bikes that the riders used today.
This year's Giro d'Italia kicked off with a 21.7km-long team time trial around the streets of Belfast in Northern Ireland. The roads were wet, the rain was sputtering, and the winds were whipping about but that didn't keep teams from cracking out their full-blown aero machinery. Take a look at some of the bikes that the riders used today. - James Huang/Future Publishing
Most modern time trial bikes now feature these ultra-sleek profiles with stems that sit inline with the top tube. Note the complete absence of exposed cabling, too - James Huang/Future Publishing
Just a single layer of Lizard Skins' thinner DSP tape option for this Lotto-Belisol rider - James Huang/Future Publishing
Lotto-Belisol's Ridley Dean features some dramatic shaping in a quest for more speed. The radical fork blades are split lengthwise with a channel that supposedly pulls air away from the spinning wheel - James Huang/Future Publishing
Drivetrains shift better when there's less flex in the system. Sandwich-type rear derailleur hangers that clamp the dropout in the center such as on this Ridley Dean certainly help - James Huang/Future Publishing
Just like with Shimano's Di2 time trial system, Campagnolo EPS users can shift from both the base bar and the extensions - James Huang/Future Publishing
This is about as tidy as you can get - James Huang/Future Publishing
Ag2r-La Mondiale uses these Focus Izalco Chrono machines, which were just formally launched in July 2013 - James Huang/Future Publishing
As is currently the fashion, the Focus Izalco Chrono features linear-pull brakes that are blended into the fork blades up front and hidden below the chain stays out back - James Huang/Future Publishing
It wasn't long ago that cabling such as this would be considered pretty clean. Nowadays, however, the ideal situation is to have everything completely tucked away inside - James Huang/Future Publishing
Focus's Izalco Chrono is one of the latest time trial bikes to adopt the inline design concept - James Huang/Future Publishing
While some riders go with standard handlebar tape, many others go the super grippy route - James Huang/Future Publishing
Enormous Campagnolo Bora Ultra aero cranks for the Ag2r-La Mondiale squad - James Huang/Future Publishing
Dan Martin's ill-fated Cervélo P5 just before the start of the team time trial. The Garmin-Sharp rider had high hopes of putting on a good show in front of the home crowd but sadly his Giro is over almost before it began - James Huang/Future Publishing
Dan Martin's (Garmin-Sharp) cockpit setup with narrow-set armrests atop the 3T integrated aerobars - James Huang/Future Publishing
Cervélo bucks the trend with a blunt-tailed stem that sits above the top tube - James Huang/Future Publishing
Garmin-Sharp team mechanics have devised a clever workaround for the Cervélo P5's Magura hydraulic brakes, which aren't technically compatible with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 shift buttons. Unfortunately, though, this solution requires destroying a perfectly good Di2 TT lever in the process since it supposedly can't be done with a less expensive bar-end shifter - James Huang/Future Publishing
Time trial bikes - especially ones with integrated brakes - are notorious for subpar braking performance on account of their convoluted internal routing. Cervélo's P5, however, gets around the problem by using specially made Magura fully hydraulic brakes that are far more tolerant of tight bends - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Cervélo P5 seatpost clamp is neatly integrated into the frame's shape - James Huang/Future Publishing
Garmin-Sharp says that Rotor now only provides solid outer chainrings, partially for stiffness but also to provide a bigger billboard for logos - James Huang/Future Publishing
Garmin-Sharp is on Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 electronic transmissions pretty much exclusively - James Huang/Future Publishing
The main frame of the Cervélo P5 was supposedly designed to maintain aerodynamic performance when a water bottle is installed - James Huang/Future Publishing
We've heard from reliable sources that these tires are actually rebadged Veloflex tubulars - James Huang/Future Publishing
The ultra-clean front ends of Team Sky's Pinarello Bolide time trial bikes - James Huang/Future Publishing
Team Sky doesn't just tap FMB for tires when the cobbled classics loom - James Huang/Future Publishing
Race rules require that all team time trial bikes have identical paint jobs. That means special treatments such as color accents for national champions are relegated to the top of the team car - James Huang/Future Publishing
Race rules require that all team time trial bikes have identical paint jobs. That means special treatments such as color accents for national champions are relegated to the top of the team car - James Huang/Future Publishing
Team Sky's army of Pinarello Bolides at the ready - James Huang/Future Publishing
Team Sky is using Wahoo KICKR digital trainers this year - James Huang/Future Publishing
The front and rear brakes of Team Sky's Pinarello Bolide time trial bikes hide behind smoothly profiled shrouds. How the rear qualifies as a structural element - a requirement by UCI rules - isn't immediately obvious - James Huang/Future Publishing
Is this a team pit area or a fun house? Sometimes it's hard to tell, depending on your perspective - James Huang/Future Publishing
The custom integrated aerobars on Team Sky's time trial bikes are remarkably smooth - James Huang/Future Publishing
Just basic strips of friction tape for Team Sky's time trial bikes - James Huang/Future Publishing
Shimano offers two different types of Dura-Ace Di2 bar-end shifters: ones with two buttons each for shifting the front and rear derailleur, and others with just one button each to control just the rear shifting. After all, if you have to resort to the inner chainring in most Grand Tour time trials, something has gone horribly wrong - James Huang/Future Publishing
Sky's custom base bars feature integrated levers and dedicated pockets for the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 buttons - James Huang/Future Publishing
Team Sky rider Ben Swift uses this homebuilt solution to help him stay on the nose of the saddle - James Huang/Future Publishing
Team Sky warms up on Wahoo Fitness electromagnetic KICKR trainers - James Huang/Future Publishing
Trek Factory Team's Trek Speed Concepts are lined up for their pre-race warmup - James Huang/Future Publishing
The end result of many modern top-end time trial bikes are visually sleek and tidy but getting to that point usually requires quite a bit of work - James Huang/Future Publishing
Trek's Speed Concept was one of the first modern time trial machines to fully hide away the brakes inside the structure - James Huang/Future Publishing
Orica-GreenEdge's Scott Plasma time trial bike looks brilliant against the (temporarily) Irish blue sky with its fetching black, white, and green paint - James Huang/Future Publishing
The chain stays on Orica-GreenEdge's Scott Plasma hug the sides of the wheel before kicking out to the dropout - James Huang/Future Publishing
The tight confines of this pocket mean that Orica-GreenEdge mechanics have to use previous-generation Shimano Dura-Ace brake calipers - James Huang/Future Publishing
Orica-GreenEdge set out to win the opening team time trial of this year's Giro d'Italia and made good on that goal - James Huang/Future Publishing
The tidy front end of the Scott Plasma was a joint development with Shimano - James Huang/Future Publishing
Orica-GreenEdge's Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 batteries are attached to custom mounts behind the saddle - James Huang/Future Publishing
Team mechanics fashioned this pedestal clock so that riders could keep an eye on the time during warmup - James Huang/Future Publishing
Katusha's mean-looking Canyon Speedmax CF - James Huang/Future Publishing
Yet another stem sitting inline with the top tube - James Huang/Future Publishing
This wiring may not be completely hidden but it's quite neat nonetheless and still allows easy access to the charge port - James Huang/Future Publishing
Is this a new saddle from Selle Italia? Sure looks that way - James Huang/Future Publishing
Katusha sponsor Canyon is another manufacturer that has managed to tuck away the brakes inside the chassis - James Huang/Future Publishing
Canyon provided this custom painted Aeroad CF to Katusha rider Daniel Moreno to celebrate his win at Fleche Wallonne in 2013. Moreno used this bike just to warm up today, of course - James Huang/Future Publishing
Wilco Kelderman's (Belkin) Bianchi D2 - James Huang/Future Publishing
Belkin's Bianchi D2 time trial bikes have a few interesting details, such as the portholes in the chain stays and the reverse-mounted linear-pull brakes that are tucked away behind the fork blades - James Huang/Future Publishing
These 25mm-wide tires may have come in handy for the Belkin team as they traversed Belfast's wet roads - James Huang/Future Publishing
Tinkoff-Saxo's Specialized S-Works Shiv - James Huang/Future Publishing
These brakes were once encased in a giant 'nosecone' - that is, until the UCI deemed it illegal for competition - James Huang/Future Publishing
Tinkoff-Saxo's fleet just before the start of the opening team time trial - James Huang/Future Publishing
Compact U-brakes are set below the chain stays on Tinkoff-Saxo's Specialized S-Works Shiv time trial bikes - James Huang/Future Publishing
You know, just in case the FDJ.fr guys need a little motivation - James Huang/Future Publishing
FDJ.fr used Lapierre's recently revamped Aerostorm for the opening time trial - James Huang/Future Publishing
The latest Lapierre Aerostorm chassis uses direct-mount Shimano Dura-Ace brakes out back… - James Huang/Future Publishing
…and integrated linear-pull ones up front - James Huang/Future Publishing
Europcar made use of Colnago K.Zeros for the opening round of the Giro d'Italia. This one belongs to Japanese rider Yukiya Arashiro - James Huang/Future Publishing
The cable is fed into the side of the linear-pull front brake caliper on Europcar's Colnago K.Zero - James Huang/Future Publishing
Relatively short extensions for Europcar rider Yukiya Arashiro - James Huang/Future Publishing
The forward-mounted bolts on the Colnago K.Zero seatpost clamp might not be as sleek as rear-mounted ones but in this orientation, the frame isn't ruined if you strip out some threads - James Huang/Future Publishing
Lampre-Merida's Merida Warp TT. Recognize any familiar cues? We're not saying that Merida copied anyone, mind you, but time trial bikes are rapidly approaching parity in many aspects of their shape and design concepts - James Huang/Future Publishing
Brakes tucked underneath the chain stays allow for shaping like this - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Merida Warp TT stem's open bottom provides a handy exit point for cables and wires - James Huang/Future Publishing
Bianchi's D2 time trial bike normally has a fork with linear-pull brakes mounted behind the crown… - James Huang/Future Publishing
However, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela team bikes used standard forks (whose paint jobs didn't even match) and conventional front brake calipers for the time trial - James Huang/Future Publishing
fi'zi:k's new Tritone TT/Tri saddle features a virtually nonexistent nose and a deep central channel - James Huang/Future Publishing
Aerobars can be awfully busy pieces of real estate - James Huang/Future Publishing
Astana also uses Specialized S-Works Shiv time trial bikes - James Huang/Future Publishing
Giant-Shimano's Trinity Advanced SL was groundbreaking several years ago but is due for a redesign. The handsome paint jobs keep these samples looking quite fresh, though - James Huang/Future Publishing
Rigoberto Uran's (Saxo-Tinkoff) Specialized S-Works Shiv - James Huang/Future Publishing
Ivan Basso's (Cannondale) spare Cannondale Slice sits atop the team car. Thankfully for Basso and his team, it wasn't needed today - James Huang/Future Publishing
The profiled spider hugs the end of the Cannondale Hollowgram SiSL 2 crankarm - James Huang/Future Publishing
Clearance is tight on the Cannondale Slice front brake. Even if the Cannondale team wanted to use bigger tires, we're not sure they could - James Huang/Future Publishing
Bardiani CSF sponsor MCipollini doesn't actually make a dedicated time trial bike so the RB1000 model is adapted for the task - James Huang/Future Publishing
Prologo's grippy CPC cover helps keep riders securely perched on the nose - James Huang/Future Publishing
Bongiorno! - James Huang/Future Publishing
Bardiani CSF was another team opting for wider 25mm tires but in this case, they're mounted to narrow Campagnolo rims - James Huang/Future Publishing
Rigoberto Uran's (Saxo-Tinkoff) spare time trial bike sits atop the team car - James Huang/Future Publishing
Although they weren't going to be used that day, most teams nonetheless had their road bikes on display - James Huang/Future Publishing
This type of seat cluster shaping is now very commonly used by multiple manufacturers - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Colombia team used these brightly colors Wilier Triestina TwinBlades - James Huang/Future Publishing
The Wilier Triestina TwinBlade certainly has a uniquely shaped front end - James Huang/Future Publishing
Rear brakes are tucked underneath the chain stays on the Wilier Triestina TwinBlade - James Huang/Future Publishing
This Lotto-Belisol rider had some Lizard Skins DSP handlebar tape applied to his Look KéO Blade pedal, likely to provide a more solid interface - James Huang/Future Publishing
So if time trial bikes are so aerodynamic, that should mean they have less of an impact on a car's fuel economy than a standard road bike when mounted on the roof, right? - James Huang/Future Publishing
Lotto-Belisol's K-Edge chain catchers have SRM magnets attached to an adjustable stalks on their ends - James Huang/Future Publishing
Another team running wider tires - but on narrow rims - James Huang/Future Publishing
BMC didn't just cordon off an area for its riders. It created a virtual compound that was bordered by team vehicles - James Huang/Future Publishing
The opening team time trial of this year's Giro d'Italia started in the shadow of the Titanic Belfast building - James Huang/Future Publishing
This year's Giro d'Italia kicked off with a 21.7km team time trial around the streets of Belfast in Northern Ireland. The roads were wet, the rain was sputtering, and the winds were whipping about, but that didn't keep teams from cracking out their full-blown aero machinery. Take a look at some of the bikes that the riders used today.
For complete coverage of the stage and the entire Giro d'Italia, be sure to check out Cyclingnews.com.
James Huang is BikeRadar's former technical editor. After leaving BikeRadar in 2016, he worked at CyclingTips and Escape Collective. He now runs the Substack cycling publication N-1 Bikes.
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