Swiss powerhouse Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan-Trek) rumbled to victory in Saturday's prologue, becoming the first rider in this year's Tour de France to don the maillot jaune. In keeping with recent traditions, Cancellara was covered in yellow from head to toe for stage 1, as was his Trek Domane 6-Series bike.
Even without the bright yellow livery, Cancellara's machine is still unique in that he's running a Domane model instead of the new Madone used by his teammates. The Domane is Trek's 'endurance' machine for the cobbled Classics, with dedicated features such as detuned handling, a much lower bottom bracket and the unique IsoSpeed 'decoupler' pivot at the seat tube/top tube junction that allows for an extraordinary amount of saddle movement.
The IsoSpeed concept is designed to isolate rear wheel impacts from riders
This year's Tour de France Tarmac obviously won't match the brutality of Paris-Roubaix's cobblestones. But since Cancellara was intimately involved with the development of the Domane and has spent much of the early season on it (he won the Strade Bianche on one in early March), he's decided to stick with it for now. It's only marginally heavier than the Madone and virtually identical in terms of drivetrain efficiency, so Cancellara isn't putting himself at an advantage regardless.
Consumers can purchase their own all-yellow Domane through Trek's Project One custom program. But even then it won't be same chassis as the one Cancellara rides. Team bikes feature special one-piece rear dropouts with non-replaceable derailleur hangers, for improved shift accuracy and durability. Being a RadioShack-Nissan-Trek rider is also the only way to get a Domane with the lower, more aggressive 'pro-fit' front triangle, although Trek are obligated to release it to the public before the end of this calendar year.
Cancellara's build kit closely mirrors that on his everyday Domane, including a Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 mechanical group, SRM cranks, Schwalbe tires, Speedplay Zero pedals (ultra-light Nanograms in this case), a Cane Creek headset and Nokon cables and housing. The rest is filled out by Trek's Bontrager component arm: Aeolus 5 D3 50mm-deep carbon tubular wheels, a Race Lite Anatomic aluminum handlebar, Race XXX Lite molded carbon fiber stem, Team Issue saddle and RXL carbon fiber bottle cages.
Super-light Speedlay Zero Nanogram pedals on Cancellara's stage 1 Domane
Team mechanic Roger Theel has snuck in a few subtle go-fast tweaks on Cancellara's bike, though, such as the aftermarket derailleur pulleys and bottom bracket that's installed without the normal supplemental outer rubber seals. Ceramic bearings of some sort are a virtual guarantee, too.
Actual weight is 7.56kg (16.63lb).
Find out more about Cancellara's yellow Trek Domane with the video below.
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Complete bike specification:
- Frame: Trek Domane 6-Series, 58cm 'pro' fit
- Fork: Trek IsoSpeed full carbon
- Headset: Cane Creek 40, tapered 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in
- Stem: Bontrager Race XXX Lite, 140 x -7°
- Handlebar: Bontrager Race Lite Anatomic, 44cm
- Bar tape: Bontrager cork
- Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-7900 w/ carbon-specific pads, grey compound
- Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-7900 w/ carbon-specific Bontrager cork pads
- Brake levers: Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control ST-7900
- Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace FD-7900
- Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace RD-7900 w/ aftermarket pulleys
- Levers: Shimano Dura-Ace STI Dual Control ST-7900
- Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace CS-7900
- Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace CN-7900
- Crankset: SRM Wireless Powermeter Dura-Ace 7900 Compatible, 175mm, 53/39T
- Bottom bracket: Trek BB90 integrated, unknown bearings
- Pedals: Speedplay Zero Nanogram
- Wheelset: Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 tubular
- Front tire: Schwalbe Ultremo HT tubular
- Rear tire: Schwalbe Ultremo HT tubular
- Saddle: Bontrager Team Issue
- Seatpost: Bontrager Ride Tuned Carbon seatmast
- Bottle cages: Bontrager Race X Lite (2)
- Computer: SRM PowerControl 7
- Other accessories: Nokon cables and housing
Critical measurements:
- Rider's height: 6ft 1in (1.86m)
- Rider's weight: 82kg (181lb)
- Saddle height from BB, c-t: 781mm
- Saddle setback: 89mm
- Seat tube length, c-c: 485mm
- Tip of saddle to center of bar: 616mm
- Head tube length: 150mm
- Top tube length: 567mm
- Total bike weight: 7.56kg (16.67lb)